Every Standalone MCU Movie, Ranked

It’s kind of difficult to consider anything in the MCU as a standalone project. The franchise, by its nature, is all about an interconnected universe, so pretty much everything works alongside something else. However, when we’re talking about standalone movies in this sense, it’s films that aren’t directly followed up by a sequel. That could and will likely change for several of them, as sequels are very possible in the future.

For now, though, there are six MCU movies that don’t have a sequel. Technically, Deadpool and Wolverine would be the seventh as it doesn’t have a sequel, but it’s not quite a standalone because it’s a sequel to two prior movies about Deadpool. Most of the biggest MCU characters have starred in trilogies, meaning the list of heroes to get solo projects is an exclusive club. Despite not always featuring the top stars of the franchise, these are some of the best movies that Marvel has ever put out.

Some of these movies didn’t get sequels for licensing reasons, while others struggled at the box office, so green-lighting a follow-up didn’t make financial sense. In other cases, as noted, sequels are likely coming down the line, but for now, they work on their own as quality entries into the MCU.

6

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

To this day, The Incredible Hulk remains the most forgotten about entry in the entire MCU. That’s because the movie feels so disconnected from everything else for a handful of reasons. For starters, it’s the second release in the franchise, so the overall world hadn’t been established yet, and the only true connection to the larger universe is a scene at the tail end where Tony Stark pops up. It’s a fun appearance, though it feels tacked on.

It doesn’t help that Mark Ruffalo, the man most associated with Bruce Banner in the MCU, doesn’t play the character here. Instead, Edward Norton takes on the role. While it feels out of place and ranks last, that doesn’t mean The Incredible Hulk is a bad movie at all. It’s actually a solid superhero film that features a good performance from Norton and reviews for the project were pretty strong.

The film has become more important in recent years as well. Characters like Thaddeus Ross have come to the forefront, while the Abomination has popped up in a couple of MCU projects during the 2020s. Still, the bar is high for the MCU overall, so when a movie clocks in as just being considered pretty good, that’s going to cause it to rank low compared to others.

5

Eternals (2021)

Eternals seemed like something that was destined to be a big deal. Following Avengers: Endgame and the pandemic, trailers suggested this would be the next big team in the MCU and that we’d be seeing a lot of them going forward. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case as it disappointed at the box office and, even more damaging, was the first MCU film to receive negative reviews and be labeled as “rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie had a great, diverse cast, some interesting characters to showcase, and was directed by an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Chloé Zhao. That diverse cast also featured popular names like Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, and Salma Hayek. Alas, while Eternals is still a solid film, it suffered from a problem of trying to do too much in a short time.

The film attempts to introduce us to about a dozen brand new characters in the span of two and a half hours. That’s tough for any movie to pull off and is why The Avengers waited until we had met most of the characters before putting them together. Eternals would’ve been better served as a TV series where 8-10 episodes could flesh out these characters. Instead, many of them get barely any development, making this a disappointment.

4

Black Widow (2021)

Fans eagerly anticipated the first solo film for Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff and they finally got it, though it came a couple of years after her character died in Avengers: Endgame. Taking place after the events of Captain America: Civil War, when Natasha was on the run, it works as her solo adventure but does an even better job at introducing us to Yelena Belova.

In a lot of ways, Yelena is the best character added to the MCU since Avengers: Endgame. Florence Pugh’s performance is tremendous each time out and she’s a highlight here alongside Rachel Weisz and David Harbour. Those performances were often at the center of the positive reviews for the film, while most of the criticism was lobbied at the lackluster special effects.

Black Widow also does a great job of balancing its tone. The opening sequence is the most haunting in the entire MCU and there are heavy emotional moments throughout, yet there’s also a lot of fun to be had and some great comedic bits.

3

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

The most recent entry into the MCU is an important one. After acquiring the rights to Marvel’s first family, the MCU finally got to bring in the Fantastic Four. Right off the bat, the group stood out because of the strong casting, as Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn are great together.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a bit odd, since it takes place in a different universe from the rest of the franchise, yet that also makes it unique. Rather than focus on action and comedy, there’s much more of a sci-fi vibe here, which allows it to stand out from the rest of the franchise.

Reviews for The Fantastic Four: First Steps were strong, with particular praise going to the acting, including that of Julia Garner, who steals the show as the Silver Surfer. These characters will be key parts of the next Avengers movies and are the most likely to get a sequel of their own.

2

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)

In 2021, the MCU tried some new things to set up their post-Avengers: Endgame landscape. While not everything landed, one project that most people agree was good was Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Again, this is one of those movies that stands out because it feels so much different from everything else in the MCU.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings put an emphasis on hand-to-hand combat, taking inspiration from martial arts films. There are fight scenes in the film that are breathtaking, and in a lot of ways, those sequences are better than the big CGI battle at the climax of the story.

Simu Liu brought a ton of charisma to the lead role, Tony Leung was a stellar villain, and the supporting cast of Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, and Ben Kingsley is so much fun. It’s a shame that it has taken five years for us to get more from Shang-Chi.

1

Thunderbolts* (2025)

There were people who didn’t think Thunderbolts* would actually get made. The MCU was at a point of being up and down in terms of hits, and a movie centered on side characters forming a ragtag group of heroes seemed like the kind of thing a studio would shelve. Thankfully, the film got made and ended up being immensely important.

Thunderbolts* brought together Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, John Walker, and more, for what many believed would be Marvel’s answer to DC’s Suicide Squad. Instead, the film revealed the team to be the New Avengers, which was a risky move. It paid off because of the quality of Thunderbolts*.

The movie did a great job making us care about this group of characters. By the time they come together to defeat the enemy, they feel like a family in a way that almost no other Marvel team has. Add in the way the film touches on topics like mental health and depression and Thunderbolts* is a truly special entry into the MCU.