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Geek Dad
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Dad
Ranking Phase Five of The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Although I've never read many comics outside of a few Spider-man issues back in the 1980s, The Marvel Cinematic Universe has turned me into a huge Marvel nerd. With The Thunderbolts* having made it to theaters this month, Marvel has closed out Phase 5 of their films, and only one of the eight Phase 5 Disney Plus shows remains: Ironheart premieres on June 24th. With Phase 5 now wrapping up, it seems an opportune time to review and rank the six films and seven available television shows in The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 5. Please note that this article will contain spoilers for Thunderbolts* , Captain America: Brave New World , and Daredevil: Born Again . Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 5 Movies 6 – Captain America: Brave New World So much went wrong with this film that might have gone right. It could have followed in the impressive footsteps of Captain America and The Winter Soldier , being a well-made espionage thriller. Instead, the film was haunted by COVID delays and other behind-the-scenes that can't have helped its production. William Hurt, who would have been the film's star alongside Anthony Mackie, passed away in March of 2022 and deprived us of the General Ross that we've loved to hate since Edward Norton's The Incredible Hulk . That 2008 film also gave us Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns, AKA Mister Blue. Tim Blake Nelson is an incredible actor, and one of the best things about Captain America: Brave New World. But his character's abilities and the overall story around his plot were either poorly thought-out or just poorly explained to the audience. In the end, I found the film's plot to be as confusing as the politics in the Star Wars prequels. Maybe I just need to watch the film again. The great Giancarlo Esposito is a welcome addition to nearly anything. But his role in Captain America: Brave New World felt like a last-minute rewrite, and his scenes felt like something out of a different movie. I again attribute this to COVID delays and behind-the scenes troubles. Oh well, they can't all be great. 5 – Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was largely collateral damage of Marvel's false start into Phase 5 that ended with Jonathan Majors's criminal assault charges. Kang may have been a great big bad – Majors was a great Kang, and an even better Victor Timely in the second season of Loki , but I can now only pine for what might have been a great villain. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania had a lot of CG. It felt like Tron levels of CG. And while characters like Broccoli Guy and Veb (voiced by the great David Dastmalchian) were fun, I felt at times like I was watching an animated film. Along the same lines, while it seems fun to bring an absolutely insane character like M.O.D.O.K. to a live action film, his presence may have pushed the film's silly levels above acceptable tolerances. 4 – The Marvels It was panned by many critics, but I enjoyed The Marvels . Having seen the three title characters' origin stories in Captain Marvel , WandaVision , and Ms. Marvel respectively, it was great to see the three of them come together and defeat the MCU's flattest villain since Malekith, Kaecilius, and Ronan the Accuser. I'll admit that the having the crew be saved by being devoured by a litter of flerkins was flat-out stupid. And I wasn't a huge fan of the planet on which Carol had married into royalty and had to sing everything in order to be understood. Yeah, now that I'm remembering everything, the film absolutely had some weak spots. But every damn scene with Kamala's family was fantastic. 3 – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 The Guardians of the Galaxy films have always been in a class of their own. Drax was for a long time my favorite MCU character, Kraglin is nearly as good, and before this series, nobody could have predicted that an animated tree and a raccoon could be characters as good as this. While the first Guardians of the Galaxy film was possibly the best of them, I was an enormous fan of the second, and I liked it even more each time I re-watched it. Its emphasis on family was well-done in a way you'd never expect from a ridiculous super-hero film. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 is an emotional journey and an exploration of Racket Raccoon's past. While The High Evolutionary isn't Marvel's greatest villain, he suffices. What truly makes this film outstanding is its humor, its character, and its scenes. The raid on OrgoCorp which begins with the guardians leaping from their airlock wearing Crayola-colored spacesuits, set to SpaceHog's In The Meantime is such a visual spectacle set perfectly to a killer needle drop while Mantis tumbles clumsily through vacuum. I challenge you to watch the scene and not be impressed. Cosmo the soviet space dog, who had a brief appearance in earlier Guardians films, becomes a full character in this film, and also my then-eleven-year-old daughter's favorite MCU character. I was also very impressed by Will Poulter's portrayal of born-yesterday Adam Warlock. 2 – The Thunderbolts* At the time I'm writing this, it's been less than a week since I've seen The Thunderbolts* , so it's still relatively fresh in my mind. That said, I'm about to spoil the heck out of the movie, so if you haven't seen it yet, please don't read further. I was very surprised that they killed off Taskmaster as early in the film as they did, but given how seldom any characters are given any kind of final end in a comic book movie, I think it was for the best. I always get nervous when any character as powerful as Sentry makes an appearance – it wreaks of G'iah in Secret Invasion , which is easily the worst single property that the MCU has ever released. I've often wondered whether super-speed or telekinesis would be the ultimate unstoppable superpower. Well, Sentry has both and a few more to boot. His mental health struggles appear to be the only thing keeping him from Dark Phoenix territory. I can only hope that this egregious power imbalance is addressed at some point in the future. I liked that the end boss in this film was mental health. It's a different tack, and the movie made it work. Lastly, the reveal in the movie's final minutes that the Thunderbolts team is in fact The New Avengers makes me feel a lot of different things. It's cool in that you immediately realize that this was the film's original title, and that it was changed in order to not spoil this end scene. It's concerning in that this team isn't a fraction as powerful as Iron Man, Hulk, and Thor were, and the impending threats are likely worse. And it makes you think about what might be next, as The Fantastic Four enter the picture. 1 – Deadpool and Wolverine And now, the best film in phase five. I'll grant you that this is just my opinion, but I loved Deadpool and Wolverine . It's such a shame I couldn't bring my kids. And no, they still haven't seen it. Not even the one turning 18 this month. The inclusion of the TVA as a way to bring together alternate universes was excellent, and I loved seeing B-15 as a significant character. However the biggest jackpot was seeing so many characters from 25 years ago back on screen. My personal favorite was Wesley Snipes as Blade, whom I'd never have expected. So many folks don't even realize that Blade was Marvel. 'Laura', Logan's buddy from another timeline, was also very cool. Elektra was a nice surprise, as terrible as her movie and Ben Affleck's Daredevil movie were. The bait-and-switch of having Chris Evans as The Human Torch was also a lot of fun, but reminded me all too much of the Green Lantern joke from the previous film. And Channing Tatum as Gambit was a better character than I'd ever have expected. I also really appreciated the return of Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Pyro from the X-Men films, and the original Sabretooth from the original X-Men film in 2000. Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 5 Television Now we move on to the phase five television shows, airing on Disney Plus. Seven of the eight phase five shows are already out. We're awaiting only Ironheart, which comes out on June 24th. From worst to best, this is how I see it. 7 – Secret Invasion Secret Invasion could have been an amazing paranoid suspense thriller. Not only was it bad, it was likely the worst show that Marvel has created since the MCU's inception. It's sad, because the cast was excellent. Emilia Clarke is incredibly talented, and Cobie Smulders, Ben Mendelsohn, Don Cheadle, and Martin Freeman are also Marvel heavyweights. I don't know exactly where Secret Invasion failed. But I won't be going back to re-watch it and find out. It's dull and it's uninspiring. 6 – Echo Hawkeye is my favorite of the MCU shows, and that's where Echo was introduced. So I was fairly excited for the show before its release. I watched it, and I was underwhelmed. Vincent D'Onofrio will elevate pretty much anything, especially with his Kingpin portrayal. But his Kingpin in Echo wasn't up to the snuff of his Kingpin in Daredevil: Born Again , and even that wasn't as good as the Kingpin we got in the amazing season three of Netflix's Daredevil season. At this point, I can't recall much of what the characters did in this show, outside of Echo and Kingpin trying to reconcile their relationship. 5 – What If…? Season 3 I have a confession to make. The third season of What If…? is the only existing MCU property that I haven't watched all the way through. I stuck it through Secret Invasion , I've seen all the Marvel One-Shots, and I've even watched Werewolf By Night and Moon Knight twice each. It's funny – during the first year of the Disney Plus Marvel shows, What If…? was tied for my favorite alongside WandaVision . I'm not sure what happened. It's not as if I think the show is bad. I just don't have interest. It's probably for the best that season three is supposed to wrap this show up. 4 – Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was a great alternate-universe Spider-Man story. This Peter Parker has a story which parallels the canon MCU Peter Parker's history in fascinating ways. Doctor Strange, temporal and dimensional shenanigans all play into his origin story, and interesting new characters are introduced. All in all, this was a well-told original story which touched on MCU canon enough to feel relevant while remaining its own distinct entity. 3 – Agatha All Along Everyone loved Catherine Hahn's Agatha Harkness in WandaVision . Even before her huge breakout with the song 'Agatha All Along' (which incidentally was written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who also wrote the music for the Disney film Frozen ) she killed it with her vintage nosy neighbor character Agnes. Agatha All Along plays with many of the same tropes that kicked off WandaVision . While we don't get entire episodes that embody a decade of sit-coms, we do get events inside the Witch's Road that cast the show's characters into various bygone eras, having essentially the same impact. The various escape rooms that the witches must navigate lead to a different resolution for each, and eventually to the revelation of what the Witch's Road actually is. The flashback to Agatha Harkness's past, and her brush with Death, make for some truly excellent television. I very much enjoyed the show, even more so upon a second viewing. 2 – Loki, Season 2 The introduction of the Time Variance Authority in the first season was huge. Loki's post-Endgame survival and his comically narcissistic love affair with a variant of himself was brilliant. The void at the end of time and the demise of He Who Remains were key to the introduction of the eventually-aborted Kang storyline. The second season gave us Ke Huy Quan's Ouroboros and Jonathan Major's Victor Timely, two amazing new characters. While the second season didn't receive the same critical reception as the first, so many of the scenes with these characters were just so fun to watch that I know I'll be revisiting Loki Season Two again… in the future. 1 – Daredevil: Born Again I was a big fan of the original Daredevil on Netflix. Season one was pretty good, season two was garbage, and season three was absolutely amazing. By this point, Matt Murdock has been Peter Parker's lawyer, been on missions with She-Hulk, and by the start of this season he's given up his cowl. A traumatic event during the first episode triggers a season that features White Tiger, Mayor Fisk, and a lot of welcome cameos. I've made it no secret that Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin is one of my favorite MCU villains, alongside Thanos and Loki. My squee when he unexpectedly showed up near the end of Hawkeye was frankly embarrassing. And it should be no surprise that his presence here is a large part of what makes this show so good. But it's far from the only thing. A second season of Daredevil: Born Again is slated. Perhaps it's too much for me to ask for cameos from Spider-Man, Luke Cage, or Jennifer Walters. But I can hope. Phase Six The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the first film in Marvel's Phase Six, followed by Avengers: Doomsday in 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. A Spider-Man film will be sandwiched in between these two, and rumor has it that the film will feature a more street level story. The Disney Plus shows in phase six include the second seasons of Daredevil: Born Again and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man , new animated shows The Eyes of Wakanda and Marvel Zombies , and my personal two picks: Wonder Man starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen, and VisionQuest , in which we learn what happened to the White Vision that absconded at the conclusion of WandaVision . Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Thunderbolts*' may be the redemption Marvel needed: critics
NEW YORK — Marvel might finally be in its redemption era as 'Thunderbolts*' has not only impressed critics and audiences alike, but raked in a healthy $11.5 million at the box office during Thursday's previews. At the time of publication, the latest installment in the MCU, centering on a rag-tag crew of demoralized assassins and former heroes boasts an 89% Certified Fresh designation on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a 96% Verified Hot label from audience reviews. The cast is led by Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen and Lewis Pullman 'Call it the film critic's version of Stockholm syndrome, but in between the requisite fight sequences and snippy-sniping dialogue, I found the thematic elements of 'Thunderbolts*' to be unexpectedly effective, even profound,' said The Washington Post. The Chicago Tribune praised the 'relatively new and vivid' elements while Newsday lauded its 'strong cast and a fresher-than-usual story.' The latter afforded the film three out of four stars. 'The Thunderbolts may not be the Avengers, but they're the heroes we need now,' said The Austin Chronicle, which rated the film 3.5/5. Tribune News Service was enthusiastic, but less so, giving the film 2.5 out of 4, noting the imbalance of 'cheeky' banter and 'inherent earnestness' which 'bedevils the otherwise strong' flick. The New York Times, while lukewarm overall, praised he 'disarming' Pugh for 'deep[ening] the material,' going so far as to equate her 'real feeling and … slightly detached ironic sensibility' with that of the MCU's former heaviest hitter: Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). The film still has plenty of detractors, with Vanity Fair feeling it 'thin and insufficient,' as Marvel's glory days won't be restored by 'downbeat little side adventures' alone. Much like the punctuation at the end of its title, the Los Angeles Times said 'the whole movie feels like an asterisk. Don't expect too much of me, it says.' That sentiment was shared by Mashable, which said the finale to the MCU's Phase 5 'feels like two to six ideas for a movie haphazardly cobbled together' with 'little flow, less fun, and a final act that feels more like a cheat than an achievement'
Express Tribune
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Thunderbolts*' wins critics over
Most fans may have to wait just a few days more to decide if the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 5 ends with a bang, but critics have already given their verdict. Thunderbolts* was unveiled to members of the film press ahead of its theatrical release on May 2. The worldwide premiere of the superhero tentpole took place on Tuesday, just 10 days before its US release. Reactions poured in on social media soon after, with many describing the film as the expansive franchise's saving grace. A story for the broken The film, which makes a team out of some of the MCU's most disgraced characters, boasts a star-studded cast of Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, and others previously involved in the MCU, all the while introducing new faces to the superhero multiverse. Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture's editor in chief, wrote on X, "Thunderbolts* is, in many ways, different from other MCU films that have come before it, and that freshness couldn't have arrived at a more opportune time, when the franchise is in need of new blood and direction. It's some of Marvel's darkest material to date, dealing with the emotional wreckage of broken individuals grappling with their past choices and finding camaraderie amidst the emptiness of their lives." Critics including Neglia seem to agree that amongst this stellar cast, Pugh delivered a standout performance with her role as Yelena Belova - the new keeper of the Black Widow mantle - along with newcomer Lewis Pullman, who left a lasting impression on his new fans. "This may be a team-up film, but it very much belongs to Florence Pugh, who carries much of the dramatic weight of the movie on her back, while Lewis Pullman delivers a complex performance as a sympathetic character at war with himself," Neglia said in the review. "It may not be the flashiest, funniest, or strongest Marvel film, but its rough edges and imperfections somehow all feel fitting for this anti-hero team of misfits." Correcting past mistakes Some even described the film as a love letter to the unsung heroes due to its tonal gravitas. Sean Chandler said on X, "I really dug Thunderbolts*! It's overtly about depression, loneliness, and purpose. The whole point is that they're reject characters. Two-third of it is mostly ground action and one-third a horror-influenced nightmare. Feels like the MCU is coming together and building towards something again." Film writer Emily Murray echoed Chandler's sentiments about this redemptive track for the MCU. "Well, Thunderbolts* is easily one of the best MCU movies in a long time (and maybe one of my new personal favourites). It has so much spark, charisma, and tells a genuinely emotional story you connect with. A tear was shed." Qualms about the MCU's misplaced sense of levity have been raging on since the flawed treatment of Thor's downward spiral post Avengers: Infinity War. While there might still be a long way to go, some critics believe that Thunderbolts* remedies some of the MCU's past mistakes with its much-needed sensitivity towards mental health. "Finally, a Marvel movie that treats mental health and depression as a serious matter and not like undercutting it for the sake of a quip," wrote Rendy Jones on X. "A legit good character ensemble piece with a compelling Florence Pugh and Lewis Pullman performance in the centre. Yay. I liked it." At the heart of it, critics acknowledged that superheroes and their films are for the masses to connect with, to take something good from, and Thunderbolts* seems to triumph in that regard. "For me, Thunderbolts* worked because it peeled back layers on a subject I have long fought with. Florence Pugh continues to be a stand out. I laughed, but I also cried at a story I think people will relate to. Weird in places, in the best way. I can't wait to see it again," said FILMHOUND Magazine's Paul Klein. Empire Magazine's Amon Warmann summed it for those wondering whether or not they should give Thunderbolts* a shot. "That was pretty great! A visually daring, emotionally resonant superhero film that pushes mental health to the forefront. Florence Pugh brings the heart, David Harbour is consistently funny, and Lewis Pullman might be the stealth MVP. Best MCU film in a long while!" Finding a way together Marvel Studios released the film's final trailer last Thursday, paying homage to old characters by letting their successors shine. The catch is, our new heroes don't have the brightest track records. "The past doesn't go away," Stan's Bucky asserts, as a cinematic rendition of Queen's Under Pressure builds in the background. "So you can either live with it forever, or you can do something about it." The trailer's message of healing and forgiving oneself resonated with fans in the comments section. From expressing curiosity over the shift in tone to praising the emotional depth of the dialogues, many opened their hearts to the story's redemptive nature. Elated over this new turn for the MCU, a user wrote, "A whole film about supporting Marvel characters that deserved to be treated better? I'm so excited!"
Metro
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Thunderbolts* with Marvel's ‘darkest material yet' debuts to giddy early reviews
Marvel's newest release Thunderbolts* has been praised in first reactions for its dark material and 'independent cinema' feel, as well as a movie-stealing turn from Florence Pugh. Described as 'easily one of the best MCU movies in a long time', it's Thunderbolts* that will wrap up Phase 5 cinematically with Pugh in her first lead role for the franchise after debuting in 2021's Black Widow. 'Shocked how good Thunderbolts* is. Putting emphasis on the character work and practical action makes this feel like the old Marvel that has us for a decade plus. Wish we'd gotten this sooner,' posted film critic Brandon Norwood following the film's European premiere. Matt Neglia, Editor of Next Best Picture, noted that it feels 'in many ways different from other MCU films that have come before it, and that freshness couldn't have arrived at a more opportune time'. He also noted it contains 'some of Marvel's darkest material to date', adding: 'This may be a team-up film, but it very much belongs to Florence Pugh, who carries much of the dramatic weight of the movie on her back.' Thunderbolts* was deemed 'easily one of the best MCU movies in a long time' thanks to its 'spark and charisma', with film writer Emily Murray sharing: 'A tear was shed. Florence Pugh in particular superb, [she] just walks away with [the movie].' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video FilmSpeak's Griffin Schiller enthused: 'I haven't felt this giddy leaving an MCU movie in YEARS! #Thunderbolts is FANTASTIC. A Phase One style character piece about finding fulfilment, embracing our demons and the support system needed to save us from the pull of the void. 'A witty, mature, singular vision from Jake Schreier. Top shelf Marvel!' Film writer Mia Pflüger also noted that 'Sebastian Stan has an absolute scene stealing moment, yet Florence Pugh shows she is the true lead of the new generation and team'. Thunderbolts* comes at a tricky time for Marvel Studios after Captain America: Brave New World fell short of the major success hoped for, although it managed $414.7m and is the fourth highest-grossing film of 2025 so far, worldwide. THUNDERBOLTS* is, in many ways, different from other MCU films that have come before it, and that freshness couldn't have arrived at a more opportune time, when the franchise is in need of new blood and direction. It's some of Marvel's darkest material to date, dealing with the… — Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) April 22, 2025 I haven't felt this giddy leaving an MCU movie in YEARS! #Thunderbolts is FANTASTIC. A Phase One style character piece about finding fulfillment, embracing our demons and the support system needed to save us from the pull of the void. A witty, mature, singular vision from Jake… — Griffin Schiller (@griffschiller) April 23, 2025 Well #Thunderbolts is easily one of the best MCU movies in a long time (and maybe one of my new personal faves). Has so much spark, charisma, and tells a genuinely emotional story you connect with. A tear was shed. Florence Pugh in particular superb, just walks away with it — Emily Murray (@EmilyVMurray) April 22, 2025 However, it followed in the footsteps of a very lacklustre 2023 when Marvel reached an all-time low with the release of The Marvels in 2023, which managed just $206.1m and drove suggestions of superhero fatigue – although Deadpool & Wolverine was a big boost last summer as Marvel reigned back its release schedule. The official team of antiheroes in Thunderbolts* is Pugh's Yelena Belova, Stan's Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster and Wyatt Russell as John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), these disillusioned cast-offs are forced to embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts as they grapple with the possibility of redemption. Talking to Metro at the European premiere, director Schreier addressed the change of tone and style for Thunderbolts*, explaining: 'From the moment I came onto the film, the first thing Kevin [Feige] said is, 'Make it different' – and I wasn't expecting that. But Kevin knows what he's doing, and if he's telling you to do something, just try to do it. For me #Thunderbolts worked because it peeled back layers on a subject I have long fought with. Florence Pugh continues to be a stand out. I laughed but I also cried at a story I think people will relate to. Weird in places, in the best way. I can't wait to see it again. — Paul Klein 👾 (@paulkleinyoo) April 22, 2025 #Thunderbolts* introduces a new era for Marvel, the most humane film filled with allowing their anti hero being flawed, broken and regretful. Sebastian Stan has an absolute scene stealing moment, yet Florence Pugh shows she is the true lead of the new generation and team. — Mia Pflüger (@justmiaslife) April 22, 2025 He added: 'More than anything, we just wanted to make something that felt human, and really came from a character, and had stunts that were tactile, that you could see that we really went out and did. 'I don't know that that makes it indie – or just, hopefully, it's good filmmaking, and that's what we tried to do.' Executive producer Brian Chapek added: 'In a world where you're telling a story about these underdogs, who're all dealing with this inner darkness – but still needs to have the fun of a Marvel movie – [Schrerier] was the perfect partner to create this kind of A24 tone that everyone's been talking about.' In terms of what fans can expect from Thunderbolts*, the producer teased: 'This is a movie that's very internal and it feels relatable to a lot of people. So I think it's just the sum of the experience that you take away at the end of it, something that can feel like a Marvel movie but also be entirely different.' As always for a new MCU release, fans want to know how long they should stay put in their seats. Reports have now confirmed that there are two additional scenes during the credits. More Trending One of these is also said to reveal the importance of the asterisk in the film's title, which has generated multiple theories among fans.. Thunderbolts* is released in cinemas on Friday, May 2. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Sinners' 'horniest' scenes are just as important as the most gory MORE: Horror fans bowled over by 'fever dream' cast for eagerly anticipated sequel film MORE: Horror fans get 'chills' from brutal I Know What You Did Last Summer trailer
