I'm going to be out for the next few days, so...Merry Christmas! Here's a bundle of 3 to tide us over. You can read them all at once, or go one a day for the next three days. Up to you.
#14: Spider Man: Far From Home
Highest rank: #10 (Vmadera00, MetalJunkie, Adami)
Lowest rank: #19 (ZirconBlue)
Stats: LOTS of votes in the 14-16 range, so 14 is probably about right.
The third movie appearance of Tom Holland's Spider Man. I remember fans being SO excited when he made his debut in Civil War, and most seemed to instantly fall in love with this version of the character. This installment not only did the character justice, but also served as the "gentle exhale" after the Infinity Saga. It felt like a fitting epilogue and peek into what was coming. Some may not have liked how Mysterio was handled, but I think they really tied him in well with what was already going on in the MCU. I had this at #14.
#13: Doctor Strange
Highest rank: #6 (MetalJunkie, Joe)
Lowest rank: #23 (DreamTeam)
Stats: Other than that #23 finish and a pair of #19s, most of the votes were clustered around 14-16 and 6-10.
This was really our first introduction to interdimensional magic in the MCU, and that was bound to be divisive. Many loved it. Many couldn't connect. But most agreed that the character arc and the visuals were really great. The biggest problems with these types of characters and their powers is that they can be as powerful as you want them to be, given the scenario, and that can vary widely and feel inconsistent. Still, great film overall. I had it at #15.
#12: Captain America: The First Avenger
Highest ranking: #7 (MetalJunkie)
Lowest ranking: #21 (DarkChestofWonders)
Stats: Other than the 21st place, the lowest were three votes at #17.
People were pretty hyped for Cap after getting prior hints dropped. But given that he came out of WWII, how was this going to work? They actually pulled it off really well, IMO. And by giving us such rich characters in Bucky, Peggy, and Howard, we ere really building a solid, character-driven backstory for our modern MCU. To me, this and Iron Man were real highlights of Phase 1 prior to the big team up, and these solo films were already head-and-shoulders above any superhero films that had come before. This is why the MCU was so special (and shows why they have fallen so far in sliding back to "typical mediocre action blockbuster" in phase 4). I had this at #11.