The Marvel Cinematic Universe has done so much to establish some of the biggest and most popular characters to ever grace the big screen. With superheroes, that often means telling the origin stories of the characters. We need to see how these seemingly ordinary people got their powers, became a team, or rose to prominence. However, we’ve also seen plenty of superhero films over the years, so the MCU sometimes had to get creative to tell unique origin stories that still somehow remain true to the comic books.

Characters like Iron Man, Captain America, and Captain Marvel have had their origin stories told within the MCU, while other characters had to go a different route. For example, Spider-Man: Homecoming might be the first solo Spider-Man film in the franchise, but it’s not an origin story because Peter Parker has already been the hero for some time. The Fantastic Four: First Steps also drops the audience in a world where the titular team has already been active for a long time and are established heroes. So, neither film is an origin story.

Instead, there are nine MCU movies that tell interesting origin stories. All have done so successfully, so even ranking last doesn’t mean it was a bad origin story. However, some managed to pull this feat off more impressively than others.

8

Ant-Man (2015)

The concept of bringing Ant-Man into the MCU wasn’t something a lot of people expected. He’s not one of Marvel’s biggest comic book heroes, yet it worked out well in execution because the film had kept things light and fun, which is thanks in large part to Paul Rudd being cast as Scott Lang.

Ant-Man tells his origin story as he gets out of jail and looks to turn his life around. He struggles to do so and agrees to one more heist, which leads him to Hank Pym, the creator of the shrinking tech that makes Ant-Man possible. The movie has a generic villain, yet it’s the origin story that pushes this forward, as the audience can easily root for Scott to turn things around and become a hero for his daughter.

7

Captain Marvel (2019)

Captain Marvel had the unique opportunity to tell an origin story in between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Carol Danvers, played brilliantly by Brie Larson, had an entire introduction at a crucial point in the MCU and the movie chose to tell her tale through unexpected means.

The film takes place back in the ’90s and sees Danvers end up on Earth. As she experiences a classic fish-out-of-water story, Carol learns that the people she has worked for have lied to her and dampened her powers. We learn how she got those powers and watch as she learns to control them, becoming one of the most powerful beings in the MCU. Seeing her defeat Yon-Rogg with relative ease is a highlight.

6

Doctor Strange (2016)

The origin story of Stephen Strange is one of the more tragic and intriguing in the MCU. He was a genius yet arrogant surgeon who lost the use of his hands in a brutal car accident. Determined to regain that use, he was directed toward the Kamar-Taj, where he learns about the astral plane, sorcerers, and the mythic arts.

Benedict Cumberbatch expertly plays a man who was once guided by science and now must accept magic as his truth. It’s a well-told tale and even his quick rise through the ranks of sorcerers is explained by his photographic memory and hard work. If this movie didn’t tell his story properly, the audience wouldn’t care as much about him as he becomes more important in later films.

5

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Although it wasn’t the first entry in the MCU in terms of release, Captain America: The First Avenger is first on the movie timeline from a chronological standpoint. The film goes back to the 1940s and follows Steve Rogers, a scrawny yet determined man who wants to fight for his country, yet keeps getting denied due to his size.

Chris Evans might look a bit goofy with the CGI small body, yet he portrays the earnestness that Steve needs to become a beloved character. Steve’s genuine heroism leads him to be chosen for the super-soldier serum, which turns him into Captain America. He overcomes being made into a sideshow act to save people and become one of the greatest heroes to ever grace the big screen.

4

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)

It has been a bit more difficult for the MCU to introduce new characters since Avengers: Endgame. People had grown to care deeply for the established characters, so bringing in someone totally new was an uphill battle. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings did it better than most and it’s a shame we haven’t seen the character return to this point.

The titular Shang-Chi, played by Simu Liu, is pulled out of his attempt at an ordinary life when his father, the leader of a terrorist organization, needs his help to find a mythical village. Shang-Chi is a classic protagonist who is reluctant at first, yet rises to the occasion to save the day. Doing so with breathtaking hand-to-hand combat helped him stand out from the rest of the MCU.

3

Iron Man (2008)

This is where it all started. If Iron Man didn’t work, the entire MCU would’ve been dead on arrival. The hero was an interesting choice to start a franchise, as he couldn’t match the likes of Spider-Man or X-Men for star power. However, Robert Downey Jr. delivers a rockstar performance as Tony Stark that helped turn him into a household name.

It’s interesting to watch Tony come to understand what his work in weapons has done to the world. He builds his Iron Man prototype suit to escape captivity and then goes on to become the hero we’ve all come to love. It’s simple, yet effective.

2

Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)

The origin story of Guardians of the Galaxy was kind of freeing for James Gunn to tell. The characters are far different from their little-known comic book counterparts, so he had a lot of free rein in crafting who these characters are. In his first film about them, Gunn made sure each was wacky and unique.

Star-Lord being taken from Earth and joining the Ravagers, Gamora turning on her adoptive father to do some good in the universe, Drax hoping to avenge the deaths of family, and more brought these heroes together. The film works because we see them become an unexpected family and we believe in it every step of the way.

1

Black Panther (2018)

Black Panther isn’t a traditional origin story because T’Challa had already appeared as the titular character in Captain America: Civil War. He became Black Panther when his father could no longer handle the role, yet the film sees him take on the role as King of Wakanda after his father’s passing.

That means we get to see the origin of his time as a ruler, which is a different kind of tale for this genre. It does a lot to show us who T’Challa is as a person and Chadwick Boseman is spectacular in the role. It helps that Black Panther also introduces us to a magnificent world and features some of the best supporting characters in the MCU.