The core of the Marvel Cinematic Universe story takes place on the large display screen. The interconnected movie collection that began with 2008\u2019s Iron Man<\/em> has made greater than $20 billion internationally, luring in trustworthy audiences by providing them memorable characters and a single massive, grand drama operating over the course of greater than a decade. MCU motion pictures function on a reasonably predictable template at this level \u2014 there\u2019s room for variation, however the choices of every installment are nonetheless a reasonably identified amount for followers. <\/p>\n The MCU TV collection are not any such factor. Made for a wide range of networks with various budgets, overlaying a wide range of tones, and infrequently having iffy connections to the large MCU overplot at finest, they\u2019re an unpredictable seize bag. They run the gamut from single-season miniseries occasion to community mainstays. They usually have a tendency to inform lumpier, much less streamlined tales \u2014 or at the very least, they did till 2021, when Disney Plus began turning round its personal miniseries-length exhibits, which really feel extra like hyper-extended MCU motion pictures than earlier MCU TV ever did. The brand new crop of exhibits is extra built-in into the MCU than ever, however are they really higher? We sat down with each MCU-integrated TV collection so far, to rank them and discover out.<\/p>\n [Ed. note:<\/strong> Not included on this list are pre-MCU Marvel shows like Blade<\/em>, or non-MCU-canon Marvel shows like the excellent mindgame Legion<\/em> or the X-Men spinoff The Gifted<\/em>. We\u2019ll add Loki<\/em> <\/em>to the list once that series wraps up and we can better judge what it\u2019s out to do, and how well it does it. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo: Katie Yu\/Hulu<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n 2020\u2019s Helstrom<\/em> <\/em>was the last of the live-action MCU shows released on Hulu before the launch of Disney Plus, and it was canceled after one nearly universally panned season. The show is borderline unwatchable, a dour procession of exorcist and paranormal tropes with only the loosest connection to the comic book characters it\u2019s based on. Following a pair of siblings with demonic blood that gives them superpowers, it lacks likable characters, meaningful stakes, nuanced performances, or even impressive special effects. If you\u2019re looking for a spooky supernatural story about fighting demons, check out Evil <\/em>on Paramount Plus. If you want superheroics, you\u2019re better off watching anything else on this list.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo: ABC<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Originally planned as an MCU movie and its own MCU sub-franchise, Inhumans<\/em> suffered in part from the same thing that gave it so much potential: It\u2019s built around an entire society hidden from the rest of the world, where separatist superpowered folk live according to their own laws. Problem is, a series about literal inhumans that aren\u2019t attached to human society has virtually none of the relatable aspects that make MCU characters interesting. And the story, about a coup in that secret society, has no stakes for the average person. (It seems like a pretty awful, oppressive oligarchy to begin with.) ABC\u2019s series wound up feeling more like the the SyFy Superman spinoff Krypton<\/em> than an MCU story: It\u2019s technically within the continuity longtime MCU fans care about, but it feels completely removed everything that happens in the MCU. To top it off, the acting is stiff, the writing is clunky, bad guy Maximus (Iwan Rheon, Game of Thrones <\/em>sadist Ramsay Bolton) is ridiculously obvious in his clumsy evil, and even once the action moves from the Moon to Earth, the story never feels like it\u2019s about actual people. Technically, it\u2019s all there in the series title, so we can\u2019t say we weren\u2019t warned. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo: Michael Desmond\/Hulu<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Frankly, Runaways<\/em> would probably be several notches higher on this list if the titular runaways had run away earlier. Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona\u2019s original comics series, which launched in 2003, let the young protagonists find out early that their parents were powerful supervillains, and run off together out of fear and frustration, leading to plenty of plots about the difficulties facing homeless kids coming to terms with their powers and fighting villains without adult assistance. But the 2017 TV adaptation spends its entire first season with the kids wheel-spinning about what to do after they see evidence their parents are murderers. As they dither in uninteresting ways, the series dilutes the focus on their characters further by giving equal screen time to their parents\u2019 soap-operatic power struggles and relationship dramas. Subsequent seasons finally put a little more focus on the young heroes, but the show really never overcomes the problem of its overcrowded cast, or its baffling attempt to make the parents personable and sympathetic, even as they\u2019re systematically exploiting and murdering young people. And its focus on short-term, quickly resolved subplots, like a trying-to-be-current plot about mind control spread through cell phones, prevented the show from building up series stakes or meaningful energy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Image: Freeform<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n The Freeform show Cloak & Dagger <\/em>started off strong, driven by the powerful chemistry between Tandy Bowen, aka Dagger (Olivia Holt) and Tyrone Johnson, aka Cloak (Aubrey Joseph), teenagers trying to understand their new powers and the nature of the accident that sparked them. Because the writers were focusing on extremely minor Marvel characters, they didn\u2019t need to adhere to comics canon, and instead were free to deliver a mix of heady wonder and romance, combined with sharp examinations of police brutality, addiction, and corporate malfeasance. Yet that early charm wore away as the show\u2019s stakes increased and the comic book tropes piled up. A twist on fridging meant to be edgy still came off as unnecessarily brutal, the writers tried to make the show\u2019s least interesting character work by giving her an evil personality, and both seasons ended in near-apocalyptic conflicts. It isn\u2019t a terrible YA adventure, but it\u2019s a textbook case of diminishing returns.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Linda Kallerus\/Netflix<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n The first season of Iron Fist <\/em>was rightly maligned for its rich, white manchild hero Danny Rand (Finn Jones) using his Chosen One powers to show up the people of color who are meant to be his loyal friends. But when Raven Metzner took over as showrunner for season 2, he oversaw a remarkable course-correction by shifting the focus away from Danny and building up the supporting cast. Sacha Dhawan does a remarkable job as Danny\u2019s brother-in-arm turned bitter rival Davos, and Luke Cage<\/em> cop Misty Knight (Simone Missick) is just as dismissive of Danny\u2019s abilities as a vigilante as she works to come up with better solutions to Chinatown\u2019s problems. The writers still didn\u2019t seem to know what to do with some of the supporting cast, and the show continued to suffer from having too many subplots and villains, but it ended in a strange and surprising place, compared to where it began. It\u2019s almost sad that there wasn\u2019t a third season or spinoff that could have really embraced the potential to explore the MCU\u2019s deep well of mystic kung-fu weirdness.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo: Mitch Haaseth\/ABC<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n ABC\u2019s Agents of SHIELD <\/em>was the show most closely tied to the MCU before Disney Plus came along. It stars recurring MCU film character Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), who is mysteriously resurrected after being killed by Loki in The Avengers<\/em>, then tasked with leading a group of agents investigating everything from rogue Asgardians to cyborgs. The show\u2019s first season was written to compliment the Captain America: The Winter Soldier <\/em>revelation that SHIELD had been infiltrated by Hydra, which gives the story an excellent twist, as several main characters show their true loyalties. But that connective tissue wore thin over time, and later seasons saw the characters sent to space or entirely different timelines so they could avoid intersecting with the MCU films. When the show is firing on all cylinders, Agents of SHIELD <\/em>is among the top Marvel series, embracing the genre-bending sensibilities of comic book stories and a heavy dose of meta humor. Unfortunately, it spend a lot of time foundering, taking several seasons to become a true ensemble show, and even then, struggling with separated characters and a rotating cast of varying quality.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo: Cara Howe\/Netflix<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Jon Bernthal\u2019s gruff, fierce portrayal of Marine-turned-vigilante Frank Castle is the true highlight of Daredevil <\/em>season 2, and the first season of The Punisher <\/em>is among the best stories in the Netflix MCU. While the character\u2019s legacy is highly problematic, showrunner Steve Lightfoot manages to keep the show from being just a brutal revenge fantasy by delivering plots that examine PTSD, the military-industrial complex, and ethical hacking. The show is also buoyed by a fantastic supporting cast, with Ben Barnes playing an all-too-charming villain, and Castle\u2019s sidekick Micro (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) giving the series some desperately needed levity. The second season fails to recapture that magic, though, with Micro\u2019s absence keenly felt, and DHS agent Dinah Madani (Amber Rose Revah) going from fierce foil to victim. That season\u2019s plot also feels like a retread of the same conflicts presented in season 1, with little new to say. Most of the Netflix MCU shows experienced a quality dip after their first season, but The Punisher<\/em>\u2019s second and final outing was the worst offender.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo: Sarah Shatz\/Netflix<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Netflix\u2019s single-season crossover series attempted to be a kind of miniature TV version of The Avengers<\/em>, one-upping Daredevil<\/em>, Jessica Jones<\/em>, Luke Cage<\/em>, and Iron Fist<\/em> by bringing all the heroes together in one big plotline. It lacks Avengers<\/em>\u2019 impact or scope, but it does share some of its strengths: Bringing these four heroes together in different combinations lets the writers explore their personalities and abilities in new contexts. As they banter and snark at each other, they highlight some of the individual faults that bugged fans of their solo shows. And as they learn to work together, the ways their abilities and personalities synergize injects some fresh energy into their individual stories. The overplot here is disappointing, but the characters themselves are generally both funnier and more thrilling than they were on their own.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo: Myles Aronowitz\/Netflix<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n The first half of the first season of Luke Cage<\/em> is nearly perfect, with Mike Colter\u2019s titular hero with unbreakable skin still struggling to make a real difference when fighting against the formidable mix of criminal and political power wielded by Mahershala Ali\u2019s Cornell \u201cCottonmouth\u201d Stokes. Yet the series takes a hard turn when Stokes is replaced by the generic psychopath Diamondback (Erik LaRay Harvey), and it becomes borderline unwatchable. Season 2 is more consistent, though it never really reaches the highs of season 1.<\/p>\n It\u2019s too bad that the Netflix MCU ended before showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker could really develop the examination of moral compromises he was clearly setting up with Luke walking dangerously close to Stokes\u2019 path by the end of season 2. But in spite of those flaws, Luke Cage <\/em>is a vibrant portrait of Harlem, with an impeccable soundtrack and fantastic performances that call on the significant charisma of Colter, Ali, and Theo Rossi, who plays Stokes\u2019 opportunistic underling Shades. While the other Netflix MCU shows largely focus on withdrawn, brooding heroes, Luke Cage revels in his powers and fame, which gives the show a uniquely bombastic quality.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo: David Giesbrecht\/Netflix<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Jessica Jones<\/em> had the mixed blessing of a stellar first season, with a near-unbeatable villain in Kilgrave (former Doctor Who<\/em> star David Tennant), whose voice is inescapably mesmeric, to the point where people would kill each other or themselves at his casual verbal command. Krysten Ritter gives a consistently layered performance as the superhumanly powerful title character, a detective trying to ignore the deep traumas Kilgrave inflicted on her in the past, while dealing with his return. If the subsequent two seasons had been as targeted and intense as the first one, this series would probably top this list. Instead, Jessica Jones <\/em>suffers a bit from the way its second and third seasons lose focus, tension, and personal stakes by comparison. Still, it\u2019s well worth sitting down to that first season, a street-level superhero series, crime procedural, and personal story about abuse and recovery, all rolled into one.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo: Chuck Zlotnick \/ Marvel Studios<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n As a story about how former Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes deals with his many MCU traumas and how Sam Wilson decides to take up the Captain America mantle, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier<\/em> is pretty rushed, and in the end, clumsy. As a story about a network of secret super-soldiers who could be labeled terrorists or freedom fighters, depending on your perspective, it\u2019s well-meaning, but often just clumsy. But as a story about two men trying to separately deal with losing their mentor and inspiration, each resenting the other for doing it wrong, until they finally bond over what they learned from him, it\u2019s resonant and thoughtful in a way MCU stories rarely can be. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, as the titular main characters, bring a vital combination of warmth and prickliness to their roles, which helps make their sometimes broadly drawn characters feel vulnerable, human, and engaging. At its absolute best, this action bromance is so good that it\u2019s actively frustrating when it blows some of its narrative potential by zipping past important plot points with a hand-wave or a stuffy speech. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Image: Marvel Studios<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Disney Plus\u2019 MCU shows have all been dealing with the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame<\/em>, and to some degree with how grief, loss, and self-reflection affect the characters who lost or gained the most. WandaVision<\/em> takes quite a while to reveal that agenda, though \u2014 it starts with its central character, Wanda Maximoff, in complete denial, having created her own cheery sitcom reality with a re-creation of her dead love Vision. The series creators play around with that faux-reality, jumping through decades of sitcom styles and generally having more fun with design, direction, and overall style than any MCU show so far. That freedom to creatively explore her character while being outright weird is one of the two biggest things that makes WandaVision<\/em> a standout. The other is the depth of the series\u2019 emotions, as Wanda navigates her own rage, guilt, and selfishness on top of everything else. The series wraps up messily, with plenty of loose ends that it means to set up future movies, so it never feels like a fully self-contained story, but it certainly is a wild ride while it lasts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo: ABC<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Where WandaVision <\/em>explores what happens when an immensely powerful superhero loses the love of her life, Agent Carter <\/em>flips the formula, by exploring the same kind of grief, but steeping it in powerlessness. After the events of Captain America: The First Avenger<\/em>, Captain America\u2019s \u201cbest girl\u201d Peggy Carter is mourning his supposed death, but also trying to carry on as a hero in an environment that increasingly doesn\u2019t want female heroes.<\/p>\n Mimicking the real-life societal shift that moved women into traditional men\u2019s work during World War II, then sidelined them again when the soldiers came home, Agent Carter <\/em>deals closely with the sexism and condescension Peggy (played fiercely by Hayley Atwell) faces on the job at the FBI-like Strategic Scientific Reserve. When her sexist fellow agents contemptuously treat her like a side-piece Captain America foolishly allowed a little equality, she\u2019s forced to chase down America\u2019s enemies on the sly, alongside Howard Stark\u2019s butler Jarvis (James D\u2019Arcy). The series is sharp, with meaningful conflict, a satisfying Marvel-movie overplot, and a noir-movie concept of both the gender wars and the job of a private investigator. Atwell and D\u2019Arcy make a terrific team. And the show even looks spectacular, with a Technicolor-style sense for style. It\u2019s unquestionably MCU-modern, rather than a period piece, but it takes all the most beloved ideas about costuming, cinematography, humor, and storytelling from the period it\u2019s evoking.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n 14. Helstrom (2020)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/p3j-vBTHVoi9Cr0iBahoIueg0AU=\/0x0:5894x3929\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:5894x3929):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/22698816\/hel_106_2057r.jpg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n13. Inhumans (2018)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/c97Xhys-3TjE75wu6S4ssqCU41M=\/0x0:1773x1181\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:1773x1181):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/22698818\/29inhumans_superJumbo.jpg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n12. Runaways (2017-2019)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/vIklmDLOzKgxZibRkjfZq6PhQMI=\/0x0:2560x1708\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2560x1708):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/22698824\/Marvel_s_Runaways_Season_3_9_002.jpg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n11. Cloak & Dagger (2018-2019)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Dagger](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/75sPnTHjJlnG0yWDxn_iSy1teig=\/0x0:3429x1800\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3429x1800):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/22698826\/cloak_and_dagger.jpg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n10. Iron Fist (2017-2018)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"iron](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/6CgmYjWr7ogYl1CCHzGUuy90So0=\/0x0:4500x2999\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:4500x2999):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/12793235\/145_KICK_209_Unit_01188R.jpg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n9. Agents of SHIELD (2013-2020)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"chloe](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/q6h9rr2G8UQwOjonnMr2u6UzgF0=\/0x0:3000x2003\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2003):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/21758261\/152802_8018.jpg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n8. The Punisher (2017-2019)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Jon](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/VVx044VKEni6amWdL0NXzEzjpmk=\/0x0:3600x2400\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3600x2400):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/22698834\/088_CRIME_207_Unit_00938R.JPG)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n7. The Defenders (2017)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Luke](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/i5sydRukJui4IO6rK_DWPQLUsNE=\/0x0:3000x2168\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2168):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/22698837\/009_GT_107_Unit_02419RC.jpg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n6. Luke Cage (2016-2018)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Luke](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ThTPi6_kngiLBcv93nrDYq25I74=\/0x0:2846x1901\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2846x1901):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/22698839\/0126_TIARA_109_Unit_00155RC.jpg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n5. Jessica Jones (2015-2019)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Jessica](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/_gvHFbBnQg36ZNEdp1nTSbaCaEE=\/0x0:3600x2401\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3600x2401):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/22698840\/058_VIOLET_211_Unit_03577R.jpg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n4. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Anthony](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/d869QfRJdUsPSB9tNVbavw1T8_U=\/0x0:2250x1500\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2250x1500):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/22478631\/CapSuit.jpeg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n3. WandaVision (2021)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Wanda](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/E9Exwweg3XHkhlJTyd5jVY4uIwc=\/0x0:3840x2160\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/22698850\/WFH3095_109_comp_v010_20210130_r709.1031.jpg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n2. Agent Carter (2015-2016)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Agent](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/1DsTF6WD1nuHaLfrQJriKiGWM4Y=\/0x0:3000x2000\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/22698856\/Agent_Carter1.jpg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n1. Daredevil (2015-2018)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Daredevil](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/WWtE0HPLREPiB3EoELWAu0EfDjc=\/0x0:4500x3006\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:4500x3006):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/22698861\/069_RINGSIDE_301_Unit_01676R5.jpg)
<\/source><\/picture><\/span><\/p>\n