Summary
The Russo brothers have a long working history within theMarvel CinematicUniverse, but how do the duo’s films rank against one another? Anthony and Joe Russo, collectively known as the Russo brothers, initially began their career working on sitcoms likeArrested Development,Community, andHappy Endings. At the time, when the Russos were hired to direct anupcoming MCU movie, many were wondering how sitcom filmmakers would transfer to the high-octane, CGI-infused movies of Marvel Studios.
As it turned out, the Russos took to blockbuster filmmaking like a duck to water. Immediately, the filmmakers became two of the best in the Golden Age of superhero cinema, directing some of thebest-ranked Marvel moviesever put to screen. Recently, the MCU received a much-needed dose of adrenaline and hope when it was announced that, reportedly, theRusso brothers are in talks forAvengers 5and6.Avengers 5andAvengers: Secret Warswere confirmed long ago, with director Daniel Destin Cretton set to helm the former.
Since then, however,details surroundingAvengers 5have seen the original title ofThe Kang Dynastyreportedly dropped alongside Kang actor Jonathan Majors, resulting in the departure of Cretton and initial writer Jeff Loveness. After a period of uncertainty,Avengers 5andAvengers: Secret Warscould be back on track with the announcement that the Russos may return to direct both movies. With this exciting news, many will naturally look back on the Russos' MCU efforts thus far, begging the question of how they rank from worst - or more aptly, least-good - to best.
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4Captain America: Civil War
The Third Captain America Movie Is The Weakest Of The Russo Brothers' MCU Efforts
When crafting any list, it seems blasphemy to placeCaptain America: Civil Waras the “worst” film. However, regarding the Russo brothers' MCU films,Civil Warclaims this difficult spot. Concerning the reasons whyCivil Warranks as the weakest of the Russos' MCU films, it is more a commentary on the amazing positives of the other three projects on the list than it is a result of any real negativesCaptain America: Civil Warpossesses. For the most part,Captain America: Civil Warunequivocally works.
Captain America: Civil Warcan sometimes feel slightly messy…
The film had the unenviable job of being a cornerstone of the MCU’s Phase 3. Not only did it need to tell a satisfying story that servedCaptain America’s timeline in the MCUas a sequel toThe Winter Soldier, but it had to incorporate several other Avengers while exploring their rift and the effects it would have on two futureAvengersmovies. As a result,Captain America: Civil Warcan sometimes feel slightly messy. Having to juggle so many characters, give them all moments and individual arcs, and tie this to Cap’s story was always going to be impossible to accomplish without a hitch.
This leads to arguably the biggest criticism ofCaptain America: Civil War: sometimes it does not feel like a Cap movie. Many have since dubbed the filmAvengers 2.5,which is not entirely unfair. Regardless,Civil Warremains one of the best MCU films thanks to its emotional heart, fantastic moments, brilliant action sequences, and climactic ending. It is remarkable a film this size works as well as it does, and it is only the positives of other movies that see it ranked as the weakest MCU Russo brothers film.
Captain America: Civil War
Cast
Captain America: Civil War focuses on the aftermath of Age of Ultron as international governments legislate to regulate superhuman activity. This divides the Avengers, forming opposing factions led by Iron Man and Captain America, culminating in a significant conflict between former allies.
3Avengers: Endgame
The Culmination Of The MCU Infinity Saga Is Immensely Satisfying
Avengers: Endgameis, admittedly, a difficult movie to rank. The emotional high of watching what the film achieved is one many will never experience again due to the immense task Marvel Studios accomplished in tying up 11 years of storytelling. As such, the fan-service aspect of the film would usually be enough to see it ranked as the best Russo brothers MCU film, and the best in the entire saga full stop. However, from a more critical perspective,Avengers: Endgamehas its issues that see it unable to trump the two remaining Russo brothers MCU movies.
In comparison to the tighter pacing ofCaptain America: Civil War,Avengers: Endgamecan feel unbalanced…
For one,Avengers: Endgamecan feel slightly slow. The film clocks in at over three hours, making the first two acts feel like a slog at times. The decision to slow the film down and allow it to breathe is admirable, but there is no denying that the first two-thirds of the film is less fresh in fans' memories than the bombastic final showdown. In comparison to the tighter pacing ofCaptain America: Civil War,Avengers: Endgamecan feel unbalanced.
That said, what enablesAvengers: Endgameto rank aboveCivil Waris the sheer hype, excitement, and wonder it generates. Seeing Avengers that would rarely interact come together remains as fascinating as ever, and the time-heist plot of the film allows for a beautiful revisiting of the MCU’s biggest movies before the Infinity Saga comes to a close. WhereEndgameundoubtedly shines, though, is in its final act.
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Putting the amount of Marvel characters on screen thatEndgamedid never should have worked, but it is a testament to the Russo brothers' direction and the writing team of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely that it feels warranted. The portals scene ranks among the best in the entire MCU, inducing chills, tears, and awe as the events ofInfinity Warare reversed. Although the argument thatEndgamerelies on fan service is valid and is certainly a factor in why it is not ranked higher, the film’s emotional heart and tear-inducing ending overcome any prior misgivings.
2Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The Second Movie In The Captain America Trilogy Stands Tall
Among the three otherRusso brothers-directed movies in the MCU,Captain America: The Winter Soldierfeels somewhat like an outlier. In comparison to the other movies' ensemble casts, epic stories, and world-altering stakes,Captain America: The Winter Soldieris much smaller. Ironically, this is what makes it a bigger success.Captain America: The Winter Soldieris still counted as one of the best solo movies in the entire franchise, standing tall with the other stories on this list as the greatest in the MCU.
More so thanCaptain America: Civil War,The Winter Soldierputs an emphasis on its titular hero. Cap’s story has never been stronger in the MCU, primarily driven by his connections to those around him - including fan-favorite Bucky Barnes - and the grounded tone the film strikes.The Winter Soldierfeels like a spy-thriller in the best way, providing a political storyline complete with shoot-outs, covert espionage, and awesome hand-to-hand fight sequences.
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This tone is one that many have hoped Marvel Studios would revisit, proving just how much it worked and explaining whyCaptain America: Brave New World’s trailerreceived such praise. Given thatThe Winter Soldierhas a singular focus whereEndgameandCivil Wardo not, the pacing is incredibly tight. Each scene flows into the next, and the film never gets lost in having to pick up with this Avenger or that, simply focusing on the conflict between Steve Rogers and HYDRA.
Another advantageCaptain America: The Winter Soldierhas over its peers on this list also links to its tone. The action of the film is incredibly subdued, relying more on car chases, gunfights, and hand-to-hand combat moments over giant CGI spectacles. Given that the latter has been a constant criticism of the franchise,The Winter Soldier’s action felt refreshing in 2014 and still does today. For these reasons,Captain America:The Winter Soldiereasily ranks aboveCaptain America: Civil WarandAvengers: Endgame, but still cannot match the best Russo brothers film and the best in the entire franchise.
1Avengers: Infinity War
The 2018 Event Is Unlike Anything Else Marvel Studios Has Released
If one word could be used to describeAvengers: Infinity War, it would simply be epic.Infinity Warwas the culmination of 10 years of storytelling, giving it an advantage overAvengers: Endgameas the first to be so in the MCU. It is a testament to the work of prior films and the way they established characters thatInfinity Warjumps straight into satisfying character dynamics. Seeing the likes of Thor interact with the Guardians of the Galaxy or Iron Man and Hulk team up with Doctor Strange was overwhelmingly exciting in 2018, and still works well today.
UnlikeAvengers: EndgameorCaptain America: Civil War,Infinity War’s cast is better balanced. Rather than struggle to focus on different characters,Infinity Warwisely splits its ensemble into three distinct storylines. Thor and the Guardians head one way; Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Spider-Man lead the space Avengers; Captain America, hisCivil Warallies, and the remaining Earthly Avengers fight off Thanos' invasion of Wakanda.This givesInfinity Wara much better flow with its pacing than the two other ensemble films by the Russos. As the audience yearns for one group, the film switches to them.
Thor arriving in Wakanda in the film’s third act is among the best, most exciting moments in the entire MCU.
What allowsAvengers: Infinity Warto shine more than anything is its villain - or more aptly, protagonist - Thanos. The inclusion of the Mad Titan is perfect and pays off over half a decade of teases.Josh Brolin is incredible as Thanos, and the decision to make him a more sympathetic, well-spoken, yet inherently brutal character was a master strokeover the Death-worshipping maniac he was in Marvel Comics. Thanos' motivations are understandable, which makes his extremism all the scarier. Above all that, he is simply a force to be reckoned with and, thus, thesingle-best villain in the MCU.
Aside from Thanos, the film has one thing that the other three movies - and every other MCU property - do not:Avengers: Infinity War’s harrowing ending. For a franchise that is so often criticized for not killing off main character and having low stakes,Infinity War’s ending was overly shocking. The snap sequence is terror-inducing and fueled by a dark, despairing atmosphere as the MCU’s biggest characters turn to dust. The ending ofAvengers: Infinity Waris not only the best in theMCU, but one of the best in big-budget, franchise filmmaking, solidifying it as the best movie to come from the Russos.
Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War brings together the Avengers and their allies to face a new threat from the cosmos, Thanos, who seeks to collect the Infinity Stones. The film, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, unites numerous superhero characters in a battle to prevent Thanos' ambition of altering reality itself.
