Following the massive success of Avengers, which capped off Phase 1 of the MCU, this cinematic universe of connected movies was established as a success. Fans were eager to see what Phase 2 would bring as their favorite superheroes would return in their own solo adventures and some exciting new characters would be added to the roster.
Phase 2 of the MCU hit a few snags with some behind-the-scene scuffles and on-going criticism of the villains. But the movies also took some of the heroes in exciting new directions while also expanding the overall universe. Audiences continued to eat it all up and the Rotten Tomatoes audience scores for Phase 2 movies prove the MCU was only getting more popular.
Thor: The Dark World (2013) - 76%
It took a little while for the MCU to decide how best to use the character of Thor and in Phase 2, they were still working out the kinks. Thor: The Dark World was the God of Thunder's second solo adventure. It found him taking his human love interest, Jane Foster, to Asgard. Looming over the romance are the villainous Dark Elves who look to acquire a powerful weapon Jane is in possession of.
The Dark World is often seen as one of the worst MCU movies and it does have the lowest critic score to date with 65%. However, audiences found a little more to enjoy about the movie. The romance does feel forced and uninteresting while the villain Malekith is completely forgettable. But Chris Hemsworth continued to make the role his own while the return of Loki surely pleased a lot of fans.
Iron Man 3 (2013) - 78%
Just as he kicked off Phase 1 of the MCU, Iron Man was the first hero to return for Phase 2. Iron Man 3 was the first solo adventure without director Jon Favreau as action veteran Shane Black stepped in. The Christmas-set story follows Tony Stark battling PTSD while attempting to stop a deadly terrorist who is carrying out a series of horrific attacks.
Like Iron Man 2, this sequel fell significantly short of the original in the eyes of fans. Critics were of the same opinion, giving it a score of 79%. Perhaps the fans were turned off by the controversial twist with the classic villain, the Mandarin. However, the charm of Robert Downey Jr. and Black's hilarious script seemed to make it an enjoyable enough final chapter in the Iron Man trilogy.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) - 83%
Following the trend of Phase 1, the various solo adventures of the Marvel heroes eventually led to another team-up movie with Avengers: Age of Ultron. Joss Whedon returned to write and direct the film, which saw the heroes band together again in order to stop the evil robot Ultron from taking over the world.
Given that the first Avengers had the highest audience score of the Phase 1 movies, it's clear that this sequel was a step down in their eyes. Still, audiences seemed to enjoy it much more than critics, who gave it a score of 76%. The quips might have felt a bit more forced this time around and the story was overstuffed, but an action-packed finale and seeing the heroes share the screen once again was enough to enjoy.
Ant-Man (2015) - 86%
Phase 2 closed off with the introduction of a new hero. Ant-Man starred Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, a kind-hearted expert thief who is recruited by former S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist Hank Pym to stop his groundbreaking shrinking formula from getting into the wrong hands.
The movie was originally supposed to be directed by Edgar Wright, who pulled out due to creative differences. The decision disappointed a lot of fans, but they seemed to still enjoy this superhero take on a heist movie. Rudd made for a wonderfully goofy and charming hero who gave the film a lot of life along with an outstanding ing role from Michael Peña. The action-comedy was a winner with fans and critics, who gave it a slightly lower 83%.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) - 92%
The MCU expanded even further with Guardians of the Galaxy, which introduced the cosmic side of the universe along with some of its strangest characters. The intergalactic adventure finds an unlikely group of outlaws forced to work together to keep a powerful weapon out of the hands of a murderous man.
James Gunn, a filmmaker known for small indies, took these little-known characters from the comics and made one of the most popular franchises in the MCU. The top-notch ensemble of actors worked so well together, bringing these colorful and hilarious characters to life. Critics were also charmed by the movie's comedy and vibrant look, giving it a 91%, but fans likely responded to it even more thanks to its introduction of Thanos and the Infinity Stones.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) - 92%
After Captain America's origin story was set in World War II, the sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier had the difficult task of incorporating the character into a modern world. Future MCU big shots, the Russo Brothers, came in to direct this story of Steve Rogers uncovering a vast and dangerous conspiracy while being hunted by a mysterious assassin.
The movie brilliantly took inspiration from 1970s conspiracy thrillers to introduce Cap to a world where knowing who the enemy is can be more complicated than not. Chris Evans excelled in the role, the action was made more hard-hitting, and there were some legitimately thrilling surprises that made this an intense and gripping story. Critics loved it nearly as much with a 90% to prove it.
