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The Movies That Got Me Into the MCU (And the Ones That Made Me Regret Marvel)
- Sakshi D
- Sep 29
- 4 min read
I’d been a Marvel junkie since the early Spider-Man movies, but I was always told “these are for boys”, because apparently having feelings about web-slinging required a Y chromosome.
So no, I’m not going to pretend I was there from day one. I didn’t camp out for Iron Man in 2008, and I definitely wasn’t theorizing about infinity stones back when the MCU was just a twinkle in Kevin Feige’s eye.
Admittedly, my MCU journey started later, messier, and with way more mixed feelings than I’d care to admit.
But the Marvel Cinematic Universe is like that friend who introduces you to the best pizza place in town, then immediately takes you to three terrible ones right after. One minute you’re thinking “this is it, this is my new obsession,” and the next you’re wondering if you’ve made a terrible mistake.
So let me break it down for you: the MCU movies that made me fall in love with Marvel, and the ones that made me question every life choice that led me to a theater seat.
The MCU Movies That Made Me Believe in Magic Again
This was my gateway drug, and what a beautiful entry point it was. It was the first Marvel movie I caught in theaters after moving to India, and honestly, it couldn’t have been a better introduction.
Sitting there with my best friend, watching Chris Hemsworth lean into comedy like he was born for it…
This superhero movie knew how to have fun with itself. Taika Waititi took everything stuffy about Thor and threw it out the window, giving us immigrant song montages and Jeff Goldblum being peak Jeff Goldblum. The humor landed, the action was gorgeous, and suddenly I understood why people lined up for these things.
This one hit different, and I still can’t fully explain why. The first two movies? Couldn’t get through them. Something about the pacing and tone just didn’t click. But Volume 3? That movie grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go. Maybe it was the finality of it all, or maybe James Gunn finally found the perfect balance between humor and heart.
Watching Rocket’s backstory unfold was genuinely devastating, and the fact that a movie about a talking raccoon could make me ugly cry in a theater says everything about what Marvel can do when it’s firing on all cylinders.
Eternals
Yes, I’m prepared for the hate mail. While everyone else was tearing this movie apart, I was sitting there thinking, “Finally, something different.”
The casting was phenomenal, with Gemma Chan, Angelina Jolie, and Brian Cox bringing that gravitas. Plus, the scope felt epic. Sure, it was dense and maybe tried to do too much, but at least it was trying to do something new instead of serving up the same formula with different costumes.
Black Panther
You don’t need me to explain why it’s incredible. Chadwick Boseman’s performance, the production design, the cultural significance—it’s all been said before and better than I could say it.
But what struck me most was how effortlessly it balanced being a Marvel movie with being something much more important. It proved the MCU could handle weight, could tackle real themes without losing what made it entertaining.
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Spider-Man: Homecoming
The beginning of it all for me, really. Tom Holland brought this perfect mix of awkward teenager and heroism that felt fresh.
The movie understood that sometimes the best superhero stories are the small ones, the ones about learning to be better rather than saving the universe.
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The Movies That Made Me Question My Life Choices
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
This was like watching someone explain a fever dream. What was happening? Why was it happening? Who thought MODOK needed to look like that?
Paul Rudd’s natural charm was the only thing keeping this trainwreck from completely derailing, but even he couldn’t save whatever quantum nonsense the writers thought passed for a plot.
Had all the ingredients for something great—decent acting, a solid premise—but felt like it was made by committee.
Every creative decision seemed designed to offend absolutely no one, which somehow made it offensive to everyone who wanted to see an actual story.
The dictionary definition of generic.
Three talented actresses, a universe of possibilities, and somehow they made the most forgettable movie imaginable. It’s the kind of film that makes you understand why people say superhero fatigue is real.
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
This broke my heart, and not in the way it was supposed to. The potential was right there—honoring Chadwick Boseman’s legacy, exploring grief, advancing the world-building—but instead I spent two and a half hours thinking “what’s happening?”
The movie felt like it was fighting itself at every turn, unsure of what story it wanted to tell.
Spider-Man: No Way Home + Far From Home
I know I’m in the minority here, but these movies felt like expensive fan service masquerading as storytelling.
All the multiverse gimmicks in the world can’t replace my love for this character, and watching him be forgotten like that? These just didn’t work for me at all.
A Verdict (Sort Of)
The MCU is like that inconsistent restaurant you keep going back to because when they get it right, they really get it right. But when they miss, they miss hard, and you’re left wondering why you didn’t just stay home and watch something else.
The truth is, Marvel at its best understands that audiences are smart, that we want character development with our CGI spectacle, that humor works best when it comes from character rather than quips. But Marvel at its worst treats us like we’ll clap for anything with a cape.
I’m still here, still buying tickets, still hoping the next one will be more Ragnarok than Quantumania.
