To ninety-five years after publication and beyond

LIGHTYEAR

2022

Directed by Angus MacLane

Written by Jason Headley, Matthew Aldrich, and Angus MacLane

Spoilers: moderate

Avengers forever

AVENGERS: ENDGAME

The best of the MCU's crossovers without even thinking about it too hard, Avengers: Endgame is even better than that fairly-faint praise implies, and it earns its place in cinema history (and our hearts) for at last giving some its various childlike empresses their names, and bringing some of their neverending stories to a highly satisfying close.

2019

Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo

Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

Spoiler alert: severe

The Continuing Adventures of Shield Man, Bird Dude, and That Guy With the Robot Arm

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Hey, not only did they make an unambiguously good Captain America movie for once, they made the best Avengers ensemble film so far, too—and even the fact that both of these things don't seem like they should go together all that well can't stop it.

2016

Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (based on the comic by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven)

With Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson), Sebastian Stan (James "Bucky" Barnes), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton), Paul Rudd (Scott Lang), Elizabeth Olson (Wanda Maximoff), Scarlett Johannson (Natasha Romanoff), Paul Bettany (The Vision), Tom Holland (Peter Parker), Chadwick Boseman (T'Challa), Don Cheadle (James "Rhodey" Rhodes), Robert Downey, Jr. (Tony Stark), William Hurt (Thaddeus Ross), and Daniel Bruhl (Zemo)

Spoiler alert: mild

Ultron: The Stark Project

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

The summers of the 21st century have taught me one thing above all: America loves nothing more—absolutely nothing more—than watching colorful superhumans churn through armies of gray, faceless enemies.  And that's basically fine, I guess, although the churning here could stand to be more visually interesting and narratively coherent, or—if that's simply impossible—how about shorter?  I think we could all live with "shorter."  Am I the crazy one?

Written and directed by Joss Whedon (based on the comic books by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
With Robert Downey, Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Mark Ruffalo (Dr. Bruce Banner/the Hulk), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver), Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch), and James Spader (Ultron)

Spoiler alert: moderate

So when the hell do we get to see Santa Claus?

SNOWPIERCER

Offering lovely production design, frankly only adequate action, and radical, vague ideology, I suppose Snowpiercer is worth your time, but maybe not your hard-earned protein bars.

2014
Directed by Bong Joon-ho
Written by Kelly Masterson and Joon-ho Bong (based on the comic by Jaques Lob, Benjamin LeGrand, and Jean-Marc Rochette)
With Chris Evans (Curtis), John Hurt (Gilliam), Song Kang-ho (Namgoong Minoo), Ko Ah-Sung (Yona), Tilda Swinton (Mason), Jamie Bell (Edgar), and a secret super-actor cameo (unfortunately, not Tom Hanks, but we can't have everything)

Spoiler alert: moderate

William Sadler is Number One

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

Enviable talent combines to bring a powerful beginning, middle, and end to a classic superheroic tale.  Then they combine again to make another hour or so of movie.

2011
Directed by Joe Johnston
Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
With Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Hugo Weaving (The Red Skull), Haley Atwell (Peggy Carter), Tommy Lee Jones (Col. Chester Phillips), Toby Jones (Arnim Zola), and Samuel Jackson (Nick Fury)

Spoiler alert: severe

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

If Captain America: The First Avenger gave us half of one of the best superhero films ever made and half of one of the dullest, Captain America: The Winter Soldier can certainly claim to be more even.

2014
Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (based hardly at all on the comic by Ed Brubaker)
With the above, as appropriate, as well as Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson), and Robert Redford (Alexander Pierce)

Spoiler alert: severe, but basically nonexistent if you've read any Captain America comics, or possibly if you've previously been exposed to any form of fictional narrative whatsoever