Every MCU Movie By The Russos Ranked Worst To Best Before Avengers 5

Summary

  • The Russo brothers are responsible for crafting the four best films in the MCU and are now reportedly returning for Avengers 5 and 6.
  • Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame are immensely satisfying, but struggle from a divided plot and slower pacing respectively.
  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier has amazing action and a brilliant tone, but Avengers: Infinity War’s epic nature, franchise-best villain, and harrowing ending see it ranked as the best Russo brothers’ MCU film.



The Russo brothers have a long working history within the Marvel CinematicUniverse, but how do the duo’s films rank against one another? Anthony and Joe Russo, collectively known as the Russo brothers, initially began their career working on sitcoms like Arrested Development, Community, and Happy Endings. At the time, when the Russos were hired to direct an upcoming MCU movie, many were wondering how sitcom filmmakers would transfer to the high-octane, CGI-infused movies of Marvel Studios.

As it turned out, the Russos took to blockbuster filmmaking like a duck to water. Immediately, the filmmakers became two of the best in the Golden Age of superhero cinema, directing some of the best-ranked Marvel movies ever put to screen. Recently, the MCU received a much-needed dose of adrenaline and hope when it was announced that, reportedly, the Russo brothers are in talks for Avengers 5 and 6. Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars were confirmed long ago, with director Daniel Destin Cretton set to helm the former.


Since then, however, details surrounding Avengers 5 have seen the original title of The Kang Dynasty reportedly dropped alongside Kang actor Jonathan Majors, resulting in the departure of Cretton and initial writer Jeff Loveness. After a period of uncertainty, Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars could be back on track with the announcement that the Russos may return to direct both movies. With this exciting news, many will naturally look back on the Russos’ MCU efforts thus far, begging the question of how they rank from worst – or more aptly, least-good – to best.

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4 Captain America: Civil War

The Third Captain America Movie Is The Weakest Of The Russo Brothers’ MCU Efforts

When crafting any list, it seems blasphemy to place Captain America: Civil War as the “worst” film. However, regarding the Russo brothers’ MCU films, Civil War claims this difficult spot. Concerning the reasons why Civil War ranks as the weakest of the Russos’ MCU films, it is more a commentary on the amazing positives of the other three projects on the list than it is a result of any real negatives Captain America: Civil War possesses. For the most part, Captain America: Civil War unequivocally works.

Captain America: Civil War
can sometimes feel slightly messy…


The film had the unenviable job of being a cornerstone of the MCU’s Phase 3. Not only did it need to tell a satisfying story that served Captain America’s timeline in the MCU as a sequel to The Winter Soldier, but it had to incorporate several other Avengers while exploring their rift and the effects it would have on two future Avengers movies. As a result, Captain America: Civil War can sometimes feel slightly messy. Having to juggle so many characters, give them all moments and individual arcs, and tie this to Cap’s story was always going to be impossible to accomplish without a hitch.

This leads to arguably the biggest criticism of Captain America: Civil War: sometimes it does not feel like a Cap movie. Many have since dubbed the film Avengers 2.5, which is not entirely unfair. Regardless, Civil War remains one of the best MCU films thanks to its emotional heart, fantastic moments, brilliant action sequences, and climactic ending. It is remarkable a film this size works as well as it does, and it is only the positives of other movies that see it ranked as the weakest MCU Russo brothers film.


3 Avengers: Endgame

The Culmination Of The MCU Infinity Saga Is Immensely Satisfying

Avengers: Endgame is, admittedly, a difficult movie to rank. The emotional high of watching what the film achieved is one many will never experience again due to the immense task Marvel Studios accomplished in tying up 11 years of storytelling. As such, the fan-service aspect of the film would usually be enough to see it ranked as the best Russo brothers MCU film, and the best in the entire saga full stop. However, from a more critical perspective, Avengers: Endgame has its issues that see it unable to trump the two remaining Russo brothers MCU movies.


In comparison to the tighter pacing of
Captain America: Civil War
,
Avengers: Endgame
can feel unbalanced…

For one, Avengers: Endgame can feel slightly slow. The film clocks in at over three hours, making the first two acts feel like a slog at times. The decision to slow the film down and allow it to breathe is admirable, but there is no denying that the first two-thirds of the film is less fresh in fans’ memories than the bombastic final showdown. In comparison to the tighter pacing of Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Endgame can feel unbalanced.


That said, what enables Avengers: Endgame to rank above Civil War is the sheer hype, excitement, and wonder it generates. Seeing Avengers that would rarely interact come together remains as fascinating as ever, and the time-heist plot of the film allows for a beautiful revisiting of the MCU’s biggest movies before the Infinity Saga comes to a close. Where Endgame undoubtedly shines, though, is in its final act.

Avengers Endgame Thanos and the Avengers

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Putting the amount of Marvel characters on screen that Endgame did never should have worked, but it is a testament to the Russo brothers’ direction and the writing team of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely that it feels warranted. The portals scene ranks among the best in the entire MCU, inducing chills, tears, and awe as the events of Infinity War are reversed. Although the argument that Endgame relies on fan service is valid and is certainly a factor in why it is not ranked higher, the film’s emotional heart and tear-inducing ending overcome any prior misgivings.


2 Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The Second Movie In The Captain America Trilogy Stands Tall

Among the three other Russo brothers-directed movies in the MCU, Captain America: The Winter Soldier feels somewhat like an outlier. In comparison to the other movies’ ensemble casts, epic stories, and world-altering stakes, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is much smaller. Ironically, this is what makes it a bigger success. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is still counted as one of the best solo movies in the entire franchise, standing tall with the other stories on this list as the greatest in the MCU.


More so than Captain America: Civil War, The Winter Soldier puts an emphasis on its titular hero. Cap’s story has never been stronger in the MCU, primarily driven by his connections to those around him – including fan-favorite Bucky Barnes – and the grounded tone the film strikes. The Winter Soldier feels like a spy-thriller in the best way, providing a political storyline complete with shoot-outs, covert espionage, and awesome hand-to-hand fight sequences.

Captain America MCU Trilogy

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This tone is one that many have hoped Marvel Studios would revisit, proving just how much it worked and explaining why Captain America: Brave New World‘s trailer received such praise. Given that The Winter Soldier has a singular focus where Endgame and Civil War do not, the pacing is incredibly tight. Each scene flows into the next, and the film never gets lost in having to pick up with this Avenger or that, simply focusing on the conflict between Steve Rogers and HYDRA.

Another advantage Captain America: The Winter Soldier has over its peers on this list also links to its tone. The action of the film is incredibly subdued, relying more on car chases, gunfights, and hand-to-hand combat moments over giant CGI spectacles. Given that the latter has been a constant criticism of the franchise, The Winter Soldier‘s action felt refreshing in 2014 and still does today. For these reasons, Captain America: The Winter Soldier easily ranks above Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame, but still cannot match the best Russo brothers film and the best in the entire franchise.


Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the ninth entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After being awoken from cryosleep in the previous film, Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world. As he adjusts, he must battle a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.

Release Date
April 4, 2014

Writers
Stephen McFeely , Christopher Markus

Runtime
136 minutes

1 Avengers: Infinity War

The 2018 Event Is Unlike Anything Else Marvel Studios Has Released

If one word could be used to describe Avengers: Infinity War, it would simply be epic. Infinity War was the culmination of 10 years of storytelling, giving it an advantage over Avengers: Endgame as the first to be so in the MCU. It is a testament to the work of prior films and the way they established characters that Infinity War jumps straight into satisfying character dynamics. Seeing the likes of Thor interact with the Guardians of the Galaxy or Iron Man and Hulk team up with Doctor Strange was overwhelmingly exciting in 2018, and still works well today.


Unlike Avengers: Endgame or Captain America: Civil War, Infinity War‘s cast is better balanced. Rather than struggle to focus on different characters, Infinity War wisely splits its ensemble into three distinct storylines. Thor and the Guardians head one way; Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Spider-Man lead the space Avengers; Captain America, his Civil War allies, and the remaining Earthly Avengers fight off Thanos’ invasion of Wakanda. This gives Infinity War a much better flow with its pacing than the two other ensemble films by the Russos. As the audience yearns for one group, the film switches to them.

Thor arriving in Wakanda in the film’s third act is among the best, most exciting moments in the entire MCU.


What allows Avengers: Infinity War to shine more than anything is its villain – or more aptly, protagonist – Thanos. The inclusion of the Mad Titan is perfect and pays off over half a decade of teases. Josh Brolin is incredible as Thanos, and the decision to make him a more sympathetic, well-spoken, yet inherently brutal character was a master stroke over the Death-worshipping maniac he was in Marvel Comics. Thanos’ motivations are understandable, which makes his extremism all the scarier. Above all that, he is simply a force to be reckoned with and, thus, the single-best villain in the MCU.

Aside from Thanos, the film has one thing that the other three movies – and every other MCU property – do not: Avengers: Infinity War‘s harrowing ending. For a franchise that is so often criticized for not killing off main character and having low stakes, Infinity War‘s ending was overly shocking. The snap sequence is terror-inducing and fueled by a dark, despairing atmosphere as the MCU’s biggest characters turn to dust. The ending of Avengers: Infinity War is not only the best in the MCU, but one of the best in big-budget, franchise filmmaking, solidifying it as the best movie to come from the Russos.


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