After Deadpool & Wolverine, Marvel Studios’ big-screen efforts in 2025 will bring us long-anticipated movies like The Fantastic Four: First Steps. When it comes to Disney Plus, Daredevil is making a return and Ironheart will get her own show too. If you’ve been on an MCU lapse and want to catch up without going through all of them, this ranked list separates the good TV entries from the weaker, more forgettable ones.
As a heads-up: we are counting some shows that aren’t officially in the MCU, including the Netflix titles, Agent Carter, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. They’re not in the Sacred Timeline continuity of the MCU, but they are canon somewhere in the multiverse, and more importantly fan-favorite actors like Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio have been kept around without multiversal explanations.
In case you’ve been completely out of the loop, we’d also like to highlight that Marvel Studios has also spawned two new banners: Marvel Television and Animation, which are pretty self-descriptive. While every on-screen project now exists under the larger Studios umbrella, this means shows like X-Men ’97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man aren’t tied to the larger MCU plans, and thus aren’t connected to the wider ongoing Multiverse Saga unless revealed otherwise. The same goes for Sony-produced movies and series.
For more Marvel goodness, you’ll probably want to check out our guide to the MCU movies in chronological and release order as well as our ranked list. You can watch them all on Disney Plus. Looking for superheroes in the realm of video games? We highly recommend jumping into the best Marvel games of all time.
22. Secret Invasion
- Release date: June 21, 2023
- Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Kingsley Ben-Adir
There are some elements worth salvaging in the Samuel L. Jackson-led Marvel series (mostly some inspired performances), but Secret Invasion is by far the messiest project Marvel Studios has put out so far. The tone is inconsistent, the scripts run in circles for far too long and repeatedly, and you’d never guess it cost over $200 million to produce.
Some fans think this comic book event should’ve been turned into an Avengers movie. This could’ve fixed both its relevance issues and made use of the new Avengers who are sitting around doing nothing until Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars are ready to go. Personally, we would’ve settled for a solid spy thriller, but alas, it wasn't to be.
21. I Am Groot
- Release date: August 10, 2022
- Cast: Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Jeffrey Wright
Before fully departing for DC Studios to (try to) build up a new DCU, James Gunn put out a bunch of Guardians of the Galaxy stories. Of course, his trilogy capper was the main dish, but he also had time to make one excellent Christmas special and executive-produced a Groot-centric collection of shorts that no one asked for.
The entire 12-episode series (two seasons) doesn’t take longer than an hour to watch, so at worst it’s an uninspired little gift for the youngest Marvel fans, but you can tell Gunn wasn’t involved much with this one. Series creator and writer-director Kirsten Lepore tried hard to mine Baby Groot for more laughs and cutesy moments, but Gunn’s edge simply wasn’t there, and you’re better off putting on classic Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry shorts instead.
20. Iron Fist
- Release date: March 17, 2017
- Cast: Finn Jones, Jessica Henwick, Jessica Stroup
Iron Fist proves, if nothing else, that you can’t win ‘em all. Giving a Marvel character largely unknown to mainstream audiences his own TV show had potential, in that it could either draw on the wealth of source material, or reinvent him for modern times. Sadly, that potential was largely squandered.
The fight scenes are bad, there’s a baffling amount of time spent on protagonist Danny Rand’s determination to get back control of his multi-billion-dollar company, and it’s flat-out boring at times. Season 2 started to turn things around, but it was too late; there was no third season.
19. The Defenders
- Release date: August 18, 2017
- Cast: Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter
Who says superhero teams are only for the cinema? Netflix had Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Daredevil, and Iron Fist pop into one another’s shows in preparation for this, a series which – while very slow to get started – did give each hero a chance to shine. Yes, even Iron Fist.
There is some good chemistry, with Luke Cage and Iron Fist bouncing off one another particularly well, and the threat of The Hand (led by Sigourney Weaver’s Alexandra) is explored in more depth. It’s a shame this never went beyond one season, as we would’ve liked to see what the team did next.
18. Ms. Marvel
- Release date: June 8, 2022
- Cast: Iman Vellani, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher
As solid as the first two episodes are, Ms. Marvel was a forgettable first adventure for Iman Vellani’s extremely likable portrayal of Kamala Khan. In fact, almost the entire cast did a great job with what they were given, but poor, underdeveloped villains and conflicting objectives made this one easy to skip.
There’s a good coming-of-age show hidden underneath all the half-baked universe-building and MacGuffin-centric story beats, but it never had enough space to flourish and give the entire first season of Kamala’s show the flavor it needed. Here’s hoping both the character and the actress get another chance to shine before a Young Avengers project, since The Marvels didn’t give them the script they deserved either.
17. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
- Release date: March 19, 2021
- Cast: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell
There’s a lot to like about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. For starters, it nails the transition into Captain America and what it means for Sam Wilson as well as Bucky. Wyatt Russell’s John Walker is also a standout Phase 4 character that’s intriguing and fun to watch. And yet, the show missed the mark with the plot tying it all together and its underdeveloped sociopolitical commentary.
We rarely expect big IPs to handle these issues well, but The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was headed in the right direction initially, and even landed some strong hits with Isaiah Bradley, but everything about the Flag Smashers crumbled, and most of the third-act resolutions feel rushed. The pandemic-related rewrites and reshoots can be blamed for some of the problems, but don’t explain the deeper misfires.
16. Echo
- Release date: January 9, 2024
- Cast: Alaqua Vox, Chaske Spencer, Vincent D’Onofrio
Echo was reworked and cut down into something far lighter than what was originally planned with the character between Hawkeye and Daredevil: Born Again. Despite this, the show mostly survived those changes and delivered an interesting enough look at Maya Lopez, her powers, heritage, and her relationship with Wilson Fisk, who is now set to be the MCU’s street-level big bad.
We don’t think it’s a required watch before going into the Daredevil reboot/sequel show, but if you enjoyed the back-and-forth between Echo and the Kingpin in the remarkable Hawkeye series, these five episodes are a surprisingly character-driven break from the usual world-ending threats
15. What If...?
- Release date: August 11, 2021
- Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Samuel L. Jackson, Benedict Cumberbatch
What If...? is fine…. it’s just fine. But that’s not enough when you’re packing such a star-studded cast with tons of returning voices from all over the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We dig that it’s all building toward a grand finale with potentially great ideas, but too many of its episodes are just... not very interesting.
There’s definitely some value (maybe even more as the Multiverse Saga develops) in the first-ever animated production led by Marvel Studios, especially as a purely visual experiment, but the final result has been little more than a flashy time-killer. Let’s hope that season 3 (the final one) makes the entire ride worth casual viewers’ time.
14. Agent Carter
- Release date: January 6, 2015
- Cast: Hayley Atwell, James D’Arcy, Enver Gjokaj
Although she’d already appeared in the Captain America movies, a Peggy Carter series was a surprising gamble for Marvel to make. With no superpowers, and distanced from major characters and events by several decades, Agent Carter was necessarily a very grounded tale.
The end result was a series of spy adventures that was happy to throw in humor along with the drama, and did a great job of conjuring up a 1940s atmosphere. Hayley Atwell proved that she could carry Peggy Carter through a series of her own, but it only gathered enough of an audience to support two seasons.
13. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
- Release date: August 18, 2022
- Cast: Tatiana Maslany, Jameela Jamil, Mark Ruffalo
She-Hulk was a hard project to pull off, and for the most part, it worked. Putting dumb noise from toxic fans aside, it’s a reasonably efficient comedy series that understands the language and structure of traditional TV far better than the vast majority of Marvel Studios’ shows. It’s also far from an empty cameo festival, giving Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters plenty of both physical and emotional stuff to do.
The visual presentation – well-known problems inside the post-production pipeline aside – is also notable given the extended presence of computer-generated characters throughout the series. That season finale could’ve landed much better if it hadn’t used some eyebrow-raising shortcuts, but most of the fourth-wall-breaking moments rocked and gave the MCU a fun new twist.
12. The Punisher
- Release date: November 17, 2017
- Cast: Jon Bernthal, Amber Rose Revah, Ben Barnes
Imagine Jon Bernthal’s relief at being cast as Marvel’s most brutal, relentless anti-hero. Finally, mainstream audiences wouldn’t know him only as ‘that guy who was in The Walking Dead for a few seasons.’ Luckily for him, the series was pretty good, too.
Netflix’s Frank Castle isn’t quite the one from the comics, but his nuanced and action-packed story is much more successful than most of the movie adaptations. The moral swamp that most of his actions occupy is explored rather than celebrated, and Bernthal puts in an excellent performance. Hopefully, we haven’t seen the last of this dark, unforgiving vigilante.
11. Luke Cage
- Release date: September 30, 2016
- Cast: Mike Colter, Simone Missick, Theo Rossi
A bulletproof man that can punch really hard is an interesting concept, but one that needs a lot of work to stretch into varied, interesting storylines. It’s a challenge that the comics often met easily, and one that Netflix’s series batted aside as easily as Luke Cage tearing a door off its hinges.
It’s a show that constantly reminds us that people don’t need superpowers to be dangerous, and some people have life’s cards stacked against them more than others. What makes Colter’s superbly-played Cage truly heroic is his determination to improve things for others, not just for himself.
10. Jessica Jones
- Release date: November 20, 2015
- Cast: Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor, Eka Darville
The Netflix Marvel shows are all unflinchingly aimed at an adult audience, and nowhere is this clearer than with Jessica Jones. Not because of profanity or violence (although the show does not shy away from either), but because it leaps feet-first into some very dark material – and treats it with the care it deserves.
Jones is a superhero, but a reluctant one, wrestling with PTSD largely through the use of alcohol. This flavors everything she does, not least her interactions with David Tennant’s sinister Kilgrave in the first season. Definitely one of the most complex, thoughtful shows in the list.
9. WandaVision
- Release date: January 15, 2021
- Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn
With a show that takes so many artistic risks, it’s almost difficult to believe that it’s Marvel canon. WandaVision is furiously inventive and very difficult to forget. Olsen and Bettany both provide their best MCU performances to date exploring their characters in depth – something they weren’t able to do in the crowded Avengers installments – while the irrepressible Hahn ruthlessly steals every scene that she’s in.
The pacing of the early episodes was erratic and the final episode felt rushed and underwhelming – this show was far above the need to resolve the whole thing with just two witches throwing magic balls at each other – but by the time the credits roll for the final time, we’ve been taken on an undeniably fascinating journey with enormous implications for the future of the MCU.
8. Werewolf by Night
- Release date: October 7, 2022
- Cast: Gael García Bernal, Laura Donnelly, Harriet Sansom Harris
Marvel Studios has only produced two TV specials so far, but the results have been very positive, and we hope they look further into this format to celebrate lesser-known corners of the Marvel universe. Werewolf by Night did a great job of bringing viewers into Marvel’s darker and more ferocious side while toying with the look of classic horror movies.
Werewolf by Night also works wonderfully as the one-shot story it was meant to be. There’s a solid mystery at the center of it all alongside well-defined characters and more than enough thrills to keep things engaging before the big reveal and some fun payoffs. As far as super-powered directing debuts go, Michael Giacchino’s (yes, the famous composer) was quite memorable.
7. Moon Knight
- Release date: March 30, 2022
- Cast: Oscar Isaac, May Calamawy, Ethan Hawke
Oscar Isaac has repeatedly made it clear that he loved working on Moon Knight, which is surprising given his unenthusiastic attitude toward past franchise work, but it’s not hard to see something special in the 2022 series, which may or may not be getting a second season. It was a fun adventure with some horror elements that opened up many doors in the MCU while staying completely separate from the larger picture. Above all though, it had an intriguing and fun character (or should we say characters?) at the center of it all.
Some might say the season finale does veer into bombastic third-act territory, but given everything the show achieves beforehand in the dramatic and psychological arenas, we believe it comes across as well-earned. It’s also plain rad as flark, sorry not sorry.
6. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Release date: September 24, 2013
- Cast: Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton
This one has legions of incredibly enthusiastic fans, and it’s easy to see why. The writers really went for broke during its impressive seven-season run, including direct MCU references and even characters. That didn’t stop them bringing in both new characters, and existing ones not yet part of MCU canon. Ghost Rider, anyone?
Although the quality wobbled now and again, there was always something interesting coming around the corner, be that a big Marvel name or an ordinary person finding themselves in an extraordinary situation. And we were all happy to see Phil Coulson brought back from the dead, right?
5. Hawkeye
- Release date: November 24, 2021
- Cast: Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh
There’s no written rule that says a franchise can’t have more than one Christmas story, and Marvel Studios returned to the most cheerful time of the year with Clint Barton’s series, which also introduced Kate Bishop into the MCU to great effect.
Hawkeye nails solid character arcs and introductions, an entertaining but adequately sized plot, and the action-comedy bits that many tentpole movies dream of. The big arrival of that one character was only the cherry on top of the Christmas cake. You’d have to be a Grinch not to enjoy one of Marvel’s most sincere and heartwarming on-screen stories so far.
4. Agatha All Along
- Release date: September 18, 2024
- Cast: Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Aubrey Plaza
It wasn’t illogical to expect Agatha All Along to be a ‘too little too late’ kind of show after Marvel Studios recent stumbles, coming more than three years after the series it was meant to continue (WandaVision) and didn’t look great in the previews either. But, we were happy to be proven wrong about this one.
Series creator Jac Schaeffer repeated many of her magic tricks in the follow-up to the Scarlet Witch-centric series, but also had extra ones up her sleeve, ultimately cooking something that feels more restrained and personal than most MCU fare.
It’s also one of the few Marvel TV shows that feels more like a traditional series for cable instead of a long movie cut into pieces. We were thoroughly surprised and delighted by this one, especially by the smart use of a limited budget and Kathryn Hahn and Joe Locke’s leading performances.
3. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
- Release date: November 25, 2022
- Cast: Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff
Yup, the second Christmas-set Disney Plus project from Marvel Studios was another banger, and James Gunn made sure his take on holiday specials wasn’t empty. In fact, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special packs a couple of big developments that are quite important going into the third movie of our favorite band of space misfits.
More importantly, Gunn’s 42-minute special perfectly captures the Christmas spirit without forgetting about the dark humor and zany bits that made the Guardians so special. It was also a more relaxed “space” for the cast to explore who their characters are when they’re not saving the universe; a much-needed respite after losing one of their own.
2. Daredevil
- Release date: April 10, 2015
- Cast: Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll
Some of the comic storylines really give Daredevil a beating, and that’s certainly the approach Netflix took for their series. We’re not saying that giving Matt Murdock serious wounds to tend to was an excuse to have Charlie Cox regularly take his shirt off, but.. y’know.
Well written, with a range of great performances to support the script – not least D’Onofrio’s phenomenal turn as Wilson Fisk – Daredevil’s violence is a means, not an end. As good as the fight scenes are, the show’s quieter moments keep things running along smoothly thanks to strong characters. This is adult Marvel done right.
1. Loki
- Release date: June 9, 2021
- Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Pinballing between hero and villain seemingly at random, it was perhaps inevitable that the MCU version of the God of Mischief would end up with his own show. Disney+ gave this fan-favorite character space to grow into a more aware, more sharply defined version of himself.
With the help of Sophia Di Martino’s Sylvie, Loki comes to see his life in a new light. In amongst the journeys through time, space, and fan service, he’s forced to confront who he is and what he’s done, eventually ending up a better person for it. Well, that’s how it seems…
