It’s hard to overstate the impact the MCU has had on Hollywood. When Iron Man hit theaters in 2008, no one could have imagined that seventeen years later, the franchise would still be going strong with thirty-eight films under its belt. Along the way, it became a cultural phenomenon and fundamentally changed the way Hollywood approaches blockbuster filmmaking. Suddenly, every studio wanted its own shared universe—one that didn’t depend on a single character or movie star, but could keep expanding with new heroes and interconnected franchises.
But Marvel’s dominance is no longer guaranteed. After years when virtually every MCU movie seemed destined to become a blockbuster, the franchise’s recent box office performance has been much more uneven. The Marvels was an outright bomb, while Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts posted worldwide grosses that would have been impressive for most franchises but were disappointing given their hefty budgets. The Fantastic Four: First Stepsfared better, but still fell well short of the billion-dollar heights Marvel regularly reached during its peak years.
Yet whenever it seems like audiences might finally be suffering from superhero fatigue, Marvel comes roaring back. Deadpool & Wolverine was a massive $1.3 billion hit, while this summer Spider-Man: Brand New Day became the highest-grossing movie of all time domestically, eclipsing the previous record-holder, Avengers: Endgame. With the latter now back in theaters in an “Encore Edition,” and Avengers: Doomsday on its way to theaters this Christmas, we want to know: Which of the thirty-eight MCU movies is your favorite? Take the poll below and let us know!
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