Avengers: Endgame may be one of the MCU’s most famous and celebrated movies in the entire repertoire, but its Rotten Tomatoes score is beaten by one other MCU movie – and I think this is a good thing. The fact that Avengers: Endgame remains the MCUs highest-grossing movie this far into a brand-new MCU saga speaks volumes. Without an Avengers movie since then, and with the highest-grossing Multiverse Saga movie being Spider-Man: No Way Home, it seems clear ensemble movies are the MCU’s most bankable – but that doesn’t always mean they are the highest quality.

Then again, it’s worth pointing out that Spider-Man: No Way Home is also the Multiverse Saga’s highest-rated production, and one of the very few Multiverse Saga movies that sit among the MCU’s best-rated overall. It is difficult to ignore the unfortunate current state of the MCU and the fact that the Multiverse Saga has been under-performing, especially when comparing it to Infinity Saga powerhouses like Avengers: Endgame. It stands to reason, then, that the one MCU movie that fared better critically is from the same Saga, but this also makes me optimistic about future MCU installments.

Avengers: Endgame Is One Of The MCU’s Highest-Rated Movies Of All Time

It Boasts The Same Score As 2008’s Iron Man

Avengers: Endgame currently boasts an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, a score it shares with the MCU’s first movie, Iron Man. I find this to be incredibly fitting and satisfying, given how these movies bookended the first saga of such a celebrated franchise (the Infinity Saga’s epilogue movie, Spider-Man: Far From Home notwithstanding). Iron Man kicked off a new era of superhero movies with a grounded yet comic-accurate new spin on the genre replete with good humor, optimism, and bright colors. Avengers: Endgame then became a masterclass on how to end such a beloved franchise composed of 22 interconnected installments.

Avengers: Endgame embodied every aspect of what audiences loved about the MCU and brought a satisfying end to the MCU’s most iconic arcs. This is mostly where critics lavish Avengers: Endgame with praise, highlighting its action, emotion, and spectacle as it depicts one of the most epic and consequential stories in all of Marvel Comics. Audiences tend to agree with critics, granting a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Nevertheless, this score is surpᴀssed by another in MCU Phase 3, and I think it’s well-deserved.

Black Panther Just Manages To Have A Higher Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score Than Endgame

It Beats The Infinity Saga’s Tentpole Movie By 2%

Black Panther was released on February 16, 2018, just one year before Avengers: Endgame would tragically play host to Chadwick Boseman’s last appearance as T’Challa in the MCU. It boasts a Critics’ Score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, beating Avengers: Endgame by an admittedly small but respectable 2%. After Captain America: Civil War debuted one of Marvel Comics’ most beloved superheroes, Black Panther built upon his characterization and catapulted the live-action adaptation of the character into superstardom.

This is no surprise, given the quality of the story told in his solo outing. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes praise the “absorbing story,” impeccable performances, engrossing set design, and the fact that Black Panther felt like one of the most distinctive movies that Marvel had created until that point. I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment, and look fondly on Black Panther as a game-changer for the MCU, although it was admittedly released amid the MCU’s greatest era generally. Still, the fact that Black Panther was viewed slightly more favorably than Avengers: Endgame is a good sign.

Why Black Panther Having A Higher Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score Is Good For The MCU

The High Bar Set By Avengers: Endgame Can Be Cleared

The Multiverse Saga has been languishing under the lack of Avengers movies, with its overall narrative constantly threatening to disintegrate without ensemble movies punctuating each phase and helping to tie everything together. Nevertheless, Black Panther‘s critical success helps to prove that Marvel doesn’t need to be reliant on the MCU’s most popular franchise, the Avengers, to earn widespread praise for its movies. Although it falls short of Avengers: Endgame‘s 94% by just one point, Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s 93% critics’ score helps to prove that Marvel is still capable of producing celebrated standalone movies.

I’m also glad that it is a standalone movie like Black Panther that tops the list of the MCU’s highest-rated movies. Its first-rate status helps to prove that Marvel is anything but a one-trick pony, and while it still exhibits certain classic MCU hallmarks, it proves the MCU’s ability to deliver unique stories. It additionally proves that the incredibly high bar set by Avengers: Endgame can be cleared – and I’m hopeful that the Multiverse Saga still has plenty to offer in that regard.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday

  Release Date

  
  May 1, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  Release Date

  
  July 31, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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Source: Rotten Tomatoes