Five of Marvel Studios' 2025 releases stood out far above the rest. Another year of the MCU has come and gone with three blockbuster movies, two live-action Disney+ series, and three new animated shows. While Marvel Studios has, sadly, endured several box office disappointments, many would agree that 2025 has been one of the strongest years of the Multiverse Saga, which was sorely needed as the MCU edges closer to Avengers: Doomsday in 2026.
Not only does Marvel Studios have Avengers 5 finally under a year away after wrapping up production, but it will also soon bring Spider-Man: Brand New Day to theaters in July. The two blockbuster titans will be joined by a variety of Disney+ series, including Wonder Man, VisionQuest, and Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.
Marvel's 5 Must-Watch Movies & Shows from 2025
5.) Captain America: Brave New World
What We Loved: Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson proves himself a worthy successor to Steve Rogers and the Captain America franchise in Brave New World. The MCU's first 2025 blockbuster shines best through Mackie and his buddy-cop dynamic with Danny Ramirez's Joaquin Torres, aka Falcon, who many will leave Brave New World eager to see again next year in Avengers: Doomsday.
Recasting William Hurt as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross after the actor's passing was no easy task, but Harrison Ford pulls it off. The veteran MCU villain's evolution in Captain America 4 culminates in the moment fans have been waiting years to see, as he transitions from the new U.S. President to the rageful Red Hulk.
What Could've Been Better: Moving past the lacklustre CGI that has become all too common in the modern MCU, Captain America 4, unfortunately, has a somewhat cluttered and convoluted storyline. After waiting almost two decades for The Incredible Hulk's Leader cliffhanger to be resolved, it's tough to say that Tim Blake Nelson's long-awaited return delivered on the anticipation.
4.) Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
What We Loved: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a worthy addition to Peter Parker's long history in animation. The series manages to blend street-level, cosmic, and magical elements neatly with a Spider-Man tale that is both unique and honors the Marvel hero's long history on the page and screen.
Despite featuring characters from across the Marvel mythos, such as Iron Man, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and six secret superheroes hidden throughout, the series maintains a strong focus on Spider-Man. Additionally, Lonnie Lincoln's downfall into the infamous mob boss Tombstone is compelling throughout.
What Could've Been Better: While Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's lore changes can feel refreshing at times, it sometimes strays too far from wall-crawler lore, namely in its choice of supporting characters. Furthermore, the animation can feel somewhat cheap, despite attempts to pay homage to classic comic styles.
3.) The Fantastic Four: First Steps
What We Loved: The Fantastic Four: First Steps stands out in large part thanks to director Matt Shakman, who carved out the all-new Earth-828 for the movie, bringing with it a unique aesthetic. Ultimately, Shakman created one of the best-looking Marvel movies yet, most notably with the gorgeous space scenes.
Despite mixed reactions to some of First Steps' casting choices, their family dynamic shines as they face off with the stellar big-bad Galactus. Characters such as Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm, Julia Garner's Silver Surfer, and Joseph Quinn's Johnny Storm are true standouts that fans will leave craving more of.
What Could've Been Better: The MCU's latest blockbuster was also one of its shortest, and it could have benefited from more breathing time, especially when key characters like Ebon Mass-Bachrach's Ben Grimm went underutilized. Not to mention, First Steps' third act battle is, sadly, rather forgettable for a Galactus fight.
2.) Daredevil: Born Again
What We Loved: Despite fears that Marvel Studios would Disneyfy the beloved Netflix series, Daredevil: Born Again arrives as a strong successor. Arriving with a TV-MA rating, the Disney+ original brings back all the brutality of the Netflix series while feeling like a true sequel to what came before.
Born Again stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio deliver career-best performances, revisiting their rivalry in a fresh way as Wilson Fisk ascends to the office of New York mayor. Season 1 does a stellar job of escalating this conflict throughout, setting up a cataclysmic conflict in next March's Season 2.
What Could've Been Better: Born Again endured a creative overhaul during the 2023 Hollywood Strikes, before which several episodes had been filmed. Sadly, this leaves the newly added Episodes 1, 8, and 9 feeling like a totally different show, leading to some tonal inconsistency that should be fixed in Season 2.
1.) Thunderbolts*
What We Loved: Thunderbolts* stands out among Marvel's 2025 highs and lows as one of the franchise's best releases post-Avengers: Endgame. Director Jake Schreier impressively pulls together side characters from across the recent MCU for a story far deeper than just another ensemble blockbuster, packaged together in a gorgeous movie that excels thanks to its use of practical effects.
The flick brings top-tier performances from Julia Louis-Dreyfus' cunning, manipulative Valentina, Lewis Pullman's unstable Sentry, and Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, who proves her worth as one of the MCU's best new faces.
What Could've Been Better: Originally, Taskmaster wasn't supposed to die in Thunderbolts and was meant to be present throughout the entire film, striking up a friendship with Ghost. To some extent, Thunderbolts does a disservice to the Black Widow villain, bringing her back solely for a shock factor death.
