A juggernaut in the entertainment industry, there is seemingly no expense spared when it comes to Marvel. What once started humbly with a Spider-Man movie here and a Hulk movie there eventually turned into a grand monopoly on comic book movies that took the industry by storm. Now each subsequent movie serves the purpose of setting up another with bigger budgets and more impressive effects.
Not every film in the brand is a winner, and just because it has a big budget doesn’t mean it will be a critically acclaimed masterpiece. But every once in a while, vision and production value come together to make some truly magnificent films.
10. Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness — $200,000,000
In a movie about magic that finally delves into the multiverse, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness makes one of the most expensive Marvel films. At no. 10, the sequel to Doctor Strange is the least expensive film to make the list, but is one of its more high concepts.
After Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) casts a spell to make people forget that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is Spider-Man, the fractured multiverse suffers further cracks when Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) embarks on the mission to be reunited with her fake twins, but not her robot husband for convoluted reasons. As only director Sam Raimi could do, the film is a horror-inspired, magic fest which is exactly what Marvel needed at the time. Plotholes notwithstanding, it was an intriguing addition to the Marvelverse — and multiverse.
9. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania — $200,000,000
The 3rd Ant-Man film exists as proof that a higher budget doesn’t necessarily mean a better film. The failings of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania isn’t a budget issue alone. It largely has to do with deviating from what made the previous films so great. Quantumania is ultimately a film setting up the next big bad of Marvel, Kang (Jonathan Majors).
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Scott (Paul Rudd) attempts to repair his relationship with his daughter Cassie (an inexplicably recast Kathryn Newton), who finds a way back into the Quantum Realm. This story changes from the general tomfoolery in the real world that viewers are accustomed to and shifts into a rather morbid zone. This film is a darker Ant-Man that is not tonally in line with what viewers are used to and, while not the worst Marvel film of all time, relies too heavily on graphics to get the viewers through it.
8. The Avengers — $225,000,000
There had been a time when there was no heroic team-up, and no one remembered a hoard of aliens invading New York. Memories. But now looking back, the budget of 2011’s The Avengers is almost quaint. Uniting Captain America (Chris Evans), (Iron Man), The Hulk ( Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) all in the same room for the first time, sparks fly, but they get the job done.
Since then, they have broken apart, a few have died, and more have been added, but Marvel would be nothing without this film. Some aspects leave a lot to be desired, like a lack of female characters and widely out-of-character actions, but later films have made genuine attempts to correct that.
7. Captain America: Civil War — $250,000,000
The introduction of Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl). The reunion between Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Cap. Bringing Spider-Man into the fold. Captain America: Civil War had a lot going for it. Let’s be honest. It was less a Captain America film and more of an Avengers film. But regardless, it pitted all the big heroes against each other because of big opposing philosophies that were both kind of right.
The fallout of dropping the entire city of Sokovia on civilians creates a firestorm that means the government now demands oversight over superheroes. And anytime the government has complete control of one group, it never goes wrong, right? Throw in a vengeful Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) enraged at Bucky for being brainwashed by the Soviets into killing his parents, and it’s a recipe for disaster.
6. Thor: Love and Thunder — 250,000,000
Oh, what could have been. A truly terrifying Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), not bringing Natalie Portman back just to then unceremoniously kill her off, and Peter Dinklage’s footage not forgotten on the cutting room floor. It makes one wonder why they were given such a big budget in the first place. Most of it probably went to the music licensing budget, and for that, we are forever in Taika Waititi’s debt.
But despite the expanded budget, fans long for the simplicity of the first Thor and the pomp and circumstance of Thor: Ragnarok. Though we get to see Jane wield Mjolnir, facing off against Gorr in his plot to steal Asgardian children is weak. With all of the effects and none of the fire, it was a sad day in New Asgard.
5. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — $250,000,000
Chadwick Boseman’s sendoff was no less than a king deserved. After the actor played King T’Challa in one movie, he died from cancer, passing the torch to the next Black Panther. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever portrays Shuri (Letitia Wright) taking on the mantle of the protector of Wakanda as she struggles with the idea of revenge.
Even though it is not what the Black Panther — or her brother — stands for, she is enraged by Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and his sea-faring people’s fight against her country. Wakanda Forever uses its grand scale to say goodbye to Boseman and usher in a new era of Marvel.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — $250,000,000
Never did James Gunn do anything so cruel as to make fans cry at the plight of a talking raccoon. But that is a budget well spent. The official farewell to the ragtag team traveling the stars was heartfelt and one of the best character-driven stories in Marvel to date. Devastated by the death of Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) following Avengers: Infinity War, Quill (Chris Pratt) drowns his sorrows in drink, which effectively encourages the rest of the crew to run the town. But after Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) decimates their surroundings, trying to bring Rocket (Bradley Cooper) to The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), the Guardians will do anything to save his life.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 truly is the culmination of three films (and a Holiday Special), bringing everyone’s character arcs to a close. In a film that is a dark depiction of trauma and self-acceptance, there was no better way to send Gunn off to DC.
3. Avengers: Infinity War — $3000,000,000
After a decade of waiting, Marvel fans finally got to see Thanos (Josh Brolin) put his plan into action as he quells half of all living beings for the greater good. For the betterment of the remaining population, to achieve less hunger and less sickness? In theory, it all makes sense. But no one has a choice in the matter when he snaps his fingers.
Bucky, Groot (Vin Diesel), Wanda, T’Challa, Hope (Evangeline Lilly), Sam (Anthony Mackie), and of course — most heartbreaking of all — Peter Parker all disappear into dust. For this movie to truly work, viewers had to be moved to tears to see their favorite characters gone, possibly forever.
2. Avengers: Age of Ultron — 365,000,000
Probably one of the most widely mishandled uses of funds, Avengers: Age of Ultron missed the mark handily. The only impressive thing about the follow-up to The Avengers was the casting of James Spader as the titular robot, who, after absorbing all of the information on the internet, decides that all humanity needs to die. Thanks, Tony.
From the character assassination of Black Widow, the death of mutant speedster Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and the very weird shoehorned romance between Bruce and Natasha, Age of Ultron is a movie that most of us would prefer to forget. This is a film that proves that there can be such a thing as too much money, and when there is, disasters can ensue.
1. Avengers: Endgame — $400,000,000
And then there is the reverse i.e., when there is an absolute unified vision and everything comes together to create one of the best franchise films that have immense rewatch value. Avengers: Endgame was the culmination of years of hard work to create a heartfelt story that was a beautiful send-off for many characters. After Thanos snaps half the world away, the remaining Avengers find a way to time travel and unite the Infinity Stones for one final ride so they can bring everyone back.
This lengthy film is one of the few Marvel features that earns its run time and hefty budget tag as Avengers: Endgame did what it set out to do as it brought about an emotional conclusion to Phase 3.