The teasers for Avengers: Doomsday are making the rounds on the internet, getting audiences hyped for the upcoming movie, set to debut a year from now, in December 2026. The film has heavy expectations to meet, but if the online chatter is any indication, audiences are more than willing to give Earth’s Mightiest Heroes another shot. Indeed, the thrillers promise a thrilling adventure full of action, with a crossover event that’s bound to surpass what the MCU achieved with its crown jewel, 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
However, how do the other Avengers movies compare? That is to say, which of the movies starring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is the most thrilling? Sure, they all feature exhilarating setpieces and (for the most part) impressive VFX, all in service of a story that showcases the biggest strengths of the superhero genre. However, it’s undeniable that, out of the four Avengers movies that have been released so far, a few are far more exhilarating than the others, be it because of their higher stakes, more unforgettable and ambitious action sequences, or the sheer scope of their storytelling.
4
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ (2015)
When doing any ranking of Avengers movies, chances are you’ll always see Avengers: Age of Ultron at the bottom, and it’s not hard to understand why. The film, which sees Earth’s Mightiest Heroes banding together to fight a rogue AI created by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), is a solid-enough superhero movie, but numerous plotholes, an uneven and often tedious pacing, and uninspired action sequences bring it down considerably. Most of the main Avengers don’t even get anything meaningful to do, especially Thor, who is sent on a truly puzzling sidequest that makes no sense whatsoever.
When it comes to genuine thrills, Age of Ultron also disappoints. Ultron (James Spader) is a good villain, and the addition of the Maximoff twins is okay enough, but the plot simply doesn’t have compelling stakes. Thus, none of the setpieces carry any kind of emotional weight; instead, Age of Ultron feels like two-plus hours of mindless action where men in spandex fight shiny CGI robots. The action sequences are entertaining but largely forgettable, and even the final battle feels like a blurry mess, where none of the Avengers has any chance to particularly shine. There’s no tension because you know they’ll win without suffering a major loss. Pietro’s (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) death barely registers because the movie has no time to fully develop him as a character, and Ultron’s ultimate demise feels more like an afterthought than a deserved punishment.
3
‘The Avengers’ (2012)
The first Avengers movie redefined the superhero theatrical experience for audiences. 2012’s The Avengers was a genuine event that proved that Marvel’s ambitions were not unfounded, launching a cinematic universe that would become emblematic of the decade and the 21st century overall. The plot sees the group assemble to stop Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who seeks to launch an alien invasion on Earth.
Seeing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes assembling for the first time ever on the big screen was exhilarating enough, but The Avengers has several other key moments that increase its thrilling value. The score by Alan Silvestri is triumphant, and the overall story is a simple good-guys-versus-bad-guys that doesn’t try to reinvent a well-tried formula. The film’s crowning achievement is doubtless the third act, which features the invasion of New York, one of the most thrilling battles in MCU history. Every Avenger has a chance to shine, be it Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) closing the portal or The Hulk beating the living crap out of Loki. The battle is hectic but clearly staged and easy to follow, which is much appreciated considering how messy these types of sequences can get in superhero cinema. Overall, The Avengers does a great job launching the larger MCU because it clearly understands that seeing these characters fighting together is already thrilling enough — everything else is just a welcome bonus.
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‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War carried heavy expectations, and it did not disappoint. The first part of a larger story, it sees Thanos (Josh Brolin) collecting the Infinity Stones to erase half of all life in the universe in an attempt to balance the scales. Avengers, both on Earth and in space, band together to protect the stones and try to stop the Mad Titan’s plan. Alas, their efforts ultimately fail, and with a snap of his fingers, Thanos achieves his plan, leaving the survivors to reconcile with their guilt.
Infinity War is arguably the best Avengers movie, featuring the best blend of electrifying action and genuinely compelling emotional stakes. Thanos’ battle against the Avengers provides multiple sequences that are equally tense and exciting, from his initial battle against Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Hulk all the way to the showdown in Wakanda at the end of the movie. Two particular setpieces stand out, though. The first is the fight on Titan, where Thanos takes on the coalition of Iron Man, Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), and the Guardians of the Galaxy. The scene is among the most ambitious and dazzling in all of the MCU, featuring some of the most original uses of magic and gadgets in the franchise’s long tenure. The second is the now-iconic ending, where, following Thanos’ snap, half of the heroes in the Marvel Universe disintegrate into ashes. The sequence was truly shocking to witness, as fan-favorites disappeared in what ultimately represented a resounding loss for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Avengers: Infinity War is the point of no return for the MCU, and remains one of its most thrilling and all-around stellar efforts.
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‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019)
Infinity War might be the best Avengers movie, but there’s no denying that Endgame is the MCU’s crowning achievement. The ultimate payoff to a decade of continuous storytelling, the film sees the surviving Avengers pull off a daring “time heist” to reunite the Infinity Stones and bring back all the fallen heroes. Their efforts bring them into conflict with a past version of The Mad Titan, one who is far more savage than the one they initially fought in 2018.
Pretty much all of Endgame is one long, non-stop thrill ride. The stakes are impossibly high, and the overall story carries a strange sense of melancholy from the beginning. The team sustains heavy losses, mainly the death of Black Widow, a heavy blow to the initial six Avengers. In terms of action, Endgame has several good fights throughout its three-hour runtime, ultimately leading to the now-celebrated ending where all of the Avengers of Earth and space assemble to face Thanos and his army one last time. Seeing everyone, from Iron Man to Spider-Man, from Captain America (Chris Evans) to the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), come together to face the common foe felt like something out of a comic book page. It was a crossover so ambitious that it was hard to believe, and seeing it come to life truly was a generation-defining event. In hindsight, Avengers: Endgame was the end of an era for the MCU, a milestone that it might not ever be able to replicate, not even with Doomsday. Alas, that exclusivity only makes it more special, securing its legacy as not only the most thrilling Avengers movie but one of the most exciting pictures of the 21st century, the apotheosis of the superhero genre.