There were eight new Marvel Cinematic Universe projects released this year, and here are the MCU movies and shows of 2022 ranked from worst to best. Now in its 14th year of existence, the MCU has remained culturally relevant even after Avengers: Endgame. This included Phase 4 kicking off last year to usher in a new age - The Multiverse Saga - that continued to grow during 2022. Marvel Studios kept busy by releasing three films, three TV shows on Disney+, and two Holiday Specials. There were plenty of highs and lows with these eight live-action MCU projects, giving viewers a wide range of entertainment in each entry.
The MCU's 2022 releases are notable further as each movie brought back established heroes to continue existing franchises, while Disney+ was used to introduce new heroes who will be critical to the future. That said, Morbius does not take place in the MCU and is not part of the equation as a result, despite the bizarre post-credits scene. Secondly, the I Am Groot shorts do not count, as James Gunn says they are not canon. With that out of the way, here is every MCU 2022 movie and show ranked from worst to best.
8 Thor: Love and Thunder
everything about Thor's life (and the MCU) into a joke. The humor went too far, resulting in many jokes not landing and audiences being treated to far more Korg than expected. He still delivered some funny moments and good action, but they were too fleeting.
The disappointment that comes from Thor: Love and Thunder also result from how it handles its characters. There are portions of Chris Hemsworth's Thor arc that work, but it could have been much better. Jane Foster's return and transformation into Mighty Thor was rushed, while Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie was surprisingly sidelined at points. Meanwhile, the decision to make Gorr the God Butcher was an exciting choice, as was Christian Bale's casting, but the movie failed to show him earn that title and gave him a shockingly small amount of screen time overall. The character missteps are not a good combo with the film's uneven visuals and tiring humor.
7 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Expectations were high for music fight between Doctor Strange and Sinister Strange.
Where Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness falters is mainly with the execution of its multiverse story. Thanks to its brisk 2-hour runtime, the film does not have time to spend exploring as many universes as expected. Not including the quick montage of Strange and America Chavez hopping through nearly two dozen universes, Doctor Strange 2 primarily takes place in Earth-616 and Earth-838. The latter delivered the Illuminati cameos, which were fun but also lacking. The sequel also gives Strange too small of an arc after making audiences wait six years, while Scarlet Witch's villain turn is rushed and a rough turn for anyone who did not watch WandaVision.
6 She-Hulk: Attorney At Law
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law might be the lowest-ranked show of the MCU 2022 movies and shows ranking, but that does not mean the series was a misfire. Indeed, Tatiana Maslany's debut as Jennifer Walters is quite wonderful. The show perfectly captures the legal-comedy tone it was going for, with Jennifer's fourth wall breaks often providing even more humor. She-Hulk's low stakes early on allowed the series to fully explore Jennifer Walters' She-Hulk origin and the misogyny, sexism, and harassment she deals with daily at work and in her personal life. The case-of-the-week approach also helped the show deliver several fun cameos.
Introducing She-Hulk on Disney+ with a series certainly seems to have been the right move, but Marvel Studios did not fully understand what that would mean. A fully CGI superhero as the lead meant there were multiple instances where She-Hulk's visual effects were below average. The show also sometimes felt too obsessed with having Wong, Daredevil, Abomination, or Hulk cameos instead of focusing solely on Jennifer's journey. However, She-Hulk's various red herrings, speculation debunking plots, and utterly unexpected finale further solidify it as a unique and fun 2022 release.
5 Werewolf by Night
One of the most unique releases to come from Marvel Studios in 2022, horror tone to the MCU but also mixes in some fun camp along the way. It does this as Gael Garcia Bernal makes his MCU debut as Jack Russell, a man haunted by the monster he transforms into.
At a time when the MCU movies felt too short and the Disney+ shows still were figuring out their pacing, Werewolf by Night wasted no time getting audiences invested in Jack Russell, Elsa Bloodstone, and Man-Thing. The sub-one-hour runtime dropped audiences into the middle of an ongoing story and left threads for the future. It is no wonder most left the special anxious to see what else could come from Marvel's supernatural corner. The rumored MCU cameos could have been fun, but keeping the MCU connections out was also for the best. It allowed Werewolf by Night to exist as a standalone special worthy of being rewatched every Halloween.
4 Ms. Marvel
Kicking off the top half of the MCU movies and shows from the 2022 ranking, prominent role of India's Partition. The show also gave her an incredibly ive family and friends.
Through it all, Ms. Marvel established Kamala Khan as a tremendous new MCU character. For all the controversy surrounding Ms. Marvel's power changes in the show, the ultimate reveal that she is a mutant was a stunning twist. The show does falter a bit when it comes to the villains, as the Clan Destines were not the most developed antagonists of the year. However, Ms. Marvel is still very easy to enjoy and a good starting point for Kamala Khan's MCU future, which is directly teed up for her return in The Marvels.
3 The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Following a brief appearance in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The festive Special Presentation written and directed by James Gunn is a wonderful side-story for the shared universe. It puts the focus on underserved characters like Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) for a hilarious Christmas adventure that unsurprisingly also features a well-curated soundtrack. With Kevin Bacon's fun cameo as himself and some heartwarming moments, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is 41 minutes of pure bliss.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special makes a star of Mantis, who gets more attention here than arguably all past MCU appearances. It is through her off-beat comedic moments and the revelation that she is Star-Lord's sister that makes viewers leave the special hoping for a significant role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The setup for the Phase 5 movie is not too heavy-handed either. However, the special still includes significant revelations about the team before then. Despite the MCU canon questions it presents, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a completely happy time with the team before their potentially emotional sequel.
2 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
It is a miracle that Black Panther 2 are left reeling from T'Challa's absence. Letitia Wright's Shuri rises to the forefront of the story in the process, while Ramonda actress Angela Bassett delivers a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination. The result is a thoughtful and touching tribute to Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa that also acts as a big Marvel blockbuster.
The Black Panther sequel does an excellent job of further exploring Wakanda, but the introduction of Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and his underwater city Talokan also is a highlight. The MCU debut of this new king immediately makes him a potent threat to Wakanda. Ryan Coogler utilizes Black Panther 2's long runtime to dive deep into Namor's life and explore the conflict and similarities between him and Shuri. Culminating in a brutal fight between them, the film also proves to be filled with epic action scenes. Add in Ironheart's debut, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever almost makes up for the unnecessary U.S. government storyline.
1 Moon Knight
Moon Knight episode 4 twist, leaving viewers to wonder if everything so far was in Marc's head.
Stripped of almost any MCU connections, Moon Knight perfectly stands on its own and tells a gripping globe-trotting adventure in the process. Ethan Hawke's Arthur Marrow is a terrifying villain for the series, while May Calamawy's Layla proved to be an invaluable partner for Moon Knight. The show brought a darker tone and level of violence to the MCU than audiences are used to, while it also expanded the mythology of Marvel's gods. Moon Knight tops this 2022 MCU movies and shows ranking thanks to its overall quality, ingenuity, and Isaac's memorable starring role.
