Ranking 2021's Marvel Shows

 Written by Shiggins

Before the Moon rises.

Ok, one last look back at 2021's shows and films before I get into 2022... hopefully. I mean, I still haven't talked about 2021's best anime, but that might be because I missed a few I was recommended so I need to decide on that... what are we talking about? Oh yes, MCU tv shows of 2021! Here's my official ranking of them from least-best to best!

Loki

God, people are going to get mad at me for this one... Loki, the return of Tom Hiddleston in his very own tv show, was probably the most anticipated of the five we have today. It's premiere broke records, everyone was talking about it, jumping with excitement over who might show up and if we'd ever see Owen Wilson on a jet-ski, and while all of that is legitimate, the show itself was... fine.

As always, Tom Hiddleston is a treat to watch every episode and he plays this role as effortlessly as Hugh Jackman with Wolverine. This is an iconic role now and it's incredible we can still see new opportunities for him to develop as a character and an antihero, even making his first true friend in the form of Agent Mobius, which is made even better by the surprisingly endearing Owen Wilson performance. Other characters like Sophia Di Martino's Sylvie/Female Loki make the show entertaining too, and this cast is probably why the show is as good as it is.

Unfortunately, the pacing of every episode is a bit of a slog. The TVA (Time Variance Authority) have a lot of rules that have to be exposited and repeated constantly, the wacky charisma of a character like Loki is surprisingly subdued, and far too much of this show is simple conversation. Well-written conversation, many of which are intriguing or charming, but too many! The fifth episode feels like the only time Loki utilised it's fullest potential, and that's a massive shame because it really showed what could have been. But yes, the final mystery character is phenomenal and I am absolutely excited for season 2 of Loki because of it, as well as the future of the MCU too.

What If

From one controversial pick to another, we have the only animated project of 2021! And... I don't hate the animation style like many others do, but I really wish they had gone for something else. Some of the action and landscapes look fantastic, like that penultimate battle which is probably the most anime-level bullshit Marvel has ever done, but a lot of faces and bodies do not translate well, and some don't even look like they were trying to do so. That is NOT Natalie Portman!

What I did truly love about What If was that it felt like the writers knew they could get away with anything they wanted, and took full advantage of it. They hired Josh Brolin to come back as Thanos but he's a good guy now thanks to T'Challa and the other characters like to poke fun at him for having a genocidal plan. They got Michael B. Jordan to return as Killmonger but he's using his love of gundams to manipulate Tony Stark into giving him an army to help him take over Wakanda. Nebula is blonde!

Oh lighten up, it's fun! Marvel's What If is the equivalent of children roleplaying with their favourite characters, and it's not asking to be taken too seriously because it knows it doesn't have to fit into any grand plan or worry about continuity. And if you aren't a fan of fun episodes because you're a jaded asshole, take a look at the Dr Strange episode. That's probably one of the best episodes of the entire MCU run of 2021, and it's fascinating, with a performance by Benedict Cumberbatch absolutely dripping with depth and effort. And speaking of performances, this is the official last time we ever hear Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa/Black Panther. For that alone, What If is worth a watch and an open mind.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

This one was tough for me to decide on. On the one hand, it provided some of the best scenes and commentary that Marvel provided in 2021. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan absolutely nail the characters once again, and we get to see Falcon evolve from a sidekick into his own fleshed-out hero with conflicts and personal goals. On the other hand, we have John Walker's confusing messy path, and a bunch of little stuff that makes watching this with other people an absolute pain.

The stuff with Carl Lumbey's Isaiah Bradley is perfect, and I won't hear a single complaint about it. His ending made me tear up, his outbursts stuck with me long after the week's episode was over, and everything he said is cruel and relevant. It's wonderful, he's wonderful, and he deserved the Emmy for that performance. And Anthony Mackie just makes the scenes even better, as we watch him absorb the information and let the full weight of his choices really come down on him, making what he will eventually become all the more significant. And that scene where he flies in, throws the shield, smashes through the window and catches the shield after it hits a bad guy... Beautiful.

Unfortunately, the series is plagued by little problems here and there. John Walker bounces about the place with no consistency or payoff (presumably that's meant to happen in the future), Karli is severely lacking as an antagonist despite such an interesting motivation, and... how do I explain this... when a show talks about heavy stuff like this, it will cause the audience to overanalyse. Stuff like Zemo's return, while awesome, becomes controversial purely because of the kind of show that this has become. I saw people getting legitimately angry at the line "The Dora Milaje have jurisdiction wherever the Dora Milaje find themselves to be" as if it's a betrayal of everything the Black Panther movie was about and it represents this and that... guys, it's just a cool one-liner! Relax. Fuck. Still though, a great show with a few too many fumbles for me to take it up any higher.

Hawkeye

Really? Hawkeye is number 2? I'm looking at this list again to make sure and yeah, seems that way. I am very surprised at myself here but it's true. Hawkeye, while playing it a bit too safe for my liking, managed to make a completely enjoyable and satisfactory series from beginning to end. Sure, the Christmas theme was probably just a gimmick but who honestly cares when you're having this much fun? For gods sake, they made a full scene of Rogers: The Musical! How can you not smile during this?!

Clint Barton finally getting the sorta-lead role makes his character actually interesting, thereby validating one of my friends who has insisted for years that he's worthy of my love, and Hawkeye really does give justice to the death of Black Widow that was cruelly neglected the attention it deserved in Avengers Endgame. Oh and I love Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, she's so great in everything and this is yet another role of hers that is just fantastic, with a wonderful (if cliched) dynamic with her hero and mentor Clint. Love you, Hailee!

And there's a Pizza Dog. His name is Lucky. He's known as the Pizza Dog. I mean... he's perfect. I want to kiss his loveable face forever. And we can eat pizza together. Yes, the action is tons of fun with trick arrows and weird stunts, and yes there's a strong heart throughout thanks to Kate and Clint bonding while tackling the badass Echo (who is getting her own spinoff show that I am very excited for) and the other badass Yelena, but does any of that matter when there is a Pizza Dog? Well of course it does but PIZZA DOG!

Wandavision

While it may have made some dire mistakes during the finale, Wandavision is the show I most think back on and appreciate from the MCU during 2021. It was weird, it was experimental, it had a slow burn with intrigue and mystery, and while some of the questions didn't exactly end well, a lot of them did! And just like with the other shows, we finally get to see two underused characters get the screentime and love they deserve, both from each other and the audience.

Each episode representing a different era of sitcoms, from I Love Lucy to Full House to Malcolm in the Middle, is absolutely inspired and makes each episode a delight for the senses. Elizabeth Olsen is making me nearly cry in some of these scenes, and Paul Bettany is an absolute delight alongside her. And casting Kathryn Hahn as the nosey neighbour with a dark secret is exactly the kind of role she deserves to sink her teeth into. There's so much to love here, and... damn I wish the finale didn't mess it up.

White Vision is terrible, coming across more like an attempt to reverse a tragic decision and remove consequences rather than an organic way to continue the life of Vision, the way Wanda is treated by the show after all the terrible things she did, accidental or not, feels off, and let's not even talk about Ralph... but damn, I hope we see more stuff like this in the future. I want to see Marvel experiment, and try new things and weird things and be absolutely ridiculous whenever it wants. I don't need CGI battles against villainous copies or big blue sky beams. I need existential discussions about what makes us human and how heartbreak is actually a natural response of love and care and... damn, I might need to watch this one again.