Summary

The highest - rated television shows of theMarvel Cinematic Universeand beyond each offer an engaging glimpse into the laughable macrocosm one episode at a time , but are not without their limitations . Ever since the dismission ofWandaVision , the MCU has been working firmly to assure that their presence on the little screen can keep up with their omnipresence in theaters . Whilesome MCU serial are more re - watchable than others , each of the top ten most extremely - rated show take over the Marvel banner are worth re - impose in their own right .

harmonize toRottentomatoes.com , the ten highest - rated Marvel prove areX - Men ' 97 , Ms. Marvel , Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , WandaVision , Daredevil , Hawkeye , Legion , What If … ? , Loki , andLuke Cage . While this diverse roster of series each has their own persuasiveness and weaknesses , going back to them today can reveal many problem staunch from Marvel ’s need to maintain a cohesive narrative . There ’s no denying that a 2d - watch through of any highly - rated Marvel show comes with its own issues .

The Deadpool & Wolverine soundtrack is built-in to the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie , helping form its story and add impact to its biggest scenes .

Custom image of Deadpool with his hands on his face on a background of musical notes and a foreground of fire

10Marvel Studios Has Waited Too Long To Get Into Animation

The success of X-Men ‘97 proved as much

Long before they were ever know for their crossover movies , Marvel was in the business of animation . The creation of animatedshows sharing continuity withX - Men : The Animated Seriescreated a sort of proto - MCU . stark with crossover upshot and mention tying everything together . For a long prison term , these shows were the foundation of many passing viewer ' family relationship with Marvel , with even the first Sam RaimiSpider - Manfilm yet to off theaters .

This progress to it all the more enigmatical why Marvel waited so long to revisit these attribute , with the unprecedented succeeder ofX - man ' 97standing at the top of the heap when it add up to ranking Marvel ’s modern show . Even without bring back the 90s animated continuity , the MCU waited far too long to get into traditional animation . The cell - shaded 3 - five hundred artstyle ofWhat If … ?was a modest start , but could n’t concur a candle to the serialize supremacy ofX - Men ' 97 ’s daring sequence .

9Marvel’s Netflix Shows Should Have Been Made Canon Way Sooner

The MCU sat on these properties for no clear reason

One of the prominent achiever of any Marvel TV show is Charlie Cox ’s portrayal of Daredevil in the eponymous Netflix serial , presenting a darker , grittier take on the MCU . While the show made occasional passing reference to MCU events like the encroachment of New York , the Marvel banner under Disney ’s employ make far too farseeing to respond in form . It was only in 2021’sHawkeyethat the critically - acclaim Netflix designate first got recognition , withthe return of Vincent D’Onofrio ’s Kingpin a full six old age after the debut ofDaredevil .

Even after re - using the same performances , the MCU get far too long to hard - confirm the canyon status of the Netflix Defenders , only doing so as lately as 2024’sEcho . When face back through Marvel ’s TV catalog , one ca n’t assist but feel like this was a missed opportunity . After all , bothDaredevilandLuke Cageare counted among two of the ten advantageously - received Marvel TV prove ever onRottentomatoes.com .

8The MCU’s New Release Plan May Mean Fewer Sleeper Hits

Marvel might not be taking chances on lesser-known properties

compare to the gamble of giving - budget superhero pic , television set represents a place where Marvel comic adaptations are given more room to experiment with more unsung premises and characters . unluckily , it seems this may be an era that is shortly come to pass withMarvel ’s raw streaming plan , focusing mostly on more democratic or well - roll in the hay hero sandwich instead . Looking back through the list of Marvel ’s biggest critical success , this may be an ominous sign .

Characters like Ms. Marvel probably would n’t have been considered under this newfangled strategy , and concepts likeWandaVisionwill likely be deemed too strange to apologise . Yet without Marvel taking a chance on these more out - there idea for shows , two of its best - performing serial publication would never have gotten off the ground . The MCU demand to becareful with limiting its television offeringsto only character audience are already familiar with , lest they omit out on some great opportunity .

7Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Remains An Alternate Reality

The ABC series was sadly never given the Netflix treatment

After the Netflix Defenders were formally adopt into the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon , fans of the foresightful - runningAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.series were promising that the original MCU twist - off show would get the same treatment . Sadly , the bookMarvel Studios The Marvel Cinematic Universe : An prescribed Timelinehas since confirmedAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.as being technically canon in the MCU , but only in the sense that it exists in a parallel timeline . This means that Agent Coulson ’s revitalization never pass off in the Sacred Timeline most Marvel projects take position in .

It ’s sad enough that this decision lock out the excellent cast ofAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.from appearing in a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie any sentence soon . But in relegating the entire series to an elseworlds substitute existence , the MCU also loses out on the introduction of lover favorite Marvel Comics characterslike Ghost Rider . It ’s concentrated to re - watchAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.knowing that the events therein finally do n’t matter to the " real " narrative of the MCU .

6Many MCU Shows Are A Product Of Their Time

Remembering what’s happening at the start of any series is an increasingly difficult task

It ’s no mystery that the Marvel Cinematic Universe thrives on continuity , with each moving picture playing off the next in an intricate World Wide Web of interconnectivity . Of naturally , the TV shows are often hold up to the same standard , which works well at the present moment they ’re relinquish . However , upon a re - watch , it can be difficult to remember just when and where in the MCU a given serial publication takes place in .

The addition of Disney+ shows exponentially increase the full routine of MCU projects , create what some rooter started tiredly regarding as " homework " in parliamentary law to stay up - to - date with what was going on . Even amongthe MCU ’s greatest series , there ’s a point of whiplash present on a re - watch stanch from the need to cursorily remember what had and had n’t yet happen by the first episode . In this way , the streaming series have actually been more special by the movie than the other path around .

5Legion Is Tragically Absent From Most Fans’ Radar

An oft-forgotten X-Men series deserves more recognition

Among the list of Marvel ’s ten most critically favored television set show , one serial publication stands out by being far less recognizable . First liberate in 2017,Legionwas a serial publication localise in an alternating version ofthe FoxX - Mentimeline . The series follows David Haller , a new nipper haunted by visual sense that goes on to memorize his circumstance is n’t something to be venerate or manage , but a potent gift shared by others . David engage the help of a group of medical specialist with similar power to help him unravel the mysteries of his life .

Legionwas remarkable for being a grand obtuse - burn enigma show that outgrew its mirthful account book roots . outrank as the 7th - skilful Marvel idiot box series ever by its accumulative mark onRotten Tomatoes , it ’s a shame thatLegionwas never able-bodied to tackle the same popularity as the MCU show , the Netflix Defenders , or even ABC’sAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.It ’s heartbreaking to re - visit the series know that the mutant dangerous undertaking of David and company would go on to fade in obscurity .

4Marvel’s Best TV Shows Represent A Huge Time Commitment

The comic series can’t seem to stay away from lengthy episodes

For all the intensity level the Marvel Cinematic Universe has , brevity has never been one of their specialties . Each episode of most MCU serial could almost be considered a feature motion picture in its own right , and the runtimes of display like Netflix’sDaredevilorLegionaren’t far behind . This exhibit a massive meter commitment up front to anyone who dares to undertake the Herculian task of re - watching all ten of Marvel ’s top - ranked TV show .

Granted , most of Marvel ’s highest - rat serial cap off at a pocket-size time of year or two , with less than ten episode apiece . agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.remains an alarming outlier in this respect , sweep 7 season over as many years of production . In any display case , the unmixed time prerequisite necessary to revel any Marvel seriesmore than once makes doing so a rare luxury .

3Marvel Needed Showrunners From The Beginning

Some of Marvel’s best shows still lack a creative cohesive vision

betimes on the Marvel Cinematic Universe ’s first brushes with serialized television set shows , the franchise was insistent on not postulate showrunners for its projects . Titles likeWandaVisionandThe Falcon and the Winter Soldiercontroversially launched without the comportment of an overarching showrunner , received practice in most TV serial . Essentially the equivalent of a film ’s music director for a goggle box series , a showrunner is in charge of maintaining a cohesive creative vision for a given show across its entire ravel .

Many of the good TV series in under Marvel ’s name did have showrunners , proving the grandness of the role to MCU leadership . Even the few serial that do n’t have showrunners that are otherwise well - received , likeWandaVision , clearly endure for it , full of weave plot togs that look and disappear at a moment ’s notification . Luckily , theMCU ’s unexampled TV strategyincludes the use of showrunners , rather than relying on studio - mandated decisiveness that wax and ebbing .

2Too Many Marvel Shows Are Limited Series

It’s hard not to wonder if many Marvel series couldn’t have just been movies

On the other hand , many of Marvel ’s serial are actually finally pain by their special runs . Hawkeye , Ms. Marvel , andWandaVisionhave all capped off after a single time of year , with no plans for a postdate - up serial in sight . This puts some of Marvel ’s most interesting tale in an awkward plaza as a piece of media , too foresightful to be a movie but never feeling like a favorite telly show that had a decided run .

In many caseful , Marvel ’s TV shows could ’ve easily been edited down into feature films . Throughout some of Marvel ’s best cyclosis oblation , there are plenty of elements of filler that ostensibly exist only to pad out the time of year , let it to reach the stretch goal of as little as five episodes , as is the case withLoki . It ’s hard to get excited about re - visiting any Marvel TV show season withthe knowledge that the serial wo n’t be construct upon any prison term before long .

1Marvel’s Best Shows Have Nothing To Do With Star Power

Movie success and TV success have very different parameters

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a captivating kinship with star power . Many clock time , the films are n’t contented to swear on well - known actors to carry them , withMarvel take big risks ahead of time onin roll comparative unknown region like Chris Hemsworth or Tom Holland for their heavy function . That being tell , in more late geezerhood , the MCU has become warm of a safer plan of attack , comfortably cast high - visibility star for their previous tentpole movies .

As far as television goes , it ’s important to note that whether or not a well - known actor is the center of a given serial is no indicant of its timbre . While name like Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner convey some weightiness , it ’s more common for the show to get up the status of its lead rather than the other means around , as was the showcase for Charlie Cox and Iman Vellani . It ’s a hard reality to face up that the mien of theMCU ’s most dear faces at long last has no heraldic bearing on the serial publication ' television success .

Iron Man looking inside Sokovia in Avengers Age of Ultron

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man upset and determined in No Way Home

Wanda classic costume and Luke Cage with bullethole hoodie custom image

Custom Image by Alex Valentino

Marvel Cinematic Universe