Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

The first avenger invaded our screens three months after Thor with Chris Evans as the super solider Steve Rogers. Set during World War II, Captain America’s debut combined a retro setting with action worthy Marvel’s cinematic outings. As Rotten Tomatoes describes it, ‘with plenty of pulpy action, a pleasantly retro vibe, and a handful of fine performances, Captain America is solidly old-fashioned blockbuster entertainment’, overall it landed a very respectable 79% fresh rating.

The Avengers stormed the box office in 2012The Avengers stormed the box office in 2012

The Avengers (2012)

Finally in 2012 we saw the first on screen union of the Avengers, as Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America and Black Widow came together with Joss Whedon in the directors chair. The hype was of course tremendous, but luckily the movie delivered, with both the critics and at the box office. ‘With a script that never forgets its heroes' humanity and no shortage of superpowered set pieces, The Avengers lives up to its hype -- and raises the bar for Marvel at the movies’, said Rotten Tomatoes, who gives it a very impressive 92% rating, putting it just below the first Iron Man movie.

Iron Man 3 (2013)

For Marvel’s seventh cinematic instalment Tony Stark was back again in Iron Man 3, this time Shane Black took over directing duties from Jon Favreau. In his third solo adventure Iron Man took his highest box office gross so far, taking well over $1billion at the box office. Holding a 78% fresh rating, Rotten Tomatoes writes, ‘with the help of its charismatic lead, some impressive action sequences, and even a few surprises, Iron Man 3 is a witty, entertaining adventure and a strong addition to the Marvel canon.’ As far as its rating goes, Iron Man’s 3rd instalment topped the second, but didn't quite capture the original’s magic.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor’s second outing came last year when Chris Hemsworth picked up his hammer again, but this time he’d have to team with his brother Loki to save the Nine Realms. As before, Hemsworth and Hiddleston received praise for their roles, but the film didn't receive as much acclaim as previous Marvel outings. With a 65% rating, Thor: The Dark World, ranks as the worst Marvel movie so far, in the eyes of Rotten Tomatoes. Still it’s certified fresh with the site saying, ‘it may not be the finest film to come from the Marvel Universe, but Thor: The Dark World still offers plenty of the humor and high-stakes action that fans have come to expect’.

Scarlett Johansson returns as Black WidowScarlett Johansson returns as Black Widow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

That brings us now to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which has already had its UK release and is hitting US theatres on April 4th. So far the reviews having been almost overwhelmingly positive and it currently holds a 91% rating from Rotten Tomatoes, which calls it, ‘suspenseful and politically astute, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a superior entry in the Avengers canon and is sure to thrill Marvel diehards’. A 91% rating casts it just below the first Marvel cinematic adventure Iron Man and The Avengers. Still the reviews are coming in thick and fast and so far it all really is very good. So is Captain America: The Winter Soldier Marvel's finest movie? Well actually, it might just be.

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Watch the trailer for 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier'