Check out Part One here!

And we’re back! This is part two of my review of each Marvel Cinematic Universe movie before “Avengers: Infinity War.” We left off on the top-tier “Guardians of the Galaxy” and we continue on with the second big team-up. Fun fact: In every Marvel movie, someone gets dismembered in some way.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron”

This film comes as a relative let-down since Joss Whedon wrote and directed the second Avengers movie (you can thank studio interference for that), but nonetheless, this marked a turning point with the major death of Quicksilver, the departure of the Hulk, the further fracturing of the team and the outstanding villain voiced by James Spader as Ultron. While not being as individually strong as the first “Avengers,” “Age of Ultron” advances the stories of a lot of characters which makes the next movies deeper and more impactful.

“Ant-Man”

Can you make Paul Rudd, America’s funny friend, into a bona fide superhero? “Ant-Man” proves that you absolutely can. Playing off his comedy background with a hint of seriousness alongside a great cast, “Ant-Man” proves once again that great actors and writers make any movie enjoyable to a wide crowd.

“Captain America: Civil War”

An Avengers movie in all but name, Civil War borrows its story from one of the biggest events in Marvel Comics history. Also, it introduces Spiderman—possibly the most famous Marvel superhero—through some fancy agreements between studios. With this move, Marvel covered one of the most glaring holes within its lore. The team fractures introduced in earlier films come to fruition with yet another great entry by Captain America. Plus, Black Panther makes a loud introduction, giving the universe some much needed diversity.

“Doctor Strange”

Benedict Cumberbatch is most known from his role as Sherlock Holmes, so he is already familiar with portraying an arrogant know-it-all. Comics have always had a lot of mystically-focused characters, and Doctor Strange perfectly introduces this element into the universe. Aside from a little kerfuffle with casting Tilda Swinton as a character that is typically Asian, this was another solid movie that broadens the appeal of Marvel movies.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”

Baby Groot is back and our hearts have never been fuller. Exploring the parentage of Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill, the sequel to the surprise hit made it clear that talking plants are not a one-time gimmick. Stellar music, fun acting, and giving each major character much-needed development kept this movie simultaneously fresh and familiar.

“Spider-Man: Homecoming”

Quick, who is your favorite Spider-Man? Tom Holland punches his ticket into that argument with his first full feature as the web slinger. Being a younger character than the main Avengers, this film has a much lighter tone than previous films, but it still lives up the high standard set by them. Michael Keaton makes a great villain/concerned dad with the Vulture and Zendaya makes a welcome change to the long time love interest MJ.

“Thor: Ragnarok”

What’s better than Thor being fun again? More diversity! Taika Waititi is the first director of color, and he did not disappoint. Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba continue with strong performances, and Cate Blanchett gives a perfect example of a strong female villain that doesn’t depend on gimmicks, but rather just being a badass. Tessa Thompson wows as Valkyrie, Mark Ruffalo returns as the much missed Hulk and Jeff Goldblum does Jeff Goldblum things. Bright and fun, “Thor: Ragnarok” shows what Thor should have been about from the start—a lot of lightning, a lot of funny characters and not taking yourself too seriously.

“Black Panther”

Is this the best marvel movie? Yes. Is it the highest grossing superhero movie in domestic box office history? Yes. Does this movie prove that diversity sells? Hell yes. I have too much to say about how fantastic this movie looks from its lighting of various shades of dark skin to the depth it provides with its costumes, to how it draws elements from the entire African continent to truly highlight its extraordinary cultures. Michael B. Jordan plays one of the best antagonists in any movie with Killmonger. Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira and Letitia Wright all make their cases for solo movies, stealing every scene they have. Daniel Kaluuya is the wingman we all deserve, and Winston Duke makes us all want an M’Baku in our lives. Ryan Coogler and Chadwick Boseman may get the most attention and praise for Black Panther, but make no mistake—this was the ultimate team effort, and everyone involved deserves credit.

Eighteen movies, 10 years, 3 billion plus spent and over 14 billion earned at the box office, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has made the world fall in love with comic book characters in an entirely new way. Seeing our favorite heroes on screen brings a new level of love from audiences. It serves as inspiration to be heroes in our own lives and gives the world much needed cinematic art. Whether “Avengers: Infinity War” lives up to the hype that builds by the day or not, we should all appreciate the journey it has taken us on.