Ranking MCU projects of 2021

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After a year of MCU drought, Marvel Studios came in all guns blazing in 2021. I liked most of the content, didn't like some but enjoyed all that we got this year (almost weekly). From Wandavision in January to Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye in December this is my ranking of MCU series and movies that released in 2021. 5. Movie: Venom: Let There Be Carnage Though not officially a part of the MCU slate, the post credit scene of Venom: Let There Be Carnage brought Venom into the MCU for a post credit scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie was okay at the least with the rehash of Eddie and Venom's relationship. I liked seeing Carnage on screen but the fact that he didn't feel more scary and died at the end doesn't help the movie. 5. Series: What If...? : Season 1 Marvel Studios' first animated series and 4th Disney+ show of 2021 is last on my list of shows because it isn't one story in episodes but rather different stories that come together in the end but you don't really know why to watch these separate stories other than for entertainment until the 7th episode. The last two episodes where all the previous episodes start to come together are my favourites. The last episode reminded me of Endgame and made we want more of Ultron in the MCU. 4. Movie: Black Widow Black Widow serves the purpose of giving Natasha Romanoff a good send-off but it feels similar to the earliest MCU entrants hence making us realise the potential of this franchise if it was released in Phase One or Two. Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova is a scene stealer and the post credits is an awesome setup for the characters' return in Hawkeye. The action scenes in the first half are wonderful to watch, not a big fan of the third act. There are some questionable choices made but overall the movie will satisfy fans who have been wanting a Scarlet Johansson led solo Black Widow movie, which now acts as a tribute to her character with her legend set to continue through other characters. 4. Series: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier The Falcon and The Winter Soldier managed to follow WandaVision with its grounded and political story. The show took a deep dive into Sam Wilson's world and the pressure placed upon him - a black man, after Steve handed him the shield - the symbol of America. The inclusion of Baron Zemo and especially the Dora Miljae made this show great. John Walker's rage sequence in Episode 4 was brilliantly executed. The final episode completed Sam's arc in the show but the resolution to Bucky's arc was unsatisfactory and the Power Broker reveal was poorly handled. 3. Movie: Eternals This ten member ensemble movie doesn't deserve the hate it is receiving. I cried when the Eternals first split, I couldn't bear Ajak's death and I was happy to see Ikaris go up against Thena, Makkari and Phastos and Ikaris' scene with Sersi at the end was special. I liked all the characters and want to see more of them and though some characters get sidelined for most of the movie they shine when they are on screen. Ajak, Gilgamesh and for certain Ikaris (who is a complex character imo) will return by means of the World Forge the only doubt being whether they will have their memories which would end up being the main conflict when they return. A mix of MCU's VFX with Chloe Zhao's natural cinematography and the amazing score by Ramin Djawadi gives the movie a unique feel. The story is ambitious and the exposition scenes take days together for one to process. The movie has too many moving parts and the story makes everything that happened in the MCU till then feel insignificant (which we should take positively). Seeing the giant Celestials realised on the big screen makes one anticipate The Devourer Of Worlds- Galactus. 3.Series: Hawkeye This Christmas themed show was surely not anyone's most anticipated show. The show turned out to be good introducing us to our first Young Avenger - Kate Bishop, her dynamic with Clint Barton was great. Yelena (Florence Pugh) stole the show once again and her scenes with Kate (Hailee Stienfield) were wildly entertaining, the new Hawkeye and Black Widow! The show had many storylines running at the same time which all came to an end in the finale but some of them felt like they could've been done more with. Bringing in Kingpin and trick arrows was cool but the main problem I had with Hawkeye is that it didn't go as deep as I wanted it to go with the effect and repercussions Clint has to face because he was once Ronin. 2. Movie: Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings A whole new world. Shang-Chi introduces us to a whole new world that is filled with likeable characters. It feels fresh like no other Marvel movie that came before and creates a complex character in Shang-Chi. The ten rings are beyond awesome, can't wait to see the rings and Shang-Chi in future projects. Awkwafina was the soul of this movie. The two end credit scenes were amazing setting up and hinting at exciting things to come. 2. Series: Loki: Season 1 Loki introduced us to Sylvie, the TVA, fan favourite Mobius M. Mobius and the brilliantly cast Jonathan Majors as a Kang variant - He Who Remains. Some episodes felt like they were slow and didn't add much to the overall story but the show made up for it with possibly the best final episode of all the live-action MCU shows this year. I liked the weird world that this show set-up in a 10+ year old sci-fi franchise and can't wait to see more in Season 2. 1. Movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home Spider-Man isn't my favourite MCU character but seeing 3 versions of Spider-Men I grew up with and the villains interacting with Tom's Peter in present day makes this movie extremely special...that's not all; the story is mostly great and is not sacrificed just to have these characters back. It's a love letter to Spider-Man past and present and closes Tom's MCU/Homecoming trilogy in the best way possible. Read my full spoiler free review for Spider-Man: No Way Home. 1. Series: WandaVision WandaVision was special because it was the first MCU project in over a year, add to that the sitcom inspired mystery thriller makes it one of the best MCU shows till date giving us our first look at the MCU post blip. The creators could've gone wrong in so many ways with this concept and it's reasoning but they made it work. This show set the expectation for what MCU Disney+ shows will deliver - intimate story moments for our beloved characters. WandaVision was not just a show; it was a tribute to television, a ray of hope, a story about grief & love and it marked the rise of the most powerful Marvel character in the MCU. I think WandaVision will always have that special place in my heart because Wanda is my favourite character and I loved the weekly theories/discussions for the first MCU Disney+ show...you are allowed to have your own opinions so go on let me know your ranking in the comments. My list Series 1. WandaVision 2. Loki: Season 1 3. Hawkeye 4. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier 5. What If...? : Season 1 Movies 1. Spider-Man: No Way Home 2. Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings 3. Eternals 4. Black Widow 5. Venom: Let There Be C

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