Though the lowest rated releases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe aren’t renowned for their quality, there are still many positive aspects that are generally overlooked. The movies of the MCU typically rank among some of the most successful films ever made, with several shattering box office records and consistently proving popular with audiences around the world. However, not all MCU releases are rated as highly; some entries into the franchise actually performed poorly with critics and audiences.
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These supposed low points in the timeline of MCU movies and TV shows might stand out as lacking the quality of other entries in the franchise, but that isn’t to say they don’t have redeeming features. Given the nature of the MCU’s shared universe, even the worst releases can have major positive implications for the franchise as a whole, teasing exciting developments or establishing an important piece of context for future releases. With that in mind, here are 10 overlooked positives from the MCU’s lowest rated releases.
10 Secret Invasion Delivered A Great MCU Twist
Secret Invasion (2023)
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Of all the TV shows in the MCU, Secret Invasion typically ranks as the worst. Loosely adapting the story of the same name from the comics, Secret Invasion chronicled Nick Fury’s attempts to thwart an attack from a rebel group of Skrull refugees intended to spark World War III. Despite earning mixed-to-negative critical reviews and abysmal user ratings, Secret Invasion was able to deliver one of the MCU’s most interesting twists to date.
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The reveal that James “Rhodey” Rhodes had been replaced as a Skrull was an important plot point in the series. However, it was later hinted that Rhodey may have been replaced much earlier than expected, raising several questions about how much Skrulls had influenced the MCU’s timeline. In spite of the general unpopularity earned by Secret Invasion, its MCU twist made it entirely watchable in the context of the wider franchise.
9 Quantumania Subtly Rewrote A Problematic MCU Rule
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
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The early stages of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga saw many rules introduced regarding the introduction of other realities to the franchise’s story. One of the most significant was the damage crossing between universes could do, establishing that incursions would destroy the reality in question should variants spend too long influencing other timelines. Despite being one of the MCU’s lowest rated movies, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania subtly saved the Multiverse Saga from its own rules.
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The final moments of Quantumania showed many Kang variants assemble in a Council of Kangs, and though the movie did very little to address the wider Multiverse, this helped clear up a potentially problematic narrative issue. The MCU’s approach to explaining the rules of the Multiverse had roughly established the dangers of variants traveling to other realities, but the Council of Kangs confirmed that many variants could gather with no repercussions. In doing so, Quantumania set a precedent that effectively rescued the Multiverse Saga from its own mandate.
8 Love And Thunder Unlocked A Whole New Cast Of MCU Characters
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
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Thor: Love and Thunder didn’t capture audiences the same way that Thor: Ragnarok did, with the film failing to impress across the board. This led to it being one of the MCU’s lowest rated releases, despite its cast of popular returning characters and the exciting MCU debut of Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher. However, the cast of Thor: Love and Thunder also introduced some other additions to the franchise, with Zeus, Hercules, and countless unnamed gods appearing during the film’s Omnipotence City scenes.
For all of Thor: Love and Thunder’s missteps, its introduction of a host of gods to the MCU was a hugely positive development for the franchise. Not only did it introduce the likes of Zeus and Hercules, but establishing Omnipotence City also opened the door to countless other gods appearing in future releases. Though Love and Thunder itself wasn’t as well received as other MCU movies, it did bring an exciting new dimension to the franchise.
7 Secret Invasion Sets Up Some Fascinating Stories
Secret Invasion (2023)
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Secret Invasion might have earned a reputation as one of the MCU’s least popular releases, but it still proved an important entry into the franchise. Its story did more than just adapt the comic book arc of the same name and expand upon the introduction of the Skrulls from Captain Marvel, as it also marked a key part in the MCU’s wider narrative. Though its main story was widely criticized, it set up a number of exciting events for the future of the MCU.
The ending of Secret Invasion directly set up a war on the Skrulls, indicating that the conflict between humanity and the alien refugees was far from over. As well as that prospect, Secret Invasion also introduced G’iah, who by the end of the series has amassed a power level that makes her as dangerous as the combined might of most Avengers. Though Secret Invasion was not rated well, the stories it sets up might well be.
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6 The Marvels Teased The Future Of An Exciting MCU Team
The Marvels (2023)
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Upon release, The Marvels received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office flop, earning it the unfortunate accolade of being the MCU’s lowest grossing movie. It’s a movie with plenty of positive aspects, but it simply didn’t live up to the quality of the movies and TV shows that directly preceded its events. In spite of this, The Marvels offered up one clear positive that far outweighed any of its negative elements.
The ending of The Marvels saw Kamala Khan set out to form her own team of young heroes, with the movie showing her recruiting Kate Bishop. The Young Avengers tease hints at a hugely exciting development that will seemingly see some of the MCU’s most promising young heroes form a team of their own within the franchise, with the likes of Ironheart, America Chavez, and Cassie Lang all potential members. For all The Marvels’ less impressive points, its Young Avengers team more than redeemed the movie.
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5 Love and Thunder Redeemed One Of The MCU’s Most Wasted Characters
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
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The criticisms of Thor: Love and Thunder were many, with the movie’s overly silly tone regularly cited as one of its weaker elements. The eponymous hero’s fourth solo movie, Love and Thunder both introduced many exciting new characters and brought back previously introduced MCU figures. One of its best points, however, was the way in which it handled a new aspect of a recurring character’s story.
After having appeared in both Thor and Thor: The Dark World in prominent roles, Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster disappeared from the MCU. However, her return in Thor: Love and Thunder finally saw her take up the mantle of The Mighty Thor, harnessing the power of her love interest as she did in the comics. By giving Foster the hero moment she desperately deserved, the story was able to offer redemption to one of the MCU’s most overlooked characters.
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4 Quantumania Finally Paid Off Years Of Teases
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
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2015’s Ant-Man introduced the titular hero to the MCU, although it opted to follow Scott Lang’s iteration of the hero rather than the original Hank Pym. Instead, Pym acted as a mentor to Lang, having retired following the disappearance of his wife, Janet Van Dyne, into the Quantum Realm. Janet’s return was a major plot point in Ant-Man and the Wasp, though her time in the Quantum Realm was something that was only briefly teased.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania finally paid off eight years of hints about the Quantum Realm. By taking its heroes there, Quantumania explored the long-teased Quantum frontier, establishing elements of Van Dyne’s survival in the process. For all the many ways in which Quantumania was criticized, its payoff of years of tantalizing references to Janet Van Dyne’s Quantum adventure helped redeem the movie in a reasonably satisfying way.
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3 Eternals Laid The Foundations For Some Great Marvel Heroes
Eternals (2021)
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At one time, 2021’s Eternals seemed to be one of the MCU’s most exciting prospects. Upon its release, however, it failed to impress critics or audiences alike, earning it some of the lowest ratings in the entire franchise. With a star-studded ensemble cast and an epic sci-fi premise, Eternals’ failure was somewhat disappointing, although the movie did redeem itself in a few key ways.
As well as serving as the debut of its titular god-like team of heroes, Eternals introduced several other characters to the MCU. Dane Whitman appeared as the human love interest of Sersi, with the movie’s ending teasing his transformation into the Black Knight and his association with the vampire hunter Blade. Additionally, the movie also introduced Starfox and Pip the Troll, meaning that despite its general lack of success, Eternals’ added a number of exciting characters to the ranks of the MCU.
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2 The Dark World Made Loki An MCU Antihero
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
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Upon first being introduced in 2011’s Thor, Loki was a fairly traditional villain, in line with classic depictions of the character in the comics. His appearance in 2012’s The Avengers as the film’s main antagonist only furthered his villainous reputation. However, when Tom Hiddleston reprized the role again in 2013’s Thor: The Dark World, the MCU was able to tap into the character’s popularity in a way that almost entirely redeems the widely disliked sequel.
Hiddleston’s performance as Loki communicated the depth and charisma of the character, and the MCU was able to capitalize on that appeal by changing Loki’s role in the franchise. Turning him from a straight-up villain into an antihero, The Dark World made Loki even more of a fan-favorite, eventually leading to a successful spin-off TV show. Though The Dark World itself proved one of the MCU’s lowest-rated films, its handling of Loki was entirely perfect.
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1 Eternals Took The MCU To A Cosmic New Level
Eternals (2021)
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In terms of general disappointment, Eternals is one of the MCU’s worst movies. For all the excitement surrounding the cinematic potential of its premise, it was seemingly unable to deliver in a way that felt as satisfying as it deserved. Though Eternals was not as successful as it might have been, it did redeem itself and its place in the MCU with one major conceptual positive.
The nature of Eternals’ story saw the movie introduce a brand new cosmic scale to the proceedings of the MCU. With the full debut of the Celestials, including Arishem the Judge, and establishing the Eternals as synthetic beings made to do their bidding, the movie brought a cosmic perspective to the franchise’s story. In doing so, Eternals’ important place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is cemented, despite it being one of the franchise’s lowest rated titles.
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