The 10 First Ever Marvel Movies, Ranked According To IMDb

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most popular movie franchises in the world. The MCU contains the highest-grossing movie of all time, they are adored by comic book fans, and with each consecutive movie release, another critic who was once skeptical of superhero movies gets converted into a superfan.

However, the MCU only began in 2008, and other movies based on Marvel characters were released long before then. Most of them now come off as (often failed) experiments by studios, attempting to figure out how to tap into a potentially hugely-profitable market. But there are a few that succeeded, and a couple that are even considered classics.

10 Howard The Duck (1986) – 4.7

It’s such a surprise that out of Marvel’s roster of hundreds of fascinating superheroes, many of which are supremely popular today, Howard the Duck was the first character anybody thought of adapting. The movie has become somewhat of a cult classic, as it’s so hard to find and is joked about endlessly.

The practical effects of the film are lackluster even for the time it was released in 1986, and the movie as a whole was much darker than advertised. However, given the easier on the eyes digital rendering of the character in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Endgame, Howard the Duck deserves a remake.

9 Daredevil (2003) – 5.3

There are rumblings that Charlie Cox might return as Daredevil in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home, as he played the character in the acclaimed Netflix series. But over a decade before the show was 20th Century Fox’s attempt to adapt the character for the big screen.

To put it kindly, the audience reception for Daredevil was mixed, and audiences thought the movie was dull and serious, especially compared to the previous year’s Spider-Man. But in a way, with its violence and darker tone, it paved the way for more brooding and gritty comic book heroes, which is why Daredevil isn’t as bad as people think.

8 Hulk (2003) – 5.6

Coming off the success of the martial arts epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, one of the classic movies from 2000, it seemed as if there was no better director at the time to helm Hulk than Ang Lee. The director knew how to shoot action better than anyone else, and he had a whole filmography’s worth of wonderful dramas, too.

However, the movie was too bogged down in trying to find a deeper meaning that it came off completely humorless. It seems as if Hulk is impossible to adapt for the big screen, as The Incredible Hulk isn’t much better, and that the character is better suited to supporting other Avengers just as he did in Thor: Ragnarok.

7 The Punisher (2004) – 6.4

The Punisher is a fascinating early Marvel movie; not only because it’s R-rated, which is always risky for a superhero movie, as the audiences it appeals to most aren’t old enough to see it, but also because it had a minuscule budget. However, as the character is about a guy who uses his fists instead of webs and stays grounded rather than jumping from rooftop to rooftop, it’s relatively easy to keep the budget low.

The result is a somber and depressing outing where the characters are as miserable as the audiences watching. There’s no energy in the movie, except for a couple of fight scenes, but it does have the classic Punisher noir aesthetic, which looked great on screen. Again, Netflix did a much better job at adapting the source material, as The Punisher series is brutal, completely faithful to the source material, and with Jon Bernthal in the lead role, it was perfectly cast.

6 Blade II (2002) – 6.7

Before Iron Man, and even before Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies were wrapped up, the first-ever superhero trilogy was Blade. While the third entry into the series, Blade: Trinity is an unsatisfying ending, Blade II is an almost-as-good sequel to the 1998 original. Blade II is creepy, terrifying, and it’s the closest a Marvel movie will ever get to being an all-out horror movie.

That’s partly thanks to director Guillermo del Toro’s unrivaled practical effects and make-up. But with the rights of the character now back with Marvel Studios, the series might be in the safe hands of the MCU, and it’s doubtful Marvel will make the movie a hard R-rated horror like New Line Cinema did.

5 Blade (1998) – 7.1

Being about a vampire hunter who wields all sorts of wild artillery and wearing shades and a leather jacket in the dead of night, Blade might just be the coolest superhero ever. And while Tim Burton’s Batman movies are “dark” in a way that’s still campy and theatrical enough for kids, there’s no mistaking Blade for anything other than an adults-only gorefest.

The 1998 film is one of the best horror movies inspired by comic books and its sequel is the only movie that gives it a run for its money in terms of scares. And what the film does so well is that, though Blade doesn’t have any real weakness, it still feels like there’s a lot at stake, which is something a few MCU movies have struggled with.

4 Spider-Man (2002) – 7.3

Though studios had success with Blade and X-Men, it was Spider-Man that made them realize just how much potential there is to be found in comic book material. Spider-Man had the biggest opening weekend of all time at the time of its release in 2002.

Studios quickly started getting licensing rights to other properties and movies like Daredevil, Hulk, Punisher, Fantastic Four, and so many others quickly followed in its wake. But none of those were able to beat Spider-Man, not only in terms of success but in terms of quality too. Watching Spidey swing through New York was a sense of speed and adrenaline that audiences had never gotten before.

3 Spider-Man 2 (2004) – 7.3

Though Spider-Man 2 has the exact same score as its predecessor on IMDb, the 2004 film is the definitive Spider-Man movie. Spidey’s second outing improves on the original in every way.

Doctor Octopus is more fleshed out and three-dimensional than the Green Goblin, it was the first superhero movie to explore the hero losing their powers, and its set pieces are still exciting. On top of that, there was an amazing tie-in video game too. And fans of the movie will get to relive it in the next few days, as Doc Ock will be appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home, along with the Green Goblin and Sandman.

2 X-Men (2000) – 7.4

Technically, putting aside the weird, almost avant-garde experimental film that is Howard the Duck, and the R-rated Blade, X-Men was the very first Marvel movie that was catered to the whole family. And though Wolverine’s blades might not cause as much of a mess as what fans would like given its PG-13 rating, it still pushes the rating to its limits.

The film lays the groundwork for future sequels and it was the very first superhero movie to actively create a cinematic universe. And while some Redditors think too much time was spent on Wolverine, there’s so much world-building going on, such as the lifelong rivalry between Professor X and Magneto, and Rogue’s coming-of-age narrative.

1 X2 (2003) – 7.4

Just like the case with the Spider-Man movies, X2 has the same score as the first film on the movie database. But given the overwhelming reception of X2 over the years compared to the original, it’s safe to say that it’s the better of the two. X2 is a perfect superhero sequel, as it builds on everything that its predecessor laid the foundation for, and it introduces new fan-favorite characters, such as Nightcrawler.

The opening scene of Nightcrawler in the White House with the opera music playing is such an epic introduction to the movie that it rivals The Dark Knight‘s. And the film was essentially the very first superhero team-up movie, paving the way for the likes of The Avengers, which probably wouldn’t have happened if X2 didn’t do it first.