Since this beloved franchise came to a close on April 26, many fans have gone back to think about and rewatch some of their favorite movies in the MCU. Considering this list of movies isn’t a short one, it’s certainly difficult to pick out only a few of my favorites, and explain why they earned their number. Nonetheless, here is my attempt at doing so; these are my top 5 favorite movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

1. Iron Man (2008): Being the first Marvel movie, Iron Man has a special place in my heart. Director Jon Favreau definitely set the bar high for the first movie of the MCU with his decision to bring Robert Downey Jr. back into the eyes of Hollywood. Marvel managed to turn what was already a remarkable comic book character into a beloved superhero by millions around the world. Thanks to an amazing origin story and sharp visuals, Downey’s performance was one to remember. His portrayal of this fresh-faced billionaire was one that immediately caught my and other’s attention and kept it for years afterwards. 
2. The Avengers (2012): Similar to Iron Man, The Avengers was a great start to a new series of movies. This movie brings together the Earth’s mightiest heroes for a brutal battle against an alien army in New York City. We get to see all of the Avengers interact for the first time and finally get to call themselves Avengers. This movie really got the recognition it deserved thanks to the truly amazing work of director Joss Whedon. 
3. Avengers: Endgame (2019): As the last movie of an 11 year franchise, I don’t think it could have been done any better; it was a beautiful culmination of the MCU. Personally, this movie truly brought closure to all of the fans who had been following these movies since the start. Even though it had the longest runtime of Marvel, being over 3 hours, it breezes through thanks to the emotional moments between characters and thrilling fight scenes. Though Endgame may be fairly high on this list due to how fresh it still is, it truly cherishes all of the unique characters of the MCU. Most importantly, it’s a love letter to the departure of the figures that many have grown to love. 
4. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017): With the difficult task of pulling off yet another Spider-Man movie, Tom Holland hit it out of the park with his hilarious portrayal of this iconic character. Director Jon Watts managed to make the sixth Spider-Man movie still feel fresh while working to integrate this character into the Marvel world. One of the reasons this movie worked so well is because of the decision to not follow the typical Spider-Man origin story. Though he changed it slightly, Watts still followed the story familiar to fans — Peter Parker is not a typical adult hero, but an insecure teenage superhero that still has homework to do. Throughout the entire movie, Tom Holland’s chemistry with Robert Downey Jr. shines through and Michael Keaton’s Vulture is beautiful in his own brutal way. 
5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): Winter Soldier was the first MCU sequel that was actually great; it’s a captivating story of Steve Rogers’ relationship with Bucky Barnes, his newly friend turned enemy. If you didn’t think Captain America was a great character before, this movie was definitely the one to change your mind. There’s a lot of bold actions taken by the filmmakers, but the script is still full of plenty of surprises and the set pieces are some of the best seen from Marvel.