Jay Maidment/20th Century Studios andMarvel Studios
- There have been 83 theatrically released movies based on a Marvel comic property to date.
- From “Howard the Duck” to “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the quality has ebbed and flowed.
- Here’s how all the Marvel movies — so far — compare.
It’s been 38 years since audiences saw their very first theatrical movie based on a Marvel comic — would you believe that 1986’s “Howard the Duck” was the first major motion picture based on a character from Marvel?
Since that inauspicious start, Marvel has become one of the most recognizable and successful brands in the movie business. The 13%
As you might’ve guessed from the title, Howard is a duck. Specifically, a resident of the planet Duckworld, which is like Earth, but inhabited by ducks. When Howard finds himself on Earth in the state of Ohio, he must team up with a woman, Beverly Switzler (Lea Thompson) to try and get home.
“Sound the horns, light the speakers, and cue the marching band, because ‘Howard the Duck’ is here … and bad movie historians could not ask for a more mallard-droit venture than this,” wrote Michael Burkett of the 25%
Not long after “Howard the Duck,” the next Marvel movie was released: “The Punisher.” In it, Lundgren plays Frank Castle, a presumed-dead former detective whose family was blown up by a car bomb placed by the Mafia. However, Castle survived the bombing and has now dedicated his life to getting revenge on everyone involved.
This film never got a theatrical release in the US, but it was released internationally, thus qualifying it for this list.
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Years before he became Captain America, Chris Evans took on the role of Johnny Storm, better known as the Human Torch, in “Fantastic Four.” He was joined by Jessica Alba as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm/The Thing.
Instead of traveling to a parallel dimension, this version of the Fantastic Four’s origin story sees them interact with a cosmic cloud in space, giving them their powers. But, like in the reboot, their primary nemesis is Doctor Doom, this time a former classmate of Reed and Sue’s, played by Julian McMahon.
On the 30%
In “Venom,” Tom Hardy plays journalist Eddie Brock, who loses his job, his fiancée (played by Michelle Williams), and his reputation after he steals confidential documents and confronts a powerful CEO played by Riz Ahmed. Simultaneously, he is exposed to an alien symbiote who calls itself Venom, and the two bond together to protect the Earth.
“Not since ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ has a Marvel Comics adaptation centered on such a splendidly weird lead performance,” wrote the 38%
The 2009 film focuses on Logan, or Wolverine, as played by Hugh Jackman, and what his life was like before he became the X-Man that we knew and loved in the three previous movies. It follows him from the Civil War to the 1970s.
“‘Wolverine’ starts with a roar before sliding into a chaotic, preachy mess,” wrote 50%
“The Golden Circle” stars Taron Egerton once again as Eggsy, a newly minted member of the secret spy organization the Kingsman. After many of its members are wiped out, Eggsy and his colleague Merlin (Mark Strong), travel to the US and meet their American equivalents, the Statesman.
David Edelstein simply wrote, “What a mess it is” in his review for 77%
Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston were both essentially unknowns when they were cast as Norse gods Thor and Loki (as evidenced by their casting announcement in 79%
Brie Larson stars as Carol Danvers, a former US Air Force pilot who is exposed to a blast of cosmic energy in the ’90s, experiences memory loss, and is taken in by an alien race called the Kree. As Carol tries to remember her past, she’s introduced to a young(er) S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, a digitally de-aged Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.
“The main strength is a core of female friendship: Carol Danvers is the only Marvel hero you could imagine getting hammered and belting out songs by No Doubt,” wrote 90%
If “Captain America: The First Avenger” was Marvel’s take on a WWII drama, “Winter Soldier” is the MCU’s version of a tense, political thriller as Cap uncovers multiple layers of conspiracy within the US government, and must go on the run from his presumed-dead best friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), now brain-washed into the murderous assassin the Winter Soldier.
“‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ delivers the superhero movie goods, but it does so with a grin and a wink, and that seems more and more like the right way to approach these things,” wrote Jason Bailey for 90%
Yes, “Big Hero 6” is based on the Marvel team of the same name, which began in the late ’90s. When Disney purchased Marvel in 2009, it was only a matter of time before the House of Mouse merged their two powerhouses, animation and Marvel.
And, with the success of “Big Hero 6,” there’s a strong argument for more Disney Animation comic-book movies. This one focuses on Hiro Hamada, a teenage robotics prodigy living in San Fransokyo.
After the death of his older brother Tadashi, Hiro connects with Tadashi’s invention, a healthcare robot named Baymax, to save the city, along with Tadashi’s friends Fred, Go Go, Wasabi, and Honey Lemon.
“An origins story ripe with innocence and loss, this anime-inflected treat harks back to Disney’s big-hearted heritage even as it looks forward towards new worlds of innovation,” wrote 91%
“Men in Black” follows Will Smith as James Edwards, an NYPD officer who becomes convinced that aliens are real, leading him to join the Men in Black, a secret government organization dedicated to monitoring and protecting alien refugees that live on Earth. He’s partnered with Agent K, played by Tommy Lee Jones.
It’s a loose adaptation of the Malibu comic series of the same name.
“‘Men in Black’ is the wryest, sharpest, most entertaining special effects film in recent memory, a simultaneous participant and mocking parody of the more-bang-for-your-buck behemoth genre,” wrote 91%
Simu Liu 92%
At the time, it was a huge swing for Marvel to entrust writer/director James Gunn with bringing one of the lesser-known superhero teams into the MCU. But, as we know, it was one of the smartest gambles Marvel ever made.
“Guardians,” led by the ever-charming Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, combines hilarious jokes with a genuinely sweet story about found family: In this case, Peter finds Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Rocket the Raccoon (Bradley Cooper).
“Blessed with a loose, anarchic B-picture soul that encourages you to enjoy yourself even when you’re not quite sure what’s going on, the scruffy ‘Guardians’ is irreverent in a way that can bring the first ‘Star Wars’ to mind,” wrote Kenneth Turan of the 93%
“Ragnarok” was one of the most impressive feats in MCU history. After all, two “Thor” movies are among some of the lowest-rated MCU movies, while “Ragnarok” is in the top 10 of all Marvel movies, period.
This comes down to director Taika Waititi, who was able to infuse his signature style and tone into the MCU in this cosmic adventure that’s also a straight-up comedy, following Thor on his journey to prevent the destruction of his home world, Asgard.
“Beautifully filmed with serious kinetic energy by director Taika Waititi, with a crackling script, ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ is a heap of fun. Cue ‘Immigrant Song,'” wrote Kristen Lopez for 93%
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” now has the distinction of sharing the third-best Spider-Man movie crown with “Spider-Man 2” (more on the top Spidey films later). But “No Way Home’s” charms are impossible to deny, even if the plot has more holes than Swiss cheese.
For Marvel movie fans, it’s hard to imagine something more satisfying than seeing Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire together on screen, discussing their rogues’ galleries, Tobey’s weird web situation, or how with great power comes great responsibility.
“Throughout all of it, the weird and complex history of Spider-Man as a cinematic icon isn’t a hindrance to the story; instead, it’s an enhancement, using the quirks of the character’s legacy as a source of illumination into why he has endured so long,” wrote Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence.