Marvel has had a long and widely varied history when it comes to cinematic adaptations, creating a multitude of franchises and some of the highest-grossing blockbusters of all time. However, expectations and perceptions are always changing, as various mistakes and tension leading up to a release can have many expecting a relatively low quality when it comes to Marvel’s offerings. While films likeMorbiusandThe Marvelscertainly lived up to their less-than-exemplary expectations,it can be especially compelling when a Marvel film surpasses these low expectations.
There are many reasons that expectations can be low leading up to a Marvel film’s release. This can include the film being a sequel to an original film that was unremarkable or below-average, an adaptation of a character or story that people aren’t familiar with, or the latest release after a string of disappointments. However, when Marvel is able to surprise and surpass these low expectations placed upon them, it can make for one of their most exciting and compelling releases out there.
8’Venom: Let There Be Carnage' (2021)
Directed by Andy Serkis
While far from the worst film inSony’s Extended Universe of Spider-Man villains, the originalVenomwas largely seen as underwhelming to long-time fans of the iconic antihero. Between its PG-13 rating, stilted pacing, and lackluster villain, the film certainly had its fans but was far from what fans were expecting.Venom: Let There Be Carnage, however, completely took fans by surprise by having more compelling action, amplifying the positive aspects of the first film, and doing justice to one of the most iconic Spider-Man villains, Carnage.
A great deal of the film’s strengths and surprise factor come down to its length and pacing,with its brisk 97-minute runtime making it feel much more refreshing and fast-paced than other modern superhero films. The film also maximizes the comedic and entertaining moments that come from Eddie Brock and Venom as a duo, playing up the relationship symbolism and blending comedy and emotion to make for a fun watch. While the franchise as a whole would go back into mediocrity with its finale film, Venom: The Last Dance, this middle film in the trilogy will forever stand out as the unexpected champion of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
7’Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' (2022)
Directed by Ryan Coogler
While the originalBlack Pantherwas an undeniable triumph and a landmark title for the MCU as a whole, many audiences still found themselves skeptical thatRyan Cooglerwould make lightning strike twice with the sequel,Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Between the tragic passing ofChadwick Bosemanforcing plans to change and the MCU releasing several disappointments earlier in the year, many were quick to believe thatWakanda Foreverwould be a similarly catastrophic disappointment. However,the film managed to surpass these low expectations and became one of the critical high points of the post-Endgame MCU.
It’s easy to envision a world where the film simply cracks under all the pressure and pain that affected its development, yet Coogler and the team as a whole were able to use this pain to create a more personal and emotional story of weight and power. While the film certainly has its fair share of issues that have meddled with other modern MCU entries, exceptional elements such as the top-notch action and highly compelling villain of Namor make the film a worthy follow-up to the legendary original.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
6’X-Men: First Class' (2011)
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
TheX-Menfranchise under 20th Century Fox saw its fair share of ups and downs throughout over a decade of filmmaking and storytelling, withX-Men: First Classeasily being the biggest shift and transformation of the franchise as a whole. All the heavy expectations were placed on the film to succeed, considering how it was not onlya prequel filmwith an entirely new cast, but was following up on major low points in the franchise inX-Men: The Last StandandX-Men Origins: Wolverine. While the film seemed to be in the perfect spot to continue the failure of the previous entry,Matthew Vaughn’s signature style was so compelling that it effectively revived the entireX-Menfranchise.
X-Men: First Classis exactly the type of refreshing and original take on the classic characters that the franchise needed to find further success, acting as both a standalone film while also being an extension to previous films. While the film was originally intended to be a singular prequel film that fleshed out characters from the original trilogy, it proved to be so successful that it would take over the mantle and be the primary version of the characters going forward.
X-Men: First Class
5’Thunderbolts*' (2025)
Directed by Jake Schreier
While the MCU continues to be one of the biggest and most prominent franchises of the modern era, it isn’t exactly a secret that they have been in a sort of downturn when it comes to their latest entries. Following the disappointment of films likeAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,Eternals, andCaptain America: Brave New World, many were beginning to question if Marvel could make another film on the same level of quality as pre-Endgame.Thunderbolts*has quickly proven itself to beone of the biggest critical hits that the MCU has seen in years, with a classic sense of charm and compelling action that makes the film feel like a classic MCU film.
It wasn’t just the fact that the MCU had been in a downturn thatThunderbolts*didn’t have a lot of enthusiasm, but that all the members of this renegade team of mercenaries didn’t spark any sort of excitement. Many were quick to write off the team as a whole due to the similarity of many of its members and how many of them originated from lackluster previous entries likeBlack WidowandAnt-Man and the Wasp. Only time will tell if the film can establish an effective legacy, but it’s easily some of the most compelling that audiences have felt about a non-sequel MCU film in a long while.
Thunderbolts*
Thunderbolts follows a group of unconventional superheroes who emerge in a world without the Avengers. As this new team bands together, they navigate complex missions and moral dilemmas, seeking to establish themselves as protectors while uncovering hidden threats that could jeopardize global safety and stability.
4’Thor: Ragnarok' (2017)
Directed by Taika Waititi
Out of all the franchises that made up the early entries of the MCU leading up toThe Avengers, Thor was easily considered the weak link, withThorandThor: The Dark Worldbeing considerably less than other major MCU franchises. Due to this ingrained nature of the franchise as a whole, not a lot of expectations were placed upon the third film in the series to exceed the average nature of previous entries. However,Thor: Ragnarokshocked audiences and became one of the MCU’s best outings, largely succeeding thanks to the charm of directorTaika Waititiand focusing hard on the creativity of Thor as a character.
The film became much more of an overall crowd-pleaser compared to previousThorfilms, focusing more on humor and compelling action over the fantasy mythos and royal aesthetic that defined previous films. It certainly helps that the film feels as if it’s amplifying the best aspects of the franchise while further compounding on the core tenets of Thor as a character, making fora compelling rollercoaster that never loses its luster all these years later.
Thor: Ragnarok
3’Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' (2018)
Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman
Considering just how widely beloved and acclaimedSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseis as one of the most successful animated movies of the modern era, it’s hard to imagine a time when the film wasn’t a major success. However, long before audiences witnessed the visual beauty and striking story of Miles Morales, many were quick to question whether the film would even work because of the studio it came from.The negative namesake of Sony Pictures Animation was at an all-time high in 2017-18, with their prominent releases beforeSpider-VersebeingThe Emoji MovieandPeter Rabbit.
The producer duo ofChristopher MillerandPhil Lordproved to be massively impactful in makingSpider-Versethrive in spite of Sony’s notorious meddling style, making an animated film defined by passion and a love for comics. Even those aware of the strength and prowess that Lord and Miller bring to their animated projects could never have expected that Into the Spider-Verse would be a defining animation achievement of the 2010s whose influence is still felt to this day.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
2’Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)
Directed by James Gunn
While the MCU was certainly successful during their early phases, they were far from the massive must-see cultural phenomenon that they would be throughout phase 3, as they still mostly utilized largely iconic characters.Guardians of the Galaxyproved to be one of the biggest testing grounds for the MCU as a whole, being a blockbuster entirely centered around a group of characters that the vast majority of audiences have never heard of. While many went into Guardians of the Galaxy with tempered expectations,the film quickly took the world by storm and became one of the biggest fan-favorites of the entire MCU.
Now, over a decade out of their original release, the Guardians are a prominent staple of Marvel as a whole and a symbol of creativity and charm throughout the entire Marvel multiverse, both in and outside the MCU. Nobody was expecting a story about a ragtag group of nobodies would become one of thebest Marvel movies of all time, but the film does just about everything right in terms of character introduction. The surprise factor of the film would catapult the MCU into being a must-watch phenomenon for the rest of the decade, as missing out on any entry could mean missing out on the next blockbuster masterpiece.
Guardians of the Galaxy
1’Iron Man' (2008)
Directed by Jon Favreau
Marvel, in terms of their cinematic outings, can largely be placed into two distinct periods, before and after the release ofIron Man, the starting point of the MCU and the biggest surprise of Marvel’s entire filmography. While the character is largely iconic and recognizable nowadays, Tony Stark largely hid in the shadows of more prominent Marvel characters like Spider-Man and the X-Men, leaving many to question why an Iron Man film was being made in the first place.
However, the exceptional direction byJon Favreau, combined with a legendary performance byRobert Downey Jr., soon cemented the character as a blockbuster icon, launching an entire cinematic universe off its success. The very prospect and idea behind a major cinematic universe was wildly overcomplicated and chaotic before the release ofIron Man, yet the film would soon prove the lucrative possibilities that an extended universe can have in terms of cinematic storytelling. Nearly every subsequent superhero movie, both created by and not created by Marvel, can find some ties and influence back to Iron Man and howit shocked the world and forever changed the landscape of cinema.
