(ALMOST) EVERY MCU SHOW AND SPECIAL PRESENTATION RANKED
- shaunalexandercraw
- Jun 28
- 17 min read
Updated: Jul 14
From WandaVision to Ironheart, here’s the Venus Fry Cook’s definitive ranking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe series and specials on Disney+ through Phase 5
The world of Marvel on Disney+ has been a well-intentioned but ultimately disappointing foray for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some of its biggest mistakes are not capitalizing on the successful seeds that Marvel planted on Disney+ – while other shows are just outright mistakes to begin with. The Venus Fry Cook looks at the opportunities missed and the moments worth loving from (most) of Marvel’s Disney+ shows. Here is every MCU show ranked — and both Special Presentations as an added bonus.
SERIES
11. SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW
The Venus Fry Cook prefers to be positive — but this is the worst title in the history of the MCU. It’s one of the most disastrous outings of the last decade and potentially the most franchise-damaging project the VFC has ever experienced. The Venus Fry Cook was STOKED for She-Hulk. He’s a fan of the character, thought the timing of her MCU appearance was great, loved that Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner was joining the fun, and was still excited after seeing the trailers. He didn’t even care as much about the bad CGI. But then, MCU fans got a terrible show that trashed what we loved at every turn, insulting plot threads that went nowhere, the worst villain ever (if you can even call him that), and, by the end, just complete, incoherent nonsense.
Tatiana Maslany was great, and none of this falls on her. We don’t even want to spend much more time talking about it. It just seems like the project was put in the hands of people who hated the MCU and prioritized an agenda that followed the trend of pushing ideology over art while degrading the very franchise they were a part of. This show is officially when the Venus Fry Cook stopped believing in the MCU. He’s hung around for the love he once bore and to see this through to the end, but this was most definitely the beginning of that end.
Hero - 4/10
Villain - 2/10
Supporting Cast - 4/10
Story - 3/10
Action - 5/10
Dialogue - 7/10
Humour - 6/10
Drama - 3/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness - 8/10
MCU Connection - 7/10
TOTAL - 49
10. IRONHEART
So… Riri Williams wants to make an Iron Man suit (which was already done), and isn’t happy with the support she’s already getting through her MIT scholarships, so she helps other students cheat to make money to recreate the Iron Man tech and share it (“it” as in the devastatingly powerful and destructive weapon) with everyone in the world. And when she gets kicked out of MIT, she joins a magic gang and basically becomes a criminal. Nah. You lost us. We can’t cheer for this person or this show.
Look, it’s complicated. Tony Stark was a narcissistic billionaire arms dealer. The Venus Fry Cook understands that heroes need to be flawed. Of course, he was at least supplying weapons to those he believed were the good guys, and once he realized Obadiah Stane was double-dealing to their enemies under the table, he dedicated his life to destroying his own weapons and protecting the world. But enough about him. We’re just illustrating the difference between doing a superhero the right way and… whatever it is that Ironheart is doing here. The Hood is poorly cast and not as cool as he is in the comics. Mephisto appears way too late in the MCU in the wrong series and is not as cool as he is in the comics. And Riri Williams / Ironheart wasn’t even that cool and the comics and yet, still, she’s not as cool as she is in the comics. Nothing against anyone involved, but this was destined to be a miss and never should have been greenlit.
Oh, and one more thing. Apparently, Riri thinks the only reason Tony Stark could build the Iron Man suit was because he was a billionaire? Come on, man. Tony Stark built this in a cave with a box of scraps.
Hero - 6/10
Villain - 5/10
Supporting Cast - 4/10
Story - 5/10
Action - 6/10
Dialogue - 6/10
Humour - 6/10
Drama - 5/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness - 3/10
MCU Connection - 5/10
TOTAL - 51
9. SECRET INVASION
What a tragic waste of the Secret Invasion storyline of the comics. This should have been an Avengers movie! And, the Venus Fry Cook will just point out — we went through two full phases of the Multiverse Saga WITHOUT an Avengers movie.
Having can’t-miss actors, Don Cheadle and Ben Mendelsohn help save the show from hitting rock bottom on this list (a near impossible feat as long as She-Hulk is in the mix). But still, the acting is surprisingly soft considering what a stellar cast it is. Even the great Samuel L. Jackson doesn’t quite seem to bring his A-game. Gravik could almost work as a villain, but in the end, he’s just too one-dimensional and completely forgettable. And don’t get us started on G’iah becoming the most absurdly overpowered character in the MCU — a character that the MCU will probably just ignore even exists. Ultimately, this is nothing more than a colossal waste of a great comics storyline and another signpost on the MCU’s highway to has-been. Ouch, sorry, the Venus Fry Cook doesn’t like to be that negative, but this is rough for a true MCU fan.
Hero - 6/10
Villain - 5/10
Supporting Cast - 6/10
Story - 6/10
Action - 6/10
Dialogue - 6/10
Humour - 5/10
Drama - 6/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness - 6/10
MCU Connection - 7/10
TOTAL - 59
8. ECHO
Of all the characters in the MCU, this wouldn’t really have been near the top of the Venus Fry Cook’s list — but that being said, she’s a cool character and a nice opportunity to get a little diversity. And we don’t mean diversity for diversity’s sake. A Native American character is super cool, and Native American cultures are rich with great stories and history. The VFC also thinks a deaf superhero is awesome and not because of representation — that’s just a cool character. Throw the Kingpin and a Daredevil cameo into the mix, and this could have been good even if no one did ask for it. But it wasn’t.
Unfortunately, Maya Lopez is another MCU hero who just lacks any common sense or accountability. She’s not as entitled as some other leads (we’re talking about you, Ironheart), but she possesses the same unlikability that prevents the audience from ever getting behind her. Even if we did, the story isn’t worth the ride. And yes, it has the Kingpin but also… does it really…? This truly had all the pieces for a super cool show. They just weren’t given to people who knew how to put them together.
Hero - 6/10
Villain - 6/10
Supporting Cast - 6/10
Story - 6/10
Action - 7/10
Dialogue - 6/10
Humour - 5/10
Drama - 6/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness - 7/10
MCU Connection - 7/10
TOTAL - 62
7. AGATHA ALL ALONG
This show’s biggest con is that it just shouldn’t exist to begin with. Kathryn Hahn is great — the Venus Fry Cook is a fan. But the character of Agatha has no business as the lead of any project in a franchise with the likes of Iron Man and Wolverine. Come on.
Aside from the F-level character lead, this show ain’t bad. The world-building is cool, elevated by really nice production design and some refreshing practical FX. It feels like the creatives care about this project, and it shows. Aubrey Plaza is always great and she delivers here, but this is a bit of a waste of the Lady Death character, who is a much more muted and mysterious cosmic-spiritual manifestation in the comics.
The concept and themes of this show are worthwhile. The infusion of feminism and queer identity through the topic of withcraft is a great way to explore some aspects of those identities and experiences (as long as it all works in service of the art), but Agatha just isn’t a strong enough character to carry it. This could have been a really interesting vehicle for Wanda / Scarlet Witch — in fact, it kind of seems like a Scarlet Witch show without Scarlet Witch — but without any worthy Marvel character for fans to get behind, it’s mostly pointless. It’s nice to officially get Wiccan (and Tommy) in the MCU, but it doesn’t warrant an entire show. A lot of fans love Agatha All Along and we respect that. But before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was Marvel. And this ain't it.
Hero - 610
Villain - 6/10
Supporting Cast - 6/10
Story - 7/10
Action - 6/10
Dialogue - 7/10
Humour - 7/10
Drama - 6/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness - 8/10
MCU Connection - 7/10
TOTAL - 66
6. THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER
This was a great concept. Captain America’s two best friends with no choice but to fill the void of his friendship by turning to each other. This natural buddy cop chemistry showed great potential in Captain America: Civil War, and with the inheritance of Cap’s moniker and shield at stake, audiences had a reason to care. And then…
Sigh. We know they ran into some struggles with COVID and all that, but this was kind of doomed before that happened anyway. There are some things to like here. Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent was a great inclusion and brilliant casting. But the Flag Smashers and their leader, that actor that Disney loves for some reason who has now tainted three beloved franchises in Star Wars, Willow, and Marvel, whose name we don’t even remember, poisoned this project. The Flag Smasher’s made us question Sam Wilson’s judgement, making it hard to get behind him, and made this project a political essay — and not a good one.
We love Bucky. We were ready to root for Sam (although we don’t buy that he’s broke with no options given all his rich hero connections and past as an Avenger). Isaiah Bradley is a lights-out, badass character from the comics, and we were excited for that. In fact, they could have done a whole flashback episode on Bradley, and we would have cracked out the popcorn with joy. And his grandson Eli was there! Destined to be Patriot as part of the Young Avengers. But they just squandered all that potential with a misguided and kind of annoying outing. You tried, Marvel. But oh, what could have been.
Hero - 8/10
Villain - 3/10
Supporting Cast - 7/10
Story - 7/10
Action - 8/10
Dialogue - 6/10
Humour - 7/10
Drama - 8/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness - 6/10
MCU Connection - 8/10
TOTAL - 68
5. MS. MARVEL
The Venus Fry Cook freaking loves Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan. She would have gotten a better hero ranking had the show been written better — but Vellani is an absolute star in the eyes of the VFC. She’s funny, endearing, brave, and operating at a scale that’s believable for the hero stage she’s in. This middling ranking is no knock against Ms. Marvel. This was a fun show, and the VFC is a fan.
Some people didn’t like the uneven tone from one episode to the next throughout the series, and the VFC respects that. But we didn’t mind it! The graphic-charged high school drama was a lot of fun, and the more realistic Partition of India flashback was really rich and engrossing. It’s actually more the lackluster ending where the show lost the VFC a bit. Najma, Kamran, and the Clandestine just didn’t do it for us. We say this a lot (unfortunately because it’s true), but they were just boring, forgettable villains. Their motivation was fine, but their characterization was flat and uninspiring, and they ultimately dragged down what was otherwise a really fun show. But them aside, Kamala Khan was a delight and — had the MCU not derailed the franchise toward a likely reset — Iman Vellani would have been a welcome mainstay in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Hero - 8/10
Villain - 5/10
Supporting Cast - 8/10
Story - 7/10
Action - 8/10
Dialogue - 8/10
Humour - 8/10
Drama - 8/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness - 9/10
MCU Connection - 8/10
TOTAL - 78
4. LOKI (Seasons 1-2)
This is where readers are rolling their eyes and screaming. We get it. The Venus Fry Cook knows people love this show and that it ranks number 1 for most fans. The VFC just earnestly can’t bump up the rankings anywhere. He’s looked at the rubric, and it feels right. The scores are already pretty good. Loki would be a 10/10 hero if it weren’t for Sylvie one-upping him throughout season 1, making him look like a bit of an incompetent buffoon — though he does go on a brilliant arc throughout the series. We also loved how they handled He Who Remains and used him to set up Kang (scandals aside) and then doubled down in season 2. The TVA was super cool, Owen Wilson was great, and Tom Hiddleston absolutely turned it out, solidifying his stature as one of the best characters in the MCU. Aside from Sylvie’s girl-boss energy that was kind of taking Hollywood by storm at this point, the Venus Fry Cook doesn’t really have any complaints. He just enjoyed other shows more. But if you have the God of Stories at the top of your list, we kneel to your Glorious Purpose.
Hero - 9/10
Villain - 6/10
Supporting Cast - 9/10
Story - 7/10
Action - 8/10
Dialogue - 7/10
Humour - 7/10
Drama - 8/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness - 10/10
MCU Connection - 10/10
TOTAL - 79
3. MOON KNIGHT
The Venus Fry Cook loved this show. What seemed like odd pacing at first eventually revealed itself to be a pretty cool narrative structure as we got acquainted with the fractured identities of Steven Grant and Marc Spector. And this is a tragically underrated performance by Oscar Isaac. Khonshu and the surrounding Egyptian mythology were a welcome layer (even if the Godzilla-Kong-esque battle on the pyramids was a bit much in the end). Layla El-Faouly, endearingly played by May Calamawy, was a great love interest turned hero. The Scarlet Scarab moment was awesome, and the Venus Fry Cook was all-in on the gender-bending MCU interpretation of the comic book character. Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow in the service of Ammit was a really solid villain. He’s an elite actor who brought presence, stakes, and drama. Of course, the VFC has loved Ethan Hawke since Dead Poets Society and White Fang.
One small complaint — the action could have been better, especially with a character like Moon Knight. But guys. As fun and intriguing as the first half of this series was, it’s the second half that transcends. The psychiatric hospital sequence was a bold left turn that we simply have to applaud. Everything in the Duat afterlife was spellbinding as Marc confronted his past trauma and the origins of his dissociative identity disorder. That moment where Marc sacrifices a full heart and eternal peace in the afterlife to save Steven from being lost in the sands forever… that’s a hero-making moment if we’ve ever seen one.
Hero - 9/10
Villain - 9/10
Supporting Cast - 8/10
Story - 9/10
Action - 7/10
Dialogue - 8/10
Humour - 8/10
Drama - 8/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness - 10/10
MCU Connection - 6/10
TOTAL - 82
2. WANDAVISION
The boldness of this creative vision cannot be overstated. How this got green-lit in a formulaic Hollywood, we’ll never know. And if they had stuck the landing just a little bit better, the overall score of WandaVision could’ve skyrocketed. But our biggest beef isn’t with the ending… It’s that these characters, this show, and everything happening in this story were clearly pointing to one perfect thing that never happened. Marvel. Where the eff was Mephisto?
As far as the Venus Fry Cook is concerned, Elizabeth Olsen is a legend as Wanda / Scarlet Witch. She brings it all the way in every MCU title she appears in, playing a tragically complex and contradictory character. We think part of people’s objections to the character come from a misunderstanding of who and what she truly is in the comics. Yes, she holds an entire town hostage. But she does crazy $%*&! She’s a broken, haunted, overpowered witch often driven blindly by her own selfish desires.
Even if the TV show eras concept reasoning was loose, we happily went along for the ride. It gave us some fun moments and evolving tones as we continuously asked what in the world was going on. The mystery of it all was so fun! The returns of side characters, Darcy Lewis from Thor and Jimmy Woo from Ant-Man, were a blast and such a cool way to continue world-building the MCU. But as soon as the Venus Fry Cook realized this show wasn’t building up to Mephisto and that it was Agatha all along, everything after just fell a bit flat. And don’t get us started on Boner. Although, huge shoutout to the super cool, philosophical Ship of Theseus moment between the Visions. In the end, it’s a really good show that never realizes its own, built-in greatness.
Hero - 8/10
Villain - 7/10
Supporting Cast - 8/10
Story - 8/10
Action - 6/10
Dialogue - 9/10
Humour - 8/10
Drama - 10/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness - 10/10
MCU Connection - 9/10
TOTAL - 83
1. HAWKEYE
Gasp. Hawkeye?! The Venus Fry Cook’s number one MCU show is Hawkeye?! Hell yes. You’re questioning us? What about you? What in the world is the matter with all of you?! How could you not like Hawkeye?!! We kid. But seriously, how can people not love this show? Sorry for all the extra punctuation. Let’s get real.
Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop is a revelation. She could have become one of the MCU’s superstars. She is funny and vulnerable and brave and relatable despite being rich and growing up weird AF. Every second she’s on screen is must-watch. She has beautiful chemistry with Clint Barton, the original Hawkeye — who finally truly gets his moment to shine. He is so good in this. They really show the toll that being a regular hero in a superhero world has taken on him. He carries wounds inside and out, and has messes to clean up before he can pass on the mantle and settle down with his family.
The street-level aspect of this show was a nice change. The Tracksuit Mafia brought a nice harmless hechmen energy while being just formidable enough to make our heroes sweat. Echo was cool here, even if she didn’t warrant her own show. And Kingpin… yeah, okay, we admit he had his highs and lows. But it was a good try. And of course, all kinds of credit to Florence Pugh, who gives us the best Yelena appearance in the MCU. We got classic comic book whimsy, really fun action, some nice callouts to the rest of the MCU, and a top-to-bottom electric cast that just freaking brought it every step of the way. The Venus Fry Cook might go so far as to say that collectively, Hawkeye is the most underrated and overlooked project in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Hero - 10/10
Villain - 8/10
Supporting Cast - 8/10
Story - 8/10
Action - 9/10
Dialogue - 9/10
Humour - 8/10
Drama - 8/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness - 7/10
MCU Connection - 9/10
TOTAL - 84
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
2. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT
This. Was. Awesome. The Venus Fry Cook doesn’t really go for horror or camp, and yet he still ate this up. What a spectacular way to expand the flavour of the MCU. This was perfect! This is exactly what a Special Presentation should be, and the Venus Fry Cook doesn’t know why we didn’t get more of them. What a collection of characters! This moody, Marvel-monster-mash-up was a stroke of genius and pure, low-stakes fun from start to finish. But by the end, the VFC felt as if he had seen something special — and that seeds were planted for a Midnight Sons title (that unfortunately never came).
Elsa Bloodstone is as badass as they come. Take note, other Marvel directors and showrunners. Where the likes of Riri Williams, Maya Lopez, Carol Danvers, and Monica Rambeau fell short, Elsa Bloodstone transcended. She. Is. So. Cool. This is a heroine the VFC can get behind every day of the week. Of course, the titular character, Jack Russell / the Werewolf by Night himself, is brilliantly played by Gael García Bernal, and we loved his Man-Thing rescue. The fact that we haven’t seen a Midnight Sons show or movie with Elsa Bloodstone, Werewolf, Man-Thing, and any/all of the Black Knight, Doctor Strange, and/or a debuting Blade or Ghost Rider is beyond us. But for 52 minutes one hallow’s eve, this was pure black & white awesomeness — until that exquisite moment with Elsa Bloodstone when the world colors in. Yes please.
Hero - 8/10
Villain - 8/10
Supporting Cast - 9/10
Story - 9/10
Action - 8/10
Dialogue - 7/10
Humour - 6/10
Drama - 7/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness - 9/10
MCU Connection - 8/10
TOTAL - 79
1. THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HOLIDAY SPECIAL
Damn this was good! James Gunn does it again in an off-the-wall, Kevin-Bacon-kidnapping caper that takes us from Knowhere in space to Hollywood and back again. Drax and Mantis carry the Guardians this time around in a special that was way better than it had any right being. This almost merits annual Christmas viewing! Almost. But it’s still more MCU than Christmas — which might be why "I Don't Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here)" never became a classic Christmas song despite being deserving of the honour.
This 45-minute romp gave MCU fans a stocking filled with laughs when many were about to stop believing in the MCU. It was a small glimmer of what Marvel could be when entrusted to the right creative hands. It has heart, humor, and imagination amidst a creatively bankrupt landscape that was spewing out sameness left, right, and centre. We may have thought Peter Quill meeting Kevin Bacon was the biggest gift of this special, but in a warm and fuzzy move, Gunn chose this Holiday Special to reveal that Quill and Mantis are brother and sister. We didn’t cry, but our eyes watered.
Hero - 7/10
Villain - 6/10
Supporting Cast - 9/10
Story - 9/10
Action - 8/10
Dialogue - 9/10
Humour - 9/10
Drama - 7/10
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness -8/10
MCU Connection - 8/10
TOTAL - 80
IN THE END, THOUGHTS…
The Venus Fry Cook was once among the biggest MCU fans out there. The truest of true believers. He was excited and dedicated going into phase 4. But tragically, the MCU lost its way. And the VFC has been so heartbroken, it had been a while since he even went back and watched all of these movies. But going back down memory lane made the VFC realize how jaded he’d become. How divided audiences had become. How cynical. Angry. Resentful.
But these movies, these characters, reminded the Venus Fry Cook how great the MCU truly is. How lucky we are to have these characters and these moments. What towering achievements so many of these films were. Even if it was fueled in part by corporate greed and the bottom line, it was artists on the front lines, creating magic for us to enjoy. There will never be anything like the MCU again. The Venus Fry Cook will cherish it forever and take comfort in knowing that at any time, he can return to this world to see the likes of Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, and the rest of the Avengers. Heroes all. Thank you for being brave, and bravely being.
VFC Biases
She-Hulk broke The Venus Fry Cook’s love for the MCU. Anything after She-Hulk was experienced with less adoration and forgiveness.
Based on the scoring rubric below, titles with a stronger connection to the overall MCU will generally place higher.
Disclaimers
Shows are ranked by series, not season.
These lists are not the “best” — they are the Venus Fry Cook’s favorites.
In the event of a tie, the Venus Fry Cook will make the call.
The VFC did not include What If… In the comics or movies, the VFC has trouble getting on board with hypotheticals. And because it’s an anthology series, it’s tough to rank according to the rubric. It’s fun, but for the VFC kind of irrelevant. Sorry.
The VFC did not include other animated shows. X-Men 97, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and I Am Groot — while all great, aren't included. Sorry.
The VFC did not include Daredevil: Born Again. That’s just opening a whole Defenders Pandora’s Box we don’t wanna open. Sorry.
Criteria
The rubric. Each item is scored out of 10 for a total of 100 possible points.
Hero: The individual or team that is positioned as the primary hero. This applies only to the hero(s) within the context of the single project, not overall.
Villain: The main antagonist — does not include supporting bad guys.
Supporting Cast: The hero’s friends, the henchmen, and the randos — this covers the cast of characters that surrounds the super hero(s) and big bad.
Story: The quality of the plot and narrative itself.
Action: The quality, staging, presentation, and entertainment value of the fight scenes and action sequences.
Dialogue: The quality of the overall dialogue.
Humour: The comedic value.
Drama: The dramatic value.
Originality, Risk Taking & Boldness: The distinct and unique vision.
MCU Connection: The connection to the overall MCU via storylines, character appearances, or references.
