Welcome back to the blog readers. In a previous post, I ranked the 7 films of the MCU's Phase 4. So now, I will be doing the same with all 10 of the series and "Special Presentations" of Phase 4. So sit back, and enjoy my SPOILER-FREE ranking of all 10 of the series and "Special Presentations" of Phase 4 of the MCU.
10. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
If you remember in my list of the films of Phase 4 of the MCU, I had stated that when new characters are introduced it almost always shakes up the landscape of the MCU in a good way. However, this series definitely gives that phrase a run for its money. Created for television by Jessica Gao and starring Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, the series shows Walters attempting to balance her life as a lawyer with that of being a superhero.
I mean, it's not bad by ay stretch of the imagination. It's not like I was cringing the entire time because of bad writing or bad acting or anything (although a few moments of that exist here and there). I think this series breaks the cardinal rule for comedies, since this is a comedy after all - be funny. If you can be funny then all may be forgiven in the end. That's one of the major issues I had with films like Ticket to Paradise and The Bubble.
I will admit that I do like Maslany in the role of Walters. I will not say I didn't like her, because I did. When she is given good, funny material, she is on point and I can buy into her character. There are some episodes where her character can get kind of annoying, especially in the wedding episode and the magic episode. But in the first, the Daredevil, and the final episodes, I found myself hollering at some of the things she says.
Her supporting cast is somewhat pleasant. Ginger Gonzaga plays Nikki Ramos, Jen's best friend, who is kind of a Mean Girls type of girl. Josh Segarra plays another of Jen's lawyer friends Pug, who honestly is decent in the role. Renee Elise Goldsberry plays another lawyer who starts out as a rival to and then becomes a friend of Jen. I enjoyed seeing Mark Ruffalo and Tim Roth when they showed up for a bit. And Charlie Cox as Daredevil is wondeful.
I have to admit that I was not a fan of Jameela Jamil's character Titania. She came off as super annoying and it was kind of pandering a bit. I hope she doesn't come back for a potential second season, and they make a more intriguing villain. I like Jamil as a person, it's just that this role was not really suited for her.
There's not a lot of action but when it's there, it's fine. The score is fine as well, but the visual effects are not really all there. It's a shame, being that so much money is poured into a show like this and some of the effects aren't finished. And the first episode's post-credit scenes is one of the funniest MCU moments ever.
So yeah, not great but not terrible. I was left longing after She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and if a second season happens, I hope they get some legitimate comedy writers because they desperately need it.
9. What If...? Season 1
I was very intrigued when I heard about the concept of What If...?. An animated series hosted by Jeffrey Wright's Watcher as he looks at different universes and we see what happens if something is changed from our main MCU timeline, and also conveniently featuring many of the actors of the MCU coming back to reprise their roles for it? I was so on board. And then we got the final product.
It's not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but the problem is that most of it is just dull and forgettable. Like I said, I love the concept of a show like this, but it was not executed as well as it could have been. Don't get me wrong, there are some fantastic episodes, like the Doctor Strange episode and the two Ultron episodes. But I already forgot the other ones.
Without a doubt, the standout of this series is Jeffrey Wright (Westworld, The Batman) as the voice of the Watcher. Based on Uatu, the Watcher is a being that observes the known multiverse without getting involved. I found his Watcher voice to be incredible. I did not know someone could draw upon so much heart and soul, and at some points come off as so menacing and stern that you would think you're being yelled at.
I do appreciate the animation, although it does feel kind of outdated. However, I am not an expert in animation so I cannot go into specifics on it. The extent of my knowledge is whether I liked it or not. (All jokes, but you get my point.)
I cannot believe the voice cast that they got for this show. I would say they got about 90% of the MCU cast to come back and reprise their roles for this show. The only people they couldn't get were Robert Downey Jr., Brie Larson, Chris Evans, Dave Bautista, Tom Holland and Scarlett Johansson. Some others were not invited but most people were.
I have to point out the Doctor Strange episode for being one of the darkest and most haunting 30 minutes of television I have ever seen. With fantastic writing and an ending that will leave you shocked and heartbroken, this is the type of stuff I really want to see from this series moving forward.
So, more middle of the road for me here, I'm hoping season 2 is better. We're supposed to get it in 2023, so let's hope it's good.
8. Hawkeye
It's no surprise that Jeremy Renner is a great actor. It's no surprise that Hailee Steinfeld is a great actor. It's no surprise that I am a ban of buddy flicks and grounded action. So my question is why is Hawkeye not as memorable as it can and very well should be?
Hawkeye sees Jeremy Renner return for possibly the final time as Clint Barton, joined by Hailee Steinfeld, Tony Dalton, Fra Fee, Brian d'Arcy James, Linda Cardellini, Vera Farmiga, Alaqua Cox, Florence Pugh and Vincent D'Onofrio, and sees Barton team up with Kate Bishop to combat enemies from his past in order to get back home to his family for Christmas.
Like I said, the series is fine really. Nothing special, but I do want to point out the chemistry between Renner and Steinfeld. They play off each other as total opposites and it works like a charm. Their chemistry is arguably the best part of this entire series: Barton as the straight man and Bishop as the energetic face.
Everyone else gives an okay performance but the two standouts besides the leads are Alaqua Cox and Florence Pugh. Cox plays Echo, a deaf assassin who has a history with the Ronin and is looking to even the score. Florence Pugh reprises her role as Yelena Belova, Natasha Romanoff's sister who is looking to kill Clint Barton for his alleged role in her death, and she is excellent as usual. I have not seen something that she has not been good in, it's so weird.
The action is fine, but I do take issue with the story. The story seems a bit nonsensical and has way too many people in it for me to take it seriously. I also do not think that Yelena should have been in the story. That is not a knock on Pugh, again she is wonderful. Back to the action, I do like that it is more grounded, but it falls far too short of the standards of action that we are used to seeing from Marvel in the past.
I do like the character of Kate Bishop, so here's to hoping we get to see more of her in the MCU.
7. Werewolf by Night
To be fair, I was not sure how this would pan out. I am a fan of good horror, so I thought we were in for a doozy when the "Untitled Marvel Halloween Special" was revealed to be Werewolf by Night.
Directed by the special's composer Michael Giacchino and starring Gael García Bernal, Laura Donnelly and Harriet Sansom Harris, the special sees a group of monster hunters looking for a powerful relic while going up against a monster. I can very much appreciate what they attempted to do here, but the reason this special is so low on the list is because it wasn't as memorable as I would have hoped, and I just didn't find it as good as the other 6 series and special presentations here.
Gael García Bernal was fun as the lead of Jack Russell, someone seeming to be a monster hunter who is hiding a dark secret about himself. I think he brings a lot of charisma to the role, and I do not think in the slightest that the role would work without him. Laura Donnelly was fun as Elsa Bloodstone, the leader of the monster hunters, and she gets probably one of the best action sets of the whole special.
Michael Giacchino's direction was wonderful, and I appreciate that they were going for the black and white feel. It made it feel like an old-school, 1950's style horror film, and I ate every second of that up. That also ties into the cinematography, which was wonderful as well. And I love his score as well, simple but effective.
I would not mind seeing these characters again, let's just hope it's more memorable than this special.
6. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
This one was honestly one of the ones I was most excited about, since it features Captain America's two closest friends who somehow despise each other. And especially since those friends are played by world-class actors (at least in my opinion).
Directed by Kari Skogland and written by Malcolm Spellman, the series stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Don Cheadle, Daniel Brühl, Emily VanCamp, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, and Carl Lumbly, and sees Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes attempt to stop a terrorist group known as the Flag Smashers from creating chaos. I very much enjoyed this series, but the reason it is so low is because there were 5 series and specials that were better. The two leads of the series give possibly their most layered and emotional MCU performances yet, and the action is non-stop and inventive.
This series does something that I never thought the MCU would. Getting into a mental struggle and a racial struggle with Sam dealing with how to handle embracing Captain America was something that shocked me twofold: that they did it in the first place, and how good it was. The mental struggle that Bucky deals with while he confronts his demons humanizes him in a way never seen before. Both of these storylines were incredible. And we even get some backstory for Sam, which was nice to see.
The biggest breakout performance in this series is Wyatt Russell as John Walker. Just the nuance of the role he is given is not easily asked for, but when your dad is THE Kurt Russell, then you really have to prove you belong. Some of the things Walker does are heinous at best, and Russell does a wonderful job of making you hate the character.
I thought the villains were okay at best. Erin Kellyman as Karli Morgenthau, the leader of the Flag Smashers, gives a good performance, although her story was wrapped up quite hastily. Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter was nice to see, although she was part of a great twist. And Baron Zemo is back in all of his glory. It was also fun to see Rhodey. But the supporting performance that got me was that of Carl Lumbly. His portrayal of Isaiah Bradley was downright heartbreaking. I cannot believe he did not get an Emmy nomination for Best Guest Appearance.
I did like the action and the score as well. The action was fast-paced and close-quartered to make you feel the visceral nature of the scenes, and Henry Jackman's score is awesome. I am so psyched to see Sam officially take on the mantle of Captain America next year in his own film, Captain America: New World Order.
5. Moon Knight
If there is one thing I enjoy, it is that of a good psychological drama. This was Marvel's first attempt at it, and we got something special in my opinion.
Created for television and written by Jeremy Slater, and directed by Mohamed Diab, the series stars Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, May Calamawy, F. Murray Abraham, and the late Gaspard Ulliel, and sees gift shop worker Steven Grant being pulled into a mystery involving Egyptian gods and other personas. The framing of this series was genius, and I absolutely loved how they portrayed dissociative identity disorder (DID) and the heartbreaking meaning behind it. Mental illness is no joke, and it can come from the darkest corners of our psyches, something this series did so well.
Oscar Isaac gives one of the best performances of his career, playing the broken Mark Spector. He gives a three-layered performance (literally), and it is amazing how he can seamlessly transition from one persona to another, with different accents and mannerisms. It is almost like he is playing three different characters.
Ethan Hawke plays one of the more sinister and complex Marvel villains with Arthur Harrow, a cult leader with mysterious ties to an Egyptian god, and he knocks this role out of the park. You can feel a menacing presence whenever Hawke is on the screen. And Hawke had a pretty good 2022, also being in high-notice projects such as The Northman and The Black Phone.
The action was inventive and brutal at times; there were instances where I had to turn away with what was going on on screen. Some events are not shown, and that is for dramatic effect. And one final thing I want to take note of is the score by Hesham Nazih. The things he does and the sources he pulls from completely shocked me and this instantly became one of my favorite scores in all of the MCU. And I really hope we can see Marc Spector again.
4. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Listen guys, I have to admit this to you. I absolutely hate Christmas because I don't see the point of it. I am a cynic and a doubter and I probably will never change my mind on this matter. With that being said, I was not looking forward to this at all, but it's James fucking Gunn. So I had some optimism.
Directed by Gunn and starring Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Maria Bakalova, Sean Gunn, Michael Rooker, and Kevin Bacon, the special sees Mantis and Drax going on an adventure to find Peter Quill the perfect Christmas present to cheer him up after the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. When this thing first started, I thought this would be the worst 42 minutes of my life, but I had an absolute blast with this special. I found it utterly hilarious and so charming and soulful. And the performances were absolutely genuine.
Right now the two MVPs of the special are Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff as Drax and Mantis. Their chemistry is so infectious and I am praying to the God I don't believe in that we get more of that in Guardians Vol. 3 this May. The rest of the Guardians don't have that much to do but when they are on screen, they are as great as ever. And someone I didn't know I needed more of in the MCU is Kevin freaking Bacon. He was wonderful playing a version of himself and I hope he's also in Guardians 3.
There's not much action, but there are a lot of laughs. And I can forgive so little action, especially when I'm laughing out loud every 5 minutes. And the soundtrack is awesome as ever. James Gunn went 2-for-2 on soundtracks this year (Peacemaker anyone?). Overall, the holiday special was a fun time and I can't wait to see these characters again in May.
3. Loki Season 1
It's no secret that I am a sucker for the weird and wacky, and a good Multiverse story (shoutout to Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once). Especially when you add in a beloved character and a supporting cast that winds up being so memorable one even became a meme, you get the first season of Loki.
Directed by Kate Herron and written by Michael Waldron, the first season of Loki stars Tom Hiddleston, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Sophia Di Martino, Tara Strong, Eugene Cordero and Owen Wilson. In this season, after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Loki finds himself teleported to the mysterious Time Variance Authority, and is convinced to help them stop a threat to their Sacred Timeline.
I love this series more than a lot of people do, and that is a testament to how art is subjective. Right off the bat, Loki acts as a double helping; the first being a thrilling drama series that begins the events that would make up the Multiverse Saga, and the second being a fantastic character study of our beloved God of Mischief.
Tom Hiddleston gives possibly his finest performance yet as Loki, delving into never-before-seen emotion of the character. He gives new dimension to an already beloved villain-turned-antihero. And he fully embraces who he is and becomes better for it, especially since this is not the version of Loki that was redeemed and eventually killed by Thanos. And he has instant chemistry with Owen Wilson, who plays Mobius M. Mobius, the leader of the TVA. I mean, they are just gold together. And Owen brings a charisma to Mobius that only he can.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw is a treasure and should be protected at all costs. Her portrayal of Ravonna Renslayer is powerful and complex, and I can't wait to see more of her later this year. Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15 starts off as a run-of-the-mill soldier characters, but comes into her own and delivers the same complexity in her performance.
But the one standout I have is with Sophia Di Martino as Sylvie/Lady Loki. What a way to break out Soph. Di Martino is asked to do a lot with the role of Sylvie, and she rises above to give possibly the best performance of the series. I love how she is able to play into the complexities of the character to create a moral ambiguity within the viewer's mind. Is she a villain, or is she just misunderstood? You decide for yourself.
Natalie Holt's score is possibly one of the best of Phase 4 as a whole, and maybe in the entire MCU. Her blend of weird and wacky and classic make for something one could use to sleep at night. At times it can be melodic and relaxing, other times it plays into the chaos that unfolds on the screen. I can't wait to hear her score for the second season, cause this was magical, and damn that theme is good.
What this series does for the future of the MCU is absolutely monumental in terms of storytelling. How one decision can affect the entire universe, and even the Multiverse, is fabulous to me. I am dying to see this second season later this year, especially knowing that recent Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan and all-around fantastic actor Jonathan Majors will be joining the series. Can't wait!
2. Ms. Marvel
Holy hell, what a surprise! I heard "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd in the trailer and I was instantly hooked. It looked like a coming-of-age series set in the MCU and I got super intrigued. Aren't I glad I watched this!
Created and written for television by Bisha K. Ali, the series stars Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, with Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, and Aramis Knight. In the series, Kamala Khan attempts to fit in until she gains superpowers of her own, which leads her into a world she never expected to be in.
This series is the epitome of fabulous, and there is no way around it. From the minute this series started to that insane mid-credits scene in the finale, this show was almost perfect. Between the characters, the message, and Laura Karpman's score, I need more of these characters right now.
I will admit that I had no idea who Iman Vellani was before this show premiered. But boy do I know who she is now. And to think this was her first major acting role out of high school. You would never know. Iman just has this natural charisma about her that is absolutely infectious. I gobbled up every second that she was on screen, and I never want her to stop playing this character.
The chemistry that Kamala has with her family is equally infectious, and they truly felt like they were a family. Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, and Saagar Shaikh plays Kamala's mother Muneeba, her father Yusuf, and her brother Aamir respectively, and all three of them completely killed it here. Kamala's relationship with Muneeba is one of the most organic relationships I have ever seen on television, and you are left to really sympathize with these characters. Her relationship with her father comes off as completely genuine as he is a sense of inspiration for her. Kamala and Aamir actually act like legit siblings and I know I can relate to them.
Mat Lintz is one more person I want to talk about, and he plays Kamala's best friend Bruno Carrelli. I truly believed that he was a friend to Kamala and that he cares about her. (he has the hots for her and I'm shocked they didn't get together.) Some other notable performances come from Rish Shah and Aramis Knight.
I thought the message of the series was truly incredible. The message that you don't have to fit in for people to accept and appreciate you can work on multiple levels in life, and I'm glad Marvel got to get that message across. One final thing to note is Laura Karpman's score. You could feel the infusion of the culture and the John Hughes coming-of-age musical tropes, and I loved every minute of the score.
This show was utterly fantastic, and I cannot wait to see some of these characters again in November's The Marvels.
1. WandaVision
Here we are, folks. The end of my list with the best Marvel Phase 4 series. Did you guys have any doubt that it was going to be this? Well I mean, of course you did. You guys don't really know me. But now you do, and here is why WandaVision was my favorite Phase 4 series by far.
Created for television and written by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman, the series stars Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, and Kat Dennings. The series sees Wanda Maximoff and Vision living a perfect suburban life in the town of Westview, but begin to suspect things are not as they seem when strange occurrences begin in the town.
This series was absolutely brilliant and this right here is genius storytelling. What starts as a sitcom-type show (which was jarring in the first episode but I quickly got acclimated to it) turns into a genuinely intriguing mystery that hooked me so bad I felt like a criminal for loving it so bad. During its run it was absolutely must-see television, and I would legitimately be up until 4:00-5:00 in the morning watching it. (I worked late Thursdays.)
Elizabeth Olsen gives the performance of her life in WandaVision, and personally this performance is in my top 5 MCU performances of all time. I found absolutely no flaws with her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff, who clearly has not gotten over the death of Vision, which I mean it was only 3 weeks for her. And the way that she can so subtly change her tone and demeanor on a whim is absolutely fascinating to me. And I will get into the message of the series in a bit, because that ties into Wanda's arc in this series.
Paul Bettany kills it as Vision, giving us a more nuanced version of him that we have never gotten before. Playing the everyman father and husband started off weird but got more believable and even emotional by the end. I believe that he also gives the performance of his life. And this was my first exposure to Kathryn Hahn, who was brilliant as the nosy neighbor Agnes. What she is asked to do, she does with flying colors and gives a fantastic supporting performance.
Another character I want to point out is Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau. When she was first announced, I had no idea how an adult Monica would even fit into the story, and I was sold the minute she showed up in Westview. I cannot wait to see her in November's The Marvels with Brie Larson and Iman Vellani.
The suspense every week was a delight and the series did a fantastic job of buying into the countless fan theories by placing in Easter eggs to divert expectations. When people raised those expectations, I believe that they were then set up for disappointment when their theories did not come true. I thought the theories were intriguing but I never raised my expectations, but I did have expectations for Marvel that were ultimately delivered on. And for that I got a fantastic show.
Now to get into the theme of the series. The main one is grief, a topic not a lot of people choose to tackle due to the difficulty in portraying it. But Jac and Matt decided that this would be the place to explore grief, and holy hell did it work. I found myself just as emotional as Wanda was when we were exploring her grief and what led us to this point in time in Westview. And I am of the belief this is the best portrayal of grief I have ever seen. We even get one of the most emotional and powerful lines in the history of the MCU. (If you know, you know.)
Christophe Beck's score is magic from the first note. I will beg to argue that this was the most difficult score to make in the history of the MCU, solely due to all of the classic sitcom tropes that have to be borrowed from. From the 50s to the 60s, all the way to the 70s, 80s, and the 90s, Beck had his work cut out for him and he delivered. Also I loved the jingles from Frozen song creators Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Their WandaVision jingle is engrained into my head, and they have another song with Kathryn Hahn that just shocked me with how good it was.
This was a fantastic show, and a prime example of what Marvel on Disney+ can be.
Thank you for bearing with me on this list, and I will see you guys for the next post.
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