All Disney+ Marvel Series So Far, Ranked

How could a show starring Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury fail? In several ways, it seems. This espionage thriller explores the battle-worn Fury post-Endgame and the secret Skrull situation that’s run amok since his Captain Marvel days (hence the show’s name). Despite its interesting premise and protagonist, its results in the MCU’s overarching narrative feel inconsequential. Especially when you compare it to its original comic book counterpart. Although Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, and Kingsley Ben-Adir have some great performances in the show, they are trapped in a stilted narrative and not-so-thrilling thriller.

What If… features several possible scenarios within the MCU that could have happened if things didn’t go as planned. This animated anthology series is based on the 1988 created comic book title of the same, playing with previously established events to tell new stories. This lends itself to the franchise’s multiversal concepts while also introducing a myriad of characters yet to make an official appearance, such as Uatu The Watcher.

Unfortunately, these episodes only play minor parts throughout the franchise as of now and don’t really add much to the overall cinematic narrative beyond subtle implications you won’t need to know for the next film in the cinematic universe. Plus, the stylized art and animation aren’t for everyone.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier provided a new horizon for where the world goes next in the wake of Steve Rogers passing down the mantle of Captain America. It also features a tremendous buddy-cop dynamic between the titular Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie)and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), respectively. However, the plot surrounding their chemistry wasn’t up to snuff.

Although the introduction of John Walker (US Agent) and his unhinged military man arc was compelling, the rest of the series’ villains lacked substance. COVID-19 also disrupted production and forced it to be delayed as the first MCU series to debut on Disney Plus. We also wish Sam got more time in the show as the eventual new Captain America, but we suppose that’s what Captain America 4 is for.

Moon Knight did many new and interesting things within its limited six episodes, such as exploring a hero with villainous tendencies within the MCU, the likes we’ve yet to see (if we’re not counting Netflix shows.) It touched on mental illness, developing dysfunction, and pushing forward despite it. The show also featured several top-notch cast members, like Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, and newcomer May Calamawy, as well as a new location and culture of Egypt to explore. It also featured one of the best episodes out of any of these Disney MCU series in Episode 5, “Asylum.”

However, the series took way too long to reveal its hand and answer a few questions. It also resulted in a bland, overused trope of the hero versus a villain with the same powers. We also have no idea if and when we’ll see this character or series again, as the fate of the limited series is up in the air for the unforeseen future.

She-Hulk almost felt like premiere TV, as it constantly broke the internet after each episode debuted, for better or worse. She-Hulk was the first outright comedy series from Disney x Marvel Studios, with just as many fourth-wall breaks as a Deadpool flick. The series made fun of the genre, the MCU, and even itself using comic-book-accurate fourth-wall breaks. It was impressive, especially considering it was calling itself out on things that some hostile viewers may have been complaining about from week to week. “Is this even She-Hulk’s show? Will the CGI get better? I hope the show doesn’t end this way.” These issues are addressed, if not completely solved, towards the end and are done to hilarious effect.

Also, out of all the cameos in the MCU shows, this hand some of the best, including the debut of Charlie Cox as Daredevil after his reintroduction in Spider-Man: No Way Home. They even introduced some party girl named Madisyn, who stole the show alongside Wong for an episode. Thanks to this show, there are implications for where the MCU will be going, including what’s next for The Hulk family and the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again.

Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) has never been the most popular member of The Avengers, but that’s why making a series focusing on the humanity of its most human member is so compelling. We get to see beyond the glitz and glamor of superhero antics and delve into the wear and tear it takes on your body and your soul. Not only that, instead of asking, “what would Tony do” and having another kid like the rest of the MCU men in Phase 4, he takes on a protege named Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld).

He teaches her what life she’s choosing once she decides to follow in the footsteps of her personal favorite Avenger, and she finds out the hard way how it can affect the people you love. It also re-introduced Netflix’s Kingpin back into the MCU, cameos Yelena (Black Widow’s protegee), and nicely adapts the series of the same name by Matt Fraction.

Ms. Marvel is one of the only Marvel Studios TV shows that does not co-star or cameo a pre-existing character to usher in a newcomer or serve as an adversarial force. As such, Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) is forced to carry this show on her shoulders, and she does so exceptionally well with great wit and charm. Fitted with a fresh cast of young actors and a New Jersey setting, the show feels like the television equivalent of the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy. It authentically captures teenage life, especially as a teen living in a world full of superheroes. It also handles Muslium-Pakistani American culture, generational conflict, and the relationship between her and her family very well as a result. Given that this is the same year Everything Everywhere All at Once and Turning Red premiered, Marvel Studios had terrific timing contributing to the overall narrative media in 2022 displayed.

The show is one of three titles that tie directly into 2023’s The Marvels, starring Vellani alongside Brie Larson (Carol Danvers) and Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau) from WandaVision, and we’d be lying if we said Vellani wasn’t the main headliner in the film. She’s the future of the MCU, and she’s got enough charisma to carry it on her shoulders.

WandaVision was Disney’s first Marvel Studios show, so it had a lot to prove to folks who loved the gritty street-level shows that Netflix delivered. What we got was an out-of-the-box superhero post-traumatic ode to television we’ve never seen before. Paying homage to every era of sitcom family TV, we watch Wanda try to cope with the death of Vision and the destruction of her own “family.” The theories were through the roof online while it was airing, and it only amplified the show’s mysteries.

It showcased the first tinges of the repercussions of messing with reality, as her brother Quicksilver returns to life as Evan Peter’s adaptation of the character from the Fox films. It’s another indicator that the studio will delve into superhero films unrelated to the MCU. This has led to Patrick Stewart and both previous live-action Spider-Men being officially put into the cinematic universe.  It also led to Wanda becoming the villain in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. There’s also a spinoff series for Agatha Harkness coming from this show as well, which means we aren’t done with the witchcraft yet.

Tom Hiddleston is Loki as much as Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark, and Marvel Studio acknowledged this by hinging the fate of the multiverse on his head in his very own show. They rewarded Hiddleston by breathing new life and a new arc into the character during a timeline where his development was at its darkest. Not only does he receive the lessons his future self learned (without dying first), he embarks on a new journey of self-discovery that makes him want to be better instead of becoming better out of circumstance.

We also got our first look at Kang, the Thanos for the new Multiverse Saga Marvel Studio is gearing up for in the next few Phases (depending on the fate of Johnathan Majors, that is.) It told a great story explaining the multiverse formula we will see for the next few years. And now that Season 2 has wrapped, the series has cemented itself as the best thing the MCU has done so far post-Thanos.