the MCU has been a staple of superhero movies since 2008, and it remains an uncrowned king of the genre. In the last two years, it has enriched its focus even more and no longer produces only feature films but TV series as well. 2022 has been a good year for the MCU, numbers-wise. It released three feature films, two TV movies, and four TV series.
With so many options to choose from, it’s natural that some of the MCU productions will get a better response and ratings from the audience than others. Even though the quality of the MCU productions might no longer be as balanced as it once was, it still has plenty of stories to offer superhero fans.
9 She-Hulk: Attorney At Law
The lowest-ranked MCU 2022 series introduced a new heroine, Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk. Unlike other MCU series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law put less emphasis on She-Hulk’s superhero activity and more on Jennifer’s struggle to balance the two sides of her life after she turns into She-Hulk due to an accident. The show comes across as a superhero sitcom, with the main character dealing with annoying work, trying to find the right partner…and also being a superhero, which brings even more trouble into her life.
Not everybody liked the show’s specific sense of humor or the fact it changes some details about She-Hulk that was present in the comics. On the bright side, the series keeps a fast pace and brings back several popular MCU characters, most notably Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil.
8 Ms. Marvel
Even though Ms. Marvel didn’t get as high ratings as other 2022 MCU shows, it still brought something new to the universe. Not only did it introduce a heroine of Pakistani-American origin, but it also focused on the teenage audience more since the majority of MCU movies are about adult heroes. Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, discovers her new powers and has to balance them with her school and family life, and at the same time, deal with the threat looming on the horizon.
That means he’s got a lot of things on his plate, and also, the audience never gets the chance to become bored. The downside of Ms. Marvel is that not everyone can relate to Kamala considering her youth, but the show is still entertaining enough to overcome this slight detail. Plus, Ms. Marvel only has six episodes, making it easy to watch it fast.
7 Thor: Love And Thunder
The fourth Thor solo movie got the lowest IMDb rating of all Thor movies. One reason for this could be the infamous superhero fatigue. Or perhaps the viewers didn’t appreciate the film’s style of humor as much as they did in the previous Thor movies.
Whatever the case, Thor: Love and Thunder still did well financially, earning a solid box office gross of over $760 million. It also offered Christian Bale’s performance as Gorr, the main villain, who didn’t get as much space as he would have deserved but is still one of the highlights of the fast-paced film.
6 I Am Groot
when Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 premiered in 2017, many fans immediately fell for Baby Groot. So much so that Baby Groot received his own series in 2022. Of all the Marvel shows that aired this year, I Am Groot is the closest to a feel-good story. With just five episodes in total, each lasting around three minutes (minus the credits section), it’s easy to binge-watch the series in one go. The audience gets to see even more of Baby Groot’s life and what he gets up to when there aren’t any of the other Guardians of the Galaxy around.
Baby Groot visits different places, and even though he often gets into humorous problems, his cleverness helps him find solutions for them. The final fifth episode brings back some other beloved MCU characters as well. Thanks for its overall optimistic mood, I Am Groot is the ideal option for everyone who wants to introduce their children to the MCU.
5 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
With his first solo film premiering in 2016, Doctor Strange’s second adventure took six long years to come. And when it finally did, it turned out the film’s primary point was to introduce a brand-new MCU heroine, America Chavez. Even so, Doctor Strange got a lot of space since the movie introduced several different universes and versions of Stephen Strange.
The fast-paced, imaginative adventure kept the audience hooked from start to finish, and offered several superhero cameos that pleased the fans. What’s more, it had a sympathetic villain with a genuine reason for their actions which is something several previous MCU movies struggled to achieve.
4 The Guardians Of The Galaxy: Holiday Special
After the long year of 2022, both MCU superheroes and the fans could do with a bit of holiday cheer. The Disney+ Christmas movies The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special provides just that. It brings back popular heroes, such as Drax, Groot, Mantis, and the other Guardians, all played by their original actors.
Directed by James Gunn, the holiday special is a heartwarming story about the Guardians searching for the perfect Christmas gift for Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord. It could also be titled: How the Guardians saved Christmas – and it contains the right amount of joy and humor to entertain all Marvel fans who are in the mood for something less serious.
3 Werewolf By Night
The MCU produced two TV movies this year – and both of them got positive ratings from the audience. Unlike the Christmas Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Werewolf by Night represents an entirely different genre – a fantasy horror. It has not only an unusual story for the MCU but also a different visual as it’s filmed in black and white.
The atmospheric tale is different from the majority of the MCU productions, and it has the feeling of classic horror movies from the 1930s to the 1950s. Overall, it’s probably the most original production the MCU has released this year.
2 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is one of the rare superhero sequels that managed to retain the quality of its predecessor. The film seems to have it all – action, humor, a captivating story, and also emotions that come across as genuine. The film deals with the topic of loss and grief as well as finding the right path when times seem dark.
The kingdom of Wakanda is once again as visually captivating as it was in Black Panthers (2018). The cast doesn’t disappoint and makes it hard to pinpoint a single performance. Just likes Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, this film introduces several characters who are likely to play a more major role in future MCU movies, suggesting promising days are ahead of the MCU. And considering the film’s box office results, it’s not a stretch to imagine the MCU will return to Wakanda again in the future.
1 Moon Knight
The fourth phase of the MCU has been all about exploring other cultures and mythologies. Moon Knight takes care to introduce more of Egyptian mythology to the audience and does so in an adventure filled with complex characters and dark humor. Oscar Isaac gives a memorable performance as the titular superhero whose body and mind host more than one person. Unsurprisingly, that makes for a difficult life, but also leads to some of the funniest moments in otherwise predominantly serious shows.
Moon Knight is the closest to a travel show of all 2022 Marvel series since it takes the viewers and the main heroes and villains on a journey to multiple countries. The six episodes rush forward fast and manage to do what the series set out to do in the first place – bringing another powerful player to the already rich world of the MCU, one who has a promising future ahead of him.
