1. Iron Man (2008)Billionaire weapons manufacturer Tony Stark finds himself at odds with both his death dealing enterprise and his debaucherous, alienating lifestyle. He is forced to make life changing, and saving, decisions that throw him into the new identity of Iron Man.
The film both marked the emergence of Marvel Studios and Robert Downey Jr.'s launch into stardom with a new generation of movie goers. It showed that Marvel was taking control of its film endeavors, no longer relying on outside studios to bring characters to the screen, and also hinted at more to come.
2. The Incredible Hulk (2008)Dr. Bruce Banner transforms himself, by way of a gamma radiation experiment, into a hulking green monster. Triggered into the uncontrollable hulking form by anger and stressful situations, Banner flees the country while the US Army tries to both control and replicate the results of Dr. Banner's experiment.
Following the huge success of Iron Man, the film offered both an expansion to the Marvel movie universe as well as a welcome replacement to Hulk from 2003. Edward Norton delivered a compelling performance, and director Louis Leterrier did a better job than previous efforts at balancing the Hulk's potential to be more of a monster movie than a superhero flick, although some still were disappointed at the films efforts. A cameo by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark solidified the new films' shared continuity.
3. Iron Man 2 (2010)Showing from the further adventures of Tony Stark as the still-selfish-but-wants-to-be-better billionaire/superhero. Tony gets to face personal and political consequences to his being Iron Man while facing enemies both foreign and domestic. He also faces the physical toll of being a part of his armor.
Iron Man 2 placed Robert Downey Jr. as the continued focal point of the first phase of Marvel films. While not as good as the original film, the second installment of the Iron Man movies wasn't all bad. It at least reminded people that they loved the first one and still wanted more. Also, the replacement of Terrence Howard with Don Cheadle in the roll of Tony's friend Rhodey signaled that Marvel was serious about doing things their way and were very much in control.
4. Thor (2011)Strong, mighty, and arrogant Thor is cast down from Asgard to the lower realm of Earth, where he faces new trials amongst men and old ones that have followed him from home— namely his scheming brother Loki. His extraterrestrial arrival speeds the developing of an agency already forming to deal with home grown superpowers, and forces them to question if they are indeed ready to deal with that task.
Thor marked a larger expansion of the Marvel universe to realms beyond the planet Earth. It also held several tie-ins to the Iron Man movies and introduced the character of Hawkeye, both of which hinted at and helped progress elements which were to be in the much anticipated, multi-hero Avengers film.
5. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)Steve Rogers goes from 0 to 60 following his transformation into super-soldier Captain America when he volunteers to undergo an experimental procedure. He goes on to lead his country's efforts to thwart evil plans of Nazi villains during the events of the second World War.
Captain America was not the best of the Marvel films, but it also wasn't a bad superhero film. Despite being a bit cheesy, it did make the character of Captain America into a tangible figure that would fit into the contemporary world of the other films. It also laid some important groundwork for the next film: The Avengers.
6. Marvel's: The Avengers (2012)
The ultimate team-up of heroes (first facing the challenges of working together with others arrogant enough to imagine themselves saviors of their world) band forces under the direction of Nick Fury's S.H.I.E.L.D. agency in order to counter Loki and an army from across the universe.The culmination of five years of work from Marvel Studios, Avengers was one of the biggest films of recent cinematic history, both in ambition and monetary value. It was what all five previous films had been working towards, and delivered what fans had been clamoring to see. The film showed a balance between star and super powers, blending the characters in a way that valued each and didn't neglect their fan-bases. The role of Bruce Banner was given to Mark Ruffalo, who replaced Edward Norton, again signaling Marvel's control and lack of squirming with recasting. Director Joss Whedon proved to be a welcome presence at the helm of the Marvel flagship. It was clear that big things were expected to follow.
7. Iron Man 3 (2013)Tony Stark again faces ghosts from the past; ghosts of New York and the devastation following the clash of the alien army and the Avengers, as well as ghosts from his past life before he became the hero Iron Man.
Iron Man 3 marked the beginning of Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. It followed a year after the huge success of the Avengers movie. The plot dealt with some of the consequences of the rampant destruction in the previous film, as well as concentrated upon the more human side of the hero, Tony Stark. While the film was largely well received, reinforcing the central role of Iron Man in the film series, it received widespread criticism from fans regarding the controversial treatment of the villainous character Mandarin.
<FUTURE PROJECTS>
8. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-)The missions of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, boldly going where some similar shows had gone before.
Meanwhile back at home, while superheroes go running about in their own feature films, Disney takes advantage of owning just about everything, and says go to the production of a tie-in television series. The series will show the exploits and adventures of the agency behind the scenes of the Avengers, the organization started by Nick Fury to try to handle the growing problem/population of super-beings on and around Earth. While not a film, the TV show will be contributing to the canon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
9. Thor: Dark of the World (2013)
Thor battles an ancient race of Dark Elves led by the
vengeful Malekith who threatens to plunge the universe back into darkness.
The film will expand the depths of the other worlds in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, exploring Asgard and the other realms talked about in the first Thor movie. This will help lead the way in expanding towards the interstellar realms of characters such as the Guardians of the Galaxy. It will also explore the complexity of Thor's mixed relationship with his home and his relationship with Earth.
10. Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014)
Steve Rogers continues to play his part as champion of both America and the agency S.H.I.E.L.D. as he faces down a new ghostly threat and continues to struggle adjusting to the modern world he finds himself in.
The film is to be the focus of the Phase 2 for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, placing Captain America in his role as the moral compass of the Marvel heroes, testing his purpose as a 'Superhero' and bringing him face to face with challenges old and new, which should make for a compelling movie and one much better than the first installment of Captain America films (which really was kind of a preview for Avengers).
A (future) team of superheroes come together to protect the
galaxy from danger, forming a squad capable of defeating cosmic threats.
Showing that Marvel truly has command of the comics-to-movie genre, they're pulling from all sorts of source material, no matter how obscure. The adventures of a superhero team that includes both a talking tree and a space raccoon seems pretty ambitious for the movie people over at Marvel, but if anyone knows how to do comic book movies, they've certainly proven that they're an authority on the subject. Also, as an inclusion in the Phase 2 series, Guardians should work as a tie in to the Avengers' further adventures.
12. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Concluding Phase 2 will be another Avengers film, this one putting the superhero team up against the mechanical villain Ultron. Originally created by Dr. Hank Pym, who won't be introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe until his solo film Ant-Man, it is more likely that Ultron will be a creation of either Tony Stark or S.H.I.E.L.D.. Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye is to have a larger role here. 
13. Ant-Man (2015)
To kick off Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dr. Hank Pym will be introduced as Ant-Man. The character of Hank Pym is a tricky one, a character with a checkered past and shifty agenda. At the helm of this project is Edgar Wright, which should be a good sign as his work with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost has been stellar.
Dr. Hank Pym has the ability to change size and communicate with different insects, which will add more fun to the Marvel universe and also his introduction adds a classic comic Avengers' character to the cinematic roster. Phase 3 should have quite a kick-off.
While this film project is hardly off the planning room board, rumors have been circulating for years. All that is known for certain is that Dr. Strange will be included in Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Casting rumors abound, and some believe that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be cast as the good doctor. Others have their doubts, but still, this film is far to out in the future to know anything yet. Whatever happens, if it happens, it will be foraging into a realm of supernatural and spiritual powers unexplored so far in the Marvel movies. At the very least, it will be a little strange.
Phase 3 is to include two other films, followed by what is most likely to be Avengers 3. The two remaining films in Phase 3 are to be decided upon next spring, although Marvel's President of Production, Kevin Feige, has said that another Hulk movie, one with Mark Ruffalo, might be on the table. Other possibilities include a Black Panther film, a sci-fi expansion with the Inhumans, maybe a Luke Cage movie or expansions on other character franchises like Captain America and Thor. Also, the third Avengers movie is where Joss Whedon has said the villain Thanos will finally be used, and that perhaps the conclusion of the third chapter of the heroes' saga will be a darker more fatal one. Only time will tell, as that film will not reach movie screens until at least (maybe) 2018. Until then, keep watching for more news and updates on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios is doing something quite ambitious and worth watching even if you're purely interested in the production model rather than the film narratives.
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