10 Marvel Movies That Get Better With A Second Viewing

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of films that have only gotten better over time, even if they were well-received to begin with. Marvel’s movies are known for being tentpole blockbuster events, drawing fans to theaters in droves with the ever-continuous momentum of anticipation. That being said, revisiting some of the franchise’s earlier work can be an incredibly rewarding experience, with many entries in the franchise actually being better on a second viewing.

There are a few reasons why certain MCU movies gain a lot of their appeal on a rewatch. Admittedly, many Marvel films, particularly the team-up movies, suffer from the vast amount of moving parts associated with the plot, with an avalanche of new characters and returning cast members being tied together in a single narrative. The first viewing is sometimes hurt by the need to iron out the moving pieces of the story, making the second watch through smoother. Late-stage plot twists in the story can also recontextualize earlier scenes, making for a more gratifying experience with the knowledge of a first pass.

10 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

2017

The second installment of James Gunn’s beloved Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 delves further in to Peter Quill’s backstory, introducing Ego the Living Planet as the primary villain. Ego is one of the few Marvel villains who were improved from the comics, and beyond seeing Kurt Russel’s excellent performance one more time, a second viewing allows one to appreciate his vile schemes from the moment he appears. The cruel irony of the knowledge that Yondu was always Quill’s true father figure provides some heartbreaking context leading up to his sacrifice, as well.

9 Black Panther

2018

Sadly the only solo film the late Chadwick Boseman was able to lead as T’Challa, viewing Black Panther again with the in-universe and real-world enormity of his absence makes adds layers of emotion to the empowering story. It’s safe to say that Black Panther has been dramatically recontextualized since it’s release, creating almost an entirely new experience on a second viewing. Not only that, but going in with the knowledge that T’Chaka killed Killmonger’s father and the warlord’s true intentions makes Michael B. Jordan’s career-defining performance stand out even more as one of the MCU’s most poignant villains.

8 Captain America: The Winter Soldier

2014

One of the most fondly-remembered solo films in Marvel history, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a moody spy thriller unlike anything else Marvel’s catalog has produced before or since. However, the harsh reality of the film’s twisted narrative and political intrigue make it hard to grasp everything that’s happening on a first watch. A second viewing not only takes the pressure off of making sense of the complicated plots, but knowing just how far HYDRA’s infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. has spread from the beginning adds a delicious layer of subtext.

7 Captain America: Civil War

2016

Captain America: Civil War continued Steve Rogers’ saga through the ages with a spectacular crossover event that felt more like an Avengers installment. For how many characters this film features, it’s amazing how well it’s able to give each of them a chance to shine. Watching this entry in Captain America’s journey knowing the full extent of Baron Zemo’s plan and just how well it unfolded puts into context just how brilliantly the evil genius managed to get the Avengers to destroy themselves from the inside out, unearthing a new level of appreciation for the devious plot.

6 Spider-Man: Homecoming

2017

Often overshadowed by the other installments in Spider-Man’s solo MCU films, Spider-Man: Homecoming is an underrated street-level adventure that holds up to repeated viewings. The reveal of Adrian Toomes’ Vulture being Liz’s father is one of the most genuinely shocking twists in the entire MCU, cleverly marrying the relatable apprehension to making a good impression on a girlfriend’s dad with the anxiety and fear of facing a dangerous villain. Going in with the knowledge of this twist provides an endless supply of re-watch value on top of the film’s timeless charisma and excellent action sequences.

5 Avengers: Infinity War

2018

The movie event of the century, Avengers: Infinity War is the crowning achievement of a decade of careful planning and canon maintenance across over a dozen films. However, there’s no denying that many audiences likely missed out on an entry or two along the way, leading to some confusion as to where each of the MCU’s heroes were coming from when going into the film. Taking another look at Infinity War years later without the burden of figuring out where the characters were in the movie prior makes it far easier to enjoy as a climactic, daring superhero movie that stands the test of time.

4 Iron Man 3

2013

Tony Stark’s last solo film, Iron Man 3 saw the billionaire playboy superhero stripped of his armor and more vulnerable than ever before, dealing with the emotional fallout of the first Avengers movie while contending with a new villain. While the film’s strangely scaled-back tone somewhat divided audiences at the time of its release, hoping for a more bombastic finale to Iron Man’s story, rewatches are incredibly kind to Iron Man 3. Tony’s future love for his daughter puts his interactions with the young Harley Keener in a new light, and it’s a joy to watch Tony’s struggle knowing the twist behind The Mandarin and Adrian Killian as the true villain of the story.

3 Spider-Man: Far From Home

2019

Mysterio may be marvel’s most obvious twist villain ever, with anyone remotely familiar with the comics able to immediately sus him out as the true villain of the film within seconds of his first appearance. Still, that doesn’t mean that hindsight can’t add some enjoyment to giving Spider-Man: Far From Home another go, the film sprinkling a trail of easy-to-miss breadcrumbs alluding to the nature of Mysterio’s “powers” from the very beginning. Additionally, watching some of the jaw-dropping fight scenes with the so-called Elementals after knowing how they’ve been conjured adds a lot to appreciate.

2 Captain Marvel

2019

As far as origin stories go, Captain Marvel has a lot to set up, having to establish an intergalactic war while unraveling the secret behind Vers’ powers. Watching the film a second time makes it easier to digest the avalanche of information, already knowing the mystery behind Vers’ amnesia rather than being just as clueless as she is from the start. From knowing who Captain Marvel sees the Supreme Intelligence as to the reveal of the Kree Empire’s sadistic mission against the Skrulls, Captain Marvel has a lot of details that are hard to make sense of without a preliminary watch, making the film come into its own on repeated viewings.

1 Eternals

2021

Widely considered to be one of the weakest MCU movies, Eternals has been dismissed by many Marvel fans, but giving the movie a second chance improves it exponentially. Going through Eternals a second time allows for the dense narrative and nuanced relationships between each of the Eternals to unfold a little better, with easy-to-miss character moments that actually set up criticized plot points like Sprite’s “sudden” romantic interest in Ikaris, or why Kingo refuses to participate in the final battle. Even if Eternals is on the lower end of quality for the MCU, a rewatch improves it enough to be an entry worthy of the franchise’s name.

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