My Ranking of MCU Phase 4 Disney Plus Shows

Just like how the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are connected, the Disney+ shows add to that connection as well. Sure, there were other Marvel shows that were created before Disney+, but they were partnered with a third-party company and not really canon to the MCU (except for the Netflix shows now on Disney+). Each Marvel Disney+ show has been unique in storytelling and direction that it made me create a ritual where I wait for the episode of the show, watch it, and watch some Youtube videos after breaking down each episode and the show overall. In this post, I am going to share my review of all Disney+ shows that have been released in phase 4. Instead of each show getting my own rating, I am going to rank them. I have seen a few articles and Youtube channels doing their own rankings, and mine might be different or similar. Please don’t attack or judge me on how I rank the shows since it is based on my own opinion. I will also not be including any of special presentations since that is considered their own category, but I will be comparing the two presentations on my mini blogs story highlights.

7. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Starting at the bottom, we have Marvel’s first project that is a comedy. I already shared a short review in my mini-blogs story highlights on my Instagram, @pressure.shock. For those of you who don’t have Instagram, I will share a few of my thoughts here. As much as I enjoyed this show being lighthearted compared to the dark and somber tones previous MCU projects have touched upon, unfortunately this show was all over the place. Most of the episodes were filler, and they just kept dragging on until the finale. If I were to compare this show’s nine-episode format to Wandavision (also had nine episodes), I think Wandavision did a better job of executing it. That show kept audiences engaged throughout each episode in a unique way, and they were all interconnected. She-Hulk, however, did not with the episodes being so short, and not adding to the overall plot of the show. The only episodes that I enjoyed were Episodes 1-4, and 8-9. The fourth-wall break was my favorite element from the show, but despite the finale breaking the fourth wall in the most possible way, there were still a lot of holes left that will hopefully be answered IF a second season were to be green-lit (which is highly unlikely). Also, prior to the show premiere, a lot of people criticized the CGI mainly on Jen/She-Hulk during the trailer, but I am glad that got fixed and it didn’t look too bad. And for some reason, She-Hulk’s costume reminds me of a volleyball uniform.

6. Hawkeye

Hawkeye is one of the most underrated MCU heroes, but I am glad he got his own MCU project following Black Widow. However, this was more of a Kate Bishop story, and Clint Barton was her mentor figure. I also liked that it was centered around Christmastime because we rarely get to see superheroes celebrate Christmas (in both Marvel and DC). The reason why it stands at the bottom of the ranking is because the show had some moments that were forgettable, and it felt like a generic superhero story with nothing standing out that much. I also knew from the very first episode that Kate Bishop’s mother was going to be a villain based on the toxic parent traits she displayed. I also wished we learned more about Clint Barton Hawkeye like how he became the Ronin, and his origin story of his early days working for SHIELD. This is also the only MCU Disney Plus show that doesn’t have a post-credit scene, and I am not counting the musical number since that is Marvel’s way of saying “Merry Christmas” to the fans. I don’t think this show is getting a second season because it wrapped up the stories of both the main characters, but we can see them in future MCU projects. Also, it doesn’t match the hype of other shows like WandaVision, Loki, andThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

5. Ms. Marvel

Before this show premiered, a lot of people compared it to a cheesy Disney channel show due to the protagonist being a high school student that is a fangirl of Marvel superheroes (just like me!). The first few episodes reminded me of a mix between Peter Parker’s origin story of Spiderman and Pixar’s Turning Red. Halfway through the season, the show took an emotional turn as Kamala Khan figures out who she really is and where she came from through her family roots. The show does a great job of portraying Pakistani culture and history which I was not familiar with. It is also amazing that the actor who plays Ms. Marvel had no prior acting experience, but she did a phenomenal job portraying her. I am so glad we get to see more of Iman Vellani’s acting of Ms. Marvel in the upcoming movie, The Marvels. Overall, the show exceeded my expectations while introducing a new young superhero into the MCU.

4. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

This show had many elements that made it a great show. First, the chemistry between Sam aka the new Captain America and Bucky, the Winter Soldier was timeless. I loved how the bond got stronger throughout the episodes. Second, the villains were both charming and unforgettable. Zemo showed his coolness and intelligence while still keeping his villain persona, while John Walker had a powerful performance making audiences hate the character (NOT the actor himself, he did a great job bringing the character to life). Finally, I loved how the show reflected upon issues like racial injustice. I know for some critics it is too on-the-nose, but it shows how the MCU world is similar to our world, and how these superheroes react to these personal issues. I also commend the show for working around a deleted storyline involving a pandemic while still telling the main plot without cutting out any important parts.

3. Moon Knight

This was unlike any Marvel Disney Plus show I have ever seen. It had dark and gritty tones most of the time, but I really enjoyed it. What makes this show memorable is the ambiguity of it. There are times when the viewer thinks they know what is happening, but all of sudden they are shocked with the little twist added in. For example, in the first episode Steven Grant is surrounded by a bunch of people who are about to attack him, but he blacks out and in the next scene, everyone is on the ground dead. I loved how this show also sheds light on mental illnesses since the protagonist has dissociative identity disorder or DID. At the end of every episode, there is a statement offering resources through the National Alliance on Mental Illness or NAMI. I wished other Disney Plus shows did that since most of them were filled with characters going through trauma and grief in which many viewers could relate to. I really want to have a second season of this show because the ending of it was open-ended, so I really want to see what is in store for Moon Knight.

2. WandaVision

This was the first MCU Disney Plus show and the first MCU project not only in Phase 4, but the first since the COVID-19 pandemic caused Marvel Studios to not release anything in 2020. It did not disappoint at all, taking a risk through Wanda’s alternate reality powers warping life into different parodies of TV sitcoms throughout the decades. What I loved about this show is that it kept not only me, but audiences guessing what was going to happen in each episode, and boy were the theories wild! Since the world was still in a pandemic when the show came out, it was something to enjoy while chaos was happening. It made me want to have powers of my own to alter reality where there was no pandemic and 2020 was not a complete mess. No wonder that one line Vision says in Episode 8 (“What is grief, but not love persevering”) pulled at my heart strings a little. Also, Elizabeth Olsen’s acting was stunning portraying different decades of her character, showing a variety of emotions through Wanda, and becoming the Scarlet Witch. Before this show, I never had an interest in the actress, but after that I am TOTALLY OBSESSED with her! This is also the first MCU project to have multiple Emmy Award nominations, but to be honest I am a little mad that didn’t win any of them (well it did win a couple of creative Emmy awards but not the main ones). However, WandaVision paved the way for future MCU Disney Plus shows by going past its boundaries and captivating audiences in a journey spanning multiple episodes from dreading the wait-time for a new episode to release, to talking about it after through multiple social media channels. One more thing, the theme songs in this show SLAPPED all thanks to the same couple who wrote the songs for the Frozen franchise.

HONORABLE MENTION: What-If (Season 1)

It was difficult deciding on where to rank this show among others because it was the only animated series released in these last two years. Because more people need to appreciate animation, and it would be unfair if I ranked it top or bottom, I decided to give this show an honorable mention. The one thing that stands out for this show is the animation obviously. It is really beautiful, and unique considering this is the first animated show produced fully by Marvel studios. I really enjoyed seeing alternate versions of the MCU movies I am familiar with, and yes, all the episodes are connected to each other leading up to the final episode. I feel like the animators put a lot of time and effort into perfecting this show, as well as having some of the actors from the MCU come back and voice the characters (RIP Chadwick Boseman). I can’t wait to see the second season of this with more alternate realities since the possibilities are endless showing the viewers both surprising and dark and depressing realities. This show also opens the door to future MCU animated shows like the upcoming spinoff, Marvel Zombies.

1. Loki (Season 1)

After seeing the first Avengers movie in theaters, I was interested in learning more about the antagonist, Loki. I wanted Marvel to make a solo movie for one of the most iconic villains just like how Disney has been making has been making live-action films of some their classic villains like Maleficent and Cruella DeVil. Luckily, there is this series based on the 2012 version of Loki that got away from with the tesseract (due to a botched plan with Tony Stark and Ant-man during Avengers Endgame). I love how this series continues to flesh out the lovable antihero as we learn why a Loki variant ends up being their mischievous self. It also teaches us about self-love through the connection between Loki and his female variant, Sylvie. The setting and cinematography were breathtaking as this show introduces us to a different part of the Marvel universe. This show also blew my mind especially in the last episode where they introduced the next big bad villain of the next saga through the variant of Jonathan Major’s character. It ended on a major cliffhanger that changes not only the show itself but the rest of the Marvel universe. I am glad this show is getting a second season because we need to see more of the multiverse madness that was already seen in other MCU projects such as Spider-man No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. I also want to see more of Tom Hiddleston’s phenomenal acting as well as the chemistry between Loki and Mobius. Speaking of Loki and Mobius, for some reason, the scene where they share a hug reminded me of the song from Wicked, “For Good,” which features Elphaba and Glinda’s final moments together, reflecting on how their friendship has changed over the years. This is the same for Loki and Mobius who both brought out the good and bad in each other.

That is my ranking of all current Marvel Disney Plus shows. The only other show that I did not include in this ranking was I Am Groot. It wasn’t really a series but a bunch of shorts that show the shenanigans of Baby Groot during the Guardians of the Galaxy films. (Maybe when there is more MCU animated shows coming out, I will do a separate ranking of those shows). I can’t wait to see what the next slate of shows brings to the overall MCU, and there are some pretty exciting ones. Let me know how you would rank each Marvel Disney Plus show either by DM on my Instagram @pressure.shock or contact me here.