Agatha All Along was another example of a story we never knew we needed. But, it’s not the only hit show Marvel has produced so far. So, the natural question is, where does it rank among the rest?
Two things to note before going through this list:
- In addition to ranking the following 10 shows individually, the shows have been grouped into tiers to further illustrate their quality.
- Marvel shows originally produced for Netflix were not considered for this list.
Tier 5
10. What If…?
The concept is amazing. The execution is hit-or-miss. The show’s biggest flaw was undoubtedly the decision to tie these stories to the MCU. It’s generally interesting to see everything link back to the larger story, but this was an anthology. The connections weren’t necessary here. Still, some characters and stories were well done.
Tier 4
9. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
There’s probably only one show that came with higher expectations on this list. This came after the smash hit WandaVision, and Captain America’s right-hand men were the title characters.
It took some big swings and introduced some compelling new characters. Marvel tried to do a lot with this show, and maybe some level of simplification could’ve elevated this show further.
8. Moon Knight
While Marc Spector wasn’t as far down the list in terms of notoriety as Echo and Agatha Harkness, he certainly was not someone you’d expect would get their own show without any other sort of introduction.
Like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, this was solid and had room to be even better. They respected the character’s source material while helping him evolve, and they explored his mental health struggles. This was a character-driven show, and those elements worked well. But the plot didn’t flow with character-centric nature as well as it could’ve.
Tier 3
7. Ms. Marvel
This one shocked me as much as any on here. Iman Vellani was electric on screen. She has since been featured on the big screen and even written Ms. Marvel comics for since. The plot was sound, but Vellani’s performance was the big takeaway.
6. Loki
This is the only live-action Marvel Disney+ show that’s had two seasons. Similar to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, this had high expectations because of the character’s prominence in the movies. Loki did a better job of delivering, in large part because his story was crucial to the MCU’s multiverse saga.
5. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Whether you loved this show or hated it — there was no middle ground for this one — Hulk’s cousins sure got everyone’s attention. This took a lot of comedic swings while also addressing some real issues. Where some of these other shows stumbled when it came to having a plot that flowed with the character-driven natures to the stories, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law succeeded.
4. Hawkeye
Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barnes was great, but this show doesn’t rank as high without Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop. (Also, Yelena Belova’s contributions to the show were outstanding.) Similar to Vellani’s Ms. Marvel, Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop should play a larger role going forward.
This had one of the better plots of all the Marvel Disney+ shows, tying back to a smaller subplot from the Infinity Saga. It was also grounded, as one would expect with a Hawkeye story.
Tier 2
3. Agatha All Along
Up until recently, Hawkeye would have been the show to own the superlative “had no business being as good as it was.” Then, along came Agatha.
Filled with countless twists throughout, this show introduces two new big Marvel players and delves into another branch of the mystic side of the MCU. Go here for more on the show’s big twist and here for more on Aubrey Plaza’s shocking character reveal.
2. WandaVision
The one that started it all is also the one that executed in a way unlike any other.
Wanda Maximoff has turned into a fan-favorite, but that’s largely because of this show. Vision wasn’t exactly the most popular Avenger among viewers either. Yet, this show was must-watch stuff.
WandaVision took big swings with its look at television’s history. It had laughs, MCU implications and elevated a secondary MCU character in a big way. Absolutely the best live-action show of the bunch.
Tier 1
1. X-Men ‘97
The bar could not have been set higher for any Marvel Disney+ show.
This wasn’t simply an MCU-adjacent introduction to the X-Men. Disney was building off the massively successful X-Men: The Animated Series show from the ‘90s. It was a huge risk. So many ways that it could’ve failed.
Yet, it captivated viewers, drove huge numbers — for both itself and the original show — and quickly brought the X-Men back to the forefront.
