Captain America: Civil War was a rather big deal when it came out, but time has not been kind to it. Partly adapting the events of the comic, it had a lot of heavy lifting to do: introducing Black Panther and Spider-Man, paying off plotlines from Winter Soldier and Age Of Ultron, and trying to tell a coherent story with every MCU character in it. It succeeded in some places and failed massively in others. One could argue that beyond its action scenes, the entire movie was a waste of time. None of it mattered in the long run, and all the Avengers' animosity would be forgotten and forgiven.
Luckily for fans of superhero movies, there are actually loads of other superhero movies they can watch that set a nice balance between story and action. They succeed in ways Civil War fails and show the best that can be done with the genre.
8 Eternals Is A Flawed Masterpiece
One can argue that Eternals is among the worst MCU movies, but this is hyperbole. Eternals is a very different kind of MCU movie, which is what makes it so intriguing. Much like CA:CW, it fails at a lot of the fundamentals, but it does so in much more interesting ways while still telling a very human story about extremely inhuman characters.
It's also never anything less than a beautiful film to watch, with director Chloe Zhao giving the movie a level of artistry that is completely missing from the pedestrian shots of Civil War. It's a film that can easily engross a viewer from the beginning, and while the story and main two characters leave a bit to be desired, the rest of the cast is charming and a joy to watch.
7 Avengers: Infinity War Was Able To Squeeze Drama From Its Premise In A Way Civil War Couldn't
Avengers: Infinity War wowed audiences right off the bat. It took everything that Civil War wanted to do and actually succeeded where it failed in every way. It was able to take multiple characters and tell satisfying stories with them, did an amazing job with Thanos, and supplied some of the best MCU action scenes ever. It isn't a perfect movie, but it's definitely praiseworthy.
It also nails its cliffhanger ending much better. For both IW and CA:CW, fans knew the cliffhanger ending would get reversed but IW's pulls at the heartstrings expertly. All those killed by the Snap were definitely going to come back to life, but the ending sold it. Civil War didn't even try to sell the animosity between the Avengers, defusing the whole thing before the movie ended. Infinity War does everything Civil War does but better.
6 Deadpool Is Able To Tell A Great Love Story And A Raucously Entertaining Superhero Tale
It's strange to say this for movie that is so flippant and profane, but Deadpool is among the classics of the superhero genre. It gives viewers everything they'd expect from an R-rated Deadpool movie, the blood, extreme humor, and so much profanity, with a healthy dose of heart. In fact, it's basically the first superhero romantic comedy.
It's able to take a lot of disparate elements and weave them together, something Civil War also tries and fails to do. It's never anything short of entertaining, and Ryan Reynolds is amazing as Deadpool, even rivaling Evans and Downey Jr. when it comes to nailing a character. Deadpool succeeds at everything and stands head and shoulders above most superhero movies, especially Civil War.
5 The Dark Knight Brought Artistry To Superhero Films Like No Other
There's often a difference in critical parlance when one uses the word "movie" from when one uses the word "film." In this case, Captain America: Civil War is a movie, but The Dark Knight is a film. Its director Christopher Nolan's Batman mmasterpiece. It brought a level of artistry to superhero movies that was rare at the time and the MCU wishes it could bring on a regular basis. It's an arthouse superhero film, and even today, it barely has a rival.
The Dark Knight tells a compelling story that's informed by the characters as much as it is the events therein. However, those events are still amazing, and the movie impresses in every way. Of course, Heath Ledger's Joker is the standout, the best live-action portrayal of that character ever, but every other character is also great. The movie hits on all cylinders, something that Captain America: Civil War fails to do.
4 Logan Is One Of The Greatest Superhero Movies Ever
Superhero movies, especially those of the MCU, are often pretty formulaic. Civil War definitely fits into this, but that doesn't mean there aren't well-written superhero movies. Of these, Logan is among the best. As the final Wolverine movie, it's a haunting tale of a man looking at the end of his life and dealing with the loneliness of it all, trying to reach out and create a family before it all ends, using superheroes as a way to tell a personal and relatable story.
Everything about Logan is top-notch. The acting, writing, the action, and the camera work are all amazing. It tells an effective, moving story and also fits in all the superhero action that a Wolverine movie should have. It's a rare achievement in superhero cinema and one of the best ever made.
3 Captain America: The Winter Soldier Is The Best Captain America Movie
Captain America: The Winter Soldier has an impressive reputation. The first MCU movie directed by the Russo Brothers, it adapts the Winter Soldier saga from the comics in epic fashion, telling an espionage-tinged superhero story, Captain America filtered through a Bond lens and presents a compelling adventure. Captain America: Civil War plays off a lot of things the movie establishes but doesn't do nearly as well.
There's real emotion and stakes to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, things that are completely missing from its sequel. The story feels like a story and not just an excuse to make the next action scene work. It tops lists of best MCU movies for good reason.
2 Avengers: Endgame Ends The Infinity Saga In Perfect Fashion
Avengers: Endgame is a monumental achievement, paying off a decade of movies and plot lines in a satisfying fashion. It's the biggest box office success of the 2010s, of any other decade for that matter, combining action and character in a perfect alchemy. It's the epitome of the phrase sticking the landing and works on nearly every level, something that can't be said for Civil War.
Like its predecessor Infinity War, it fits into the same mold as Civil War but gets everything right in a way that Civil War doesn't. It never feels contrived or like it's just treading water until the next big action scene starts. Speaking of action scenes, the movie's last battle is one of the best in the history of cinema, a big screen final boss fight unlike any that came before it.
1 The Batman Manages To Be Comic Accurate Without Being Beholden To Its Source Material
Captain America: Civil War is based on a comic but never actually feels like that comic. This is sometimes a good thing, but it's also not the best, as the comic made statements about society the movie doesn't even attempt. On the other hand, The Batman is a superhero movie that isn't based on any one comic but actually feels comic accurate. They're two different approaches, but only one of them is actually good.
The Batman nails everything it needs to. It makes the other Batman movies seem a bit quaint in comparison, easily vaulting over them. Everything about it is light years ahead of Captain America: Civil War, and it feels like a work of art crafted by the cast and crew, whereas Civil War never feels like anything but another MCU product.