Every Marvel Movie In The MCU Phase Three, Officially Ranked

Set just before the events of Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp is fun, lighthearted, and quite honestly the most easygoing entry in Phase 3, making it a great pick for younger audiences or anyone in the mood for watching something breezy after a heavy day. 

The film follows Ant-Man as he gets pulled into a high-thrills rescue mission that lands him deep into the Quantum Realm, involving phasing villains, shrinking buildings, and the MCU’s most jaw-dropping post-credits scene that sets the stage for Avengers: Endgame. Like always, Paul Rudd is endlessly likeable as Ant-Man, and the film is undeniably funny but compared to the universe shifting stakes of the rest of the Phase 3, Ant-Man and the Wasp feels small. 

As MCU’s first ever female superhero led him, Captain Marvel holds a special place in Marvel’s universe. Set in 1995, the film follows Carol Denvers, a former US Air Force pilot who becomes the strongest cosmic being after a freak accident involving an alien engine exposes her to the Tesseract’s energy. 

Captain Marvel is a fun, 90s nostalgia filled space-adventure with a lot more of Nick Fury (quite literally, given that in the prequel he still has both his eyes). It delivers a fresh origin story, a powerful new hero, and some clever franchise backstory, but despite all its high-flying action and charm, it’s hard to compete with long-standing emotional arcs, and character payoffs of the rest of Phase 3. Given that it’s a self-contained origin story, this one can also be enjoyed by Marvel newcomers. 

Marvel’s kaleidoscopic leap into the mind-bending, mystical side, Doctor Strange, follows Stephen Strange, an arrogant but brilliant neurosurgeon who travels to Kamar-Taj, a secret temple in Nepal, to heal after losing the use of his hands in a tragic car crash. There, he meets the Ancient One, a powerful sorcerer who introduces him to the world of magic and multiversal threats. 

Visually, Doctor Strange pushes the MCU into entirely new territory, with scenes of buildings folding into each other Inception-style, time reversing mid-battle, and fights in mirror dimensions where the rules of reality no longer apply. It’s a fast-paced film filled with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments, and Benedict Cumberbatch does a great job portraying Strange’s evolution from smug doctor to humbled mystic warrior. His dry wit and sharp intensity carry the film, even when the story starts to feel a little familiar. All in all, Doctor Strange is a welcome addition to the franchise, and a great pick for when you want to watch something a little more visually trippy and a bit offbeat. 

After two fairly serious and Shakespearean-style movies, the MCU once again brought in a new director to helm the Thor franchise for its third film. Taika Waititi, best known for his quirky, comedic films, took the project in a radically different direction, with bold colour palettes, irreverent humour, and cosmic chaos that brought much-needed fresh energy to the otherwise stoic and self-serious corner of the MCU. 

Thor: Ragnarok is undoubtedly the best solo outing for Thor. It gives the character a complete reset, finally allowing Chris Hemsworth to have fun with the role, showing off his comedic timing and charisma, and making Thor feel more human, relatable, and entertaining in a way that made audiences care about him again. The film also introduces long-awaited comic-book favourite characters like Valkyrie, Korg, and the Grandmaster. Somehow, Thor: Ragnarok manages to be the funniest and, story-wise, the most consequential entry in the series. While Ragnarok works as a fun standalone adventure, it’s best enjoyed with some context, especially if you’re familiar with Thor and Loki’s history, or the events of previous Avengers films.

In classic James Gunn style, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 cranks up the volume on all the zippy dialogues, space chases, and killer retro playlist that made the original movie such an instant hit, while doubling-down on the emotional core, leaving you far more invested and pulled in to the found-family dynamics of this ragtag crew. Set shortly after the events of the first film, the Guardians are now galactic heroes for hire. 

We’ll let you watch the movie to catch up on the chaotic space antics, but there’s a lot of heart hiding beneath all the wise-cracking jokes and high-flying action. The film dives headfirst into themes of abandonment, identity and chosen-family, giving nearly every Guardian a meaningful arc. Also, baby Groot! Similar to Thor: Ragnarok, this one works as a self-contained space adventure, but the emotional payoff, especially Peter’s history and Yondu’s arc hits much deeper if you’ve seen the original Guardians.

Phase 3 doesn’t have a standalone Iron Man film, but it does introduce a smarter, more advanced civilization that makes even Tony Stark’s tech look a little outdated with Black Panther. From nanotech suits to vibranium powered infrastructure, Black Panther shifts the spotlight to Wakanda, a majestic hidden kingdom that’s rich in tech, infrastructure, culture, and power. More than just an origin story, Black Panther is a powerful exploration of race, identity, and diaspora. 

The movie balances large scale action sequences, and futuristic tech with nuanced conversations around colonisation, isolationism, and Black empowerment. Not to mention, Black Panther also delivers one of the most compelling villains in the MCU with Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger. With breathtaking world-building, a vibrant ensemble, and a pulsating score, Black Panther is one of the most important and culturally relevant entries in the MCU universe. A must watch for fans who want a more serious, thoughtful Marvel story that still delivers action, style, and a killer soundtrack.

Let’s be honest, Captain America: Civil War is basically an Avengers film masquerading under Captain America’s shield. It brings nearly every major MCU hero to the screen for a high-stakes ideological clash. When a mission gone wrong leads to major civilian casualties, the Avengers are asked to sign the Sokovia Accords, a document that would regulate their actions, dividing the superheroes into two opposing sides. 

It’s unlike anything fans have ever seen before, there’s no grand villains, only friends vs friends instigated by ideology, guilt, and broken trust. It’s Tony Stark vs Captain America not with their usual quips but with real emotional stakes. And in between all that tension, there’s several iconic moments like the airport battle, introduction of two new game-changing characters, and what’s possibly one of the most devastating third acts in Marvel’s history. This one’s for the fans who’ve been building up to the Steve vs. Tony clash—it’s intense, messy, and totally worth it.

Marvel’s Phase 3 is filled with universe-ending, grand-scale battles and end-of-the-world drama, which is why Spider-Man: Homecoming feels like such a breather. After his flashy debut in Civil War, Homecoming swings back to basics with a younger Peter Parker whose biggest worries are finishing his homework on time and keeping his friendly neighbourhood safe. Tom Holland shines as the awkward but earnest teen hero, giving us a Spidey who genuinely feels like he’s 15 years old. It’s refreshing to see Marvel dial down the MCU spectacle and trade it in for smaller stakes, like rescuing friends from an elevator, stopping a local arms robbery, or sneaking back into detention unnoticed. 

Also, Michael Keaton’s Vulture is one of the MCU’s most grounded and compelling villains: a regular guy driven to villainy after being left behind by the Avengers’ cleanup. All in all, Spider-Man: Homecoming reboots one of Marvel’s most loved franchises into the MCU in a smart, funny, and refreshingly grounded way, and if for nothing else, the banter between Stark and Peter alone makes it worth the watch. It’s not the most epic entry in Phase 3, but easily the most rewatchable. This one’s got friendly neighbourhood appeal written all over it.

Teen-comedy, road-trip rom-com, and high-stakes superhero action all blended into one slick sequel, Spider-Man: Far From Home checks every box a successful sequel should. It builds out Peter’s emotional arc, forces Spidey to grow up and fully embrace his fate as a superhero, and does what Marvel rarely does, gives space for grief, showing Peter as vulnerable and a little lost in a world without his mentor. 

Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the movie takes Spidey and his class to London, where Peter hopes to have a quiet summer and hopefully tell MJ how he feels, but of course, life isn’t so simple when you’re Spider-Man. With a new cosmic threat on his tail, he’s beckoned back to the line of duty. Full of surprising twists and visual spectacle, Far From Home delivers a perfect mix of humour, emotion, and deception. Given how much of the film’s emotional weight and narrative setup depend on the fallout of Endgame, it’s not the best choice if you’re not up to speed with the MCU. 

Avengers: Infinity War is the grand cinematic event Marvel fans had been waiting for ever since Phase 1. From Black Panther to Guardians of the Galaxy, the movie brings nearly every major MCU character back for a showdown against the universe’s most formidable villain yet: Thanos. Avengers: Infinity War manages to squeeze in its biggest ensemble cast while keeping the story tight and urgent. The movie wastes no time. 

Thanos is looking for six Infinity Stones to wipe out half of the Earth’s population, and the Avengers are recruiting every possible hero, anti-hero, and superbeing to help outpace him. The film races across the cosmos switching between Earth, Titan, Wakanda, and beyond, as the usually indestructible Avengers are pushed to their limits and finally seen breaking a sweat. Without giving too much away, Avengers: Infinity War ends with one of the boldest moves in the MCU’s history, one that left fans stunned into silence.