#14

Next is Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I was so invested in this show when as it was releasing on Disney+. It was the second show released on a weekly basis during lockdown and the Twitter and TikTok discourse was lively to say the least.

Buckey Barnes and Sam Wilson’s dynamic was so fun to watch and I loved getting to explore these two characters that up to this point were usually in the background. I thought the show had really important themes and wanted to tackle important discussions that were glossed over in previous releases; however, I think they could have delved deeper into these themes.

From what I remember the show dragged on a little in some episodes which made the episodes feel a lot longer than they already were. For that reason, I don’t find myself wanting to rewatch this show because of how long it feels to get through. 

#13

This movie was a weird mix between too much information and not enough information. Within the first five minutes you’re dropped right into the middle of action and from there it’s non-stop going back and forth between past and present timelines. It felt very different from the rest of the MCU but I think in a good way. I enjoyed the direction and cinematography up until that third act where the fact that it’s an MCU film shines though. That last fight was a bit off to me. Very high stakes and yet resolved fairly quickly. The third act compared to the first two makes for some weird pacing issues.

I did like most of the characters, exceptions being Sprite and Ikaris for obvious reasons. The character development felt a little forced with Gemma Chan’s character, Sersi but I liked her throughout the film.

I have rewatched this film since seeing it in theaters. I love the idea and the lore of the Eternals and I’m excited to see where they fit into the grand scheme of things. And in addition, where Sersi’s love interest fits in as the Black Knight.

#12

Loki is next for me. I know, I know! Kinda low on the list…

It was pretty cool in its multiverse introduction and exploration; however, I didn’t like Sylvie at all. There’s got to be a universe where Sylvie is cooler, this was not that universe. I liked every other version of Loki in the show, but Sylvie wasn’t doing it for me.

Loki’s character development was amazing and heart breaking at the same time. I loved seeing him explore his character and becoming the Loki we knew at the end of the Infinity Saga. I’ve very curious to see what role he will play in this next saga.

This show can be seen as the beginning of the Multiverse Saga, which is exciting! I loved the sci-fi elements of this show and it’s color pallet and lighting was amazing! It’s such an intriguing concept and I’m excited to see where the timeline goes from here.

#11

I LOVE Kate Bishop! I love her. Also, I love Yelena. These two in contact with each other equals my new favorite duo of Marvel going forward!

I’ll let you in on a little secret, I’m sort of anti-Clint… I was just never that big of a fan of him in the Infinity Saga. I didn’t care about his character or his family storyline, it just didn’t mean much to me. But this show made me appreciate him a little bit more. I’m still pretty indifferent, but I liked that this show included Clint and Yelena trying to mourn Natasha.

The show was a good time: right around Christmas in New York with Yelena trying to kill Clint?! Loved it!

Apart from our main cast of characters, I was very interested in Echo. I know she is getting her own show in the future and I’m looking forward to seeing what that brings.

#10

It took me a while to sit down and watch this show but once I finally watched that first episode, I was in it. And after episode four, the Doctor Strange episode, I was hooked indefinitely.

Tony Stark died at least five times in this show and I thought it was pretty humous. Like “oh, Tony already died in End Game… now we can kill him however many times we want!” And if we wanted the answer of if Wanda and Vision could ever be happy… we got our answer. The answer is no.

This show did an amazing job of introducing the possibilities of the multiverse to set up for the Multiverse Saga. I also love the animation style. It looks like a comic book!

#9

This was the first phase four film that was incredibly affected by the pandemic. It was set to release in May of 2020 but was pushed back three times. I was so excited for movie that I put the first release date in my calendar in November of 2019 and then continued to update it as it kept getting delayed.

What can you say about Florence Pugh that hasn’t already been said? She is amazing always and especially as Yelena! I loved getting to know Yelena and know more about Natasha’s childhood.

Now, I do agree that Natasha was never a fully flushed out character. We didn’t get to fully understand her as a character in her own rights (that’s a story for another time) so it was sad to see Black Widow leave the MCU without being fully explored as a character. There’s a lot more I could say about the MCU’s treatment of Black Widow, but we’ll save that for another time. 

This film had one of the most memorable openings of the MCU. I really liked the villain and how real he is as a threat and I liked Taskmaster and her arc. This was a wonderfully female led film and I love revisiting it from time to time.

#8

This movie physically and mentally destroyed me.

I agree with most when they say this film was a great time. I love these characters in any situation, so I was happy to see Peter, Ned, and MJ all back together again! (only for that to be ripped from my hands very dramatically) I got back into the MCU after watching Spiderman: Homecoming and I didn’t even want to see Homecoming! I remember I thought, “great, another Spiderman movie that we don’t need.” But then I saw that movie five times in theaters. And bought the DVD the day it came out. In doing all this I grew very attached to the characters. So when I say No Way Home was traumatic is an understatement.

I really enjoyed seeing all the Spider-Men on screen together. Andrew Garfield brought so much life to the trio. I really enjoyed him back as Peter Parker. He was so happy to be back and you could tell through his performance.

That freakin’ cafe/bakery scene at the end… I can’t speak about it. I’m excited to see Peter Parker start his new story. I will be crying along the way. 

#7

I know what you’re thinking, and please do not think less of me for putting this so high on my list! As a disclaimer: I have not finished the show (I’m on episode 5) so I cannot speak to the finale and I won’t speak on the CGI that was used in said episode. But I can speak to the nature of the show! That nature is very refreshing!

I honestly really enjoy this show. It knows exactly what it is and sticks to it. I love Jennifer breaking the fourth wall and how self-aware it is. It’s just a really good time. It’s not anything super serious, at least not in the first five episodes…

Listen, if you can look inside yourself and get over the fact that the CGI is just not good, (I can admit that) I promise you will have a good time watching this show!

#6

I love this show. I love the music, I love May Calamawy as Layla, I love Ethan Hawke as a villain, and I love Oscar Isaac. Literally everything was a chef’s kiss.

The mystery the first two episodes built was outstanding. I didn’t know if I should be scared or what was in store for the next episodes. At no point did I know where the story was going.

Oscar Isaac’s performance was unlike anything I’ve ever seen him in, he was amazing! I enjoyed watching Steven and Marc interact with each other and with other people. Oscar Isaac’s depiction on them both is just, I have no words. This show did pretty good handling Moon Knight’s dissociative identity disorder (DID)—better than any Marvel project thus far dealing with mental health. I love how they explore Marc’s childhood into his adulthood. And then apart from that, the exploration of the Egyptian Gods was really cool to see. I will be rewatching for Steven because I love him very much.

#5

Making it into the top five is Ms. Marvel. This show, like She-Hulk, was very different from what we’ve come to know in the MCU. I loved how young it felt to accurately represent the young characters and loved the introduction of Ms. Marvel herself. I fell in love with her and all her quirks. I was able to see a lot of myself in her.

The finale was strong in its full circle story telling with Kamala’s family at its forefront. I loved how prominent her family was in her life and how prominent her culture was in the show.

My only critic: could have been longer than only six episodes. I feel like the story moved very quickly after the villain was introduced and everything wrapped up very abruptly. I would have liked maybe an extra episode or two to be able to fully explore these villains. But overall, I loved it.

And that end credit music! I was NOT skipping that!

#4

I will defend this movie with my life. I am team Wanda/Scarlet Witch for life. I will support her wrongs as much I as I will support her rights and in this movie she was committing lots of wrongs and I loved every second of it. In times I knew I should be rooting for the “good guys” (i.e. when she murdered like 5 people in minutes, or when she was like two seconds away from killing a kid, or when she was taking over another person’s body… you know there were a lot of wrongs) I was rooting for her. I was in her corner from start to finish. Her story is heartbreaking and I’ve enjoyed seeing it explored in a not so glamorous ways.

It was a Sam Rami film through and through. I really enjoyed the horror elements that were incorporated with the magical elements of the mystic arts then set in a multidimensional world. Contrary to popular opinion, I quite enjoyed the odd transitions and random montages. It was very 80’s-90’s and I thought it was very well used in this film.

This was also a great introduction to another new character, America Chavez who I am also very excited to see in upcoming projects. 

#3

At number three we have the latest release, Werewolf by Night. I was pleasantly surprised by this special released onto Disney+. I went in completely blind and had no idea what to expect. What I got was really entertaining!

I loved the black and white style and the references to the Wizard of Oz at the end. I loved the shot compositions, and the characters and their designs were really fun!

I have no idea where this is supposed to fit into the MCU, but I heard that it is supposed to come into play in the future. It’ll be interesting to see how that unfolds!

Because it’s a short project (only 50 minutes) it’s extremely rewatchable. I highly suggest giving this a watch before the month of October is over!

#2

I went and saw Shang-Chi twice in theaters, once with my family and then again with a friend, and oh my god was I living when this movie hit theaters.

It was another great introduction to new characters. Again, went in blind and came out loving the characters and added the film to my favorites list. I listened to that soundtrack like it was nobody’s business. So much so that a majority of it ended up in my Spotify Wrapped even though I started listening to it in September.

I really like the family dynamics and the fact that there isn’t a main love interest involved. Shang-Chi and Katy’s friendship is so refreshing to see. I also really liked that the family would speak Mandarin Chinese with one another and that it was subtitled. It felt a lot more intimate and real to see a family speak their first language with one another and that was something I really enjoyed.

I’m SO excited to see what Xu Xialing does with her dad’s compound in the future projects! There are so many layers to this next saga of Marvel it’s insane! 

#1

And coming in at number one, to no one’s surprise: WandaVision.

If you were not on Twitter or TikTok while this show was airing, I’m so sorry that you missed such passionate discourse over whether a fly on Agatha’s curtain was Mephisto or not.

This show holds such a special place in my heart. This being the first Marvel show to be released, no one knew what to expect. So when we finished episode nine, we were all floored by how incredible this show was in every aspect.

This show was phenomenal from the first episode to the last and has its ripple effects on the rest of the MCU. The storytelling and style was outstanding in its function and execution. The decade changes and Sitcom references that represented Wanda’s life was brilliant! Plus the “commercials” that did the same thing were amazing. This show will go down in history.

Wanda quickly became my favorite after this show, and I will stand by her for the rest of time. I’m excited to see what Agatha: House of Harkness will have to offer!