The Marvel Cinematic Universe - or in short MCU - is one of the biggest movie franchises today with twelve installments already released. Ant-Man - the twelfth installment of the franchise - also marks the end of the MCU Phase 2, which is consisted of six movies just like the Phase 1.

The overall box-office performance of MCU Phase 2 movies has surpassed that of the Phase 1 movies, but was it really better? While there were movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier that impressed us by all means, movies like Iron Man 3 and Avengers: Age of Ultron couldn't deliver to our expectations.

Well, we don't intend to compare the first two phases of the MCU here, so we won't further proceed in that direction. This article is meant to rank the movies of MCU Phase 2 from the worst to the best. And this isn't to be done on the basis of how much each movie has grossed - rather on the basis of the story, performances, and to what extent the movies have met fan expectations. So, let's get started!

Hit 2 to check out which one's the worst movie of MCU Phase 2!

Iron Man 3 – The Worst Movie Of MCU Phase 2!

Iron Man 3 earned almost equal to what the first and second installments grossed together worldwide. And it is also the second highest grossing movie of MCU Phase 2 after Avengers: Age of Ultron. But, to be honest, the movie couldn't do justice to fan expectations.

The biggest disappointment in the movie was the presentation of Mandarin. Iron Man and Mandarin are like Batman and The Joker - one of the greatest rivalries in the comic book universe. So, expectation of the fans was sky-scraping. But Shane Black and his team simply messed it up while trying to add some twist to the plot. But that's nothing new with MCU movies as most of their villains have disappointed us.

Even though Guy Pearce has a reputation for his strong acting skills, his portrayal of Aldrich Killian wasn't very convincing. Introduction of Ty Simpkins' Harley Keener wasn't an interesting addition either. But don't forget that this kid has a three-picture deal with Marvel and we've heard rumors that he would take up the mantle of Iron Man in future.

It was fun to watch Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts kicking some ass in Iron Man suit - but it wasn't GREAT FUN. But it is always a great fun to watch Robert Downey Jr. play Tony Stark. If you aren't familiar with the comic books, Iron Man 3 is in no way the worst movie of MCU Phase 2 -the next one is most likely the one.

Hit 3 to check out which movie has bagged the fifth spot!

The Number Five Is Thor: The Dark World!

Thanks to Tom Hiddleston's Loki, the second installment of Thor could manage to move ahead of Iron Man 3 in this list. The makers get credit for the wonderful twist circling the character and the actor gets credit for playing it with brilliance. Chris Hemsworth was also impressive with his role of the titular superhero.

But the villain did the damage again! Christopher Eccleston's Malekith appeared neither very threatening, nor very interesting. He is perhaps the most boring villain of MCU Phase 2. And that's the main reason why the movie is placed in the bottom half of our list.

Hit 4 to check out the number four in our list!

Ant-Man Stands Ahead Of Iron Man 3 & Thor 2!

Ant-Man isn't a very popular superhero in the comic book universe and many even didn't know such a superhero exists. But the last movie of MCU Phase 2 which is based on this superhero with size-shifting abilities has impressed us to a greater extent than Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World.

This is because the funny and light-hearted movie has had lesser amount of annoyances when compared with the two movies. We have a detailed explanation of why the movie isn't actually a bad one in here.

Update – Thanks to the Chinese box office, Ant-Man has grossed $500 million worldwide!

Hit 5 to check out which movie has grabbed the third spot in MCU Phase 2!

Avengers: Age of Ultron Isn't In Our Top Two!

Avengers: Age of Ultron – the highest grossing movie of MCU Phase 2, but yet not among the most remarkable ones! The most highly anticipated movie of 2015 couldn't deliver up to the mark. We surely expected a lot more from the second installment of this superhero team franchise.

Josh Whedon admitted that it was a NIGHTMARE for him to direct the movie because he had so much to deal with, and we could realize why he said so while watching the movie. When so much is happening in a movie, balance is the key – but that is where they have faltered. The movie seemed messy at some points.

Ultron - the titular baddie - wasn't that impressive either. However, the way he was used in the movie to introduce new Avengers like Scarlet Witch and Vision was appreciable. It is always entertaining to have such big superheroes team up together. But, being the sequel of the biggest superhero movie ever, Avengers: Age of Ultron should have definitely offered us more.

Hit 6 to check out the second best movie of MCU Phase 2!

Guardians Of The Galaxy - The Second Best!

Hardly anyone knew who the Guardians of the Galaxy are before James Gunn's 2014 flick was released. The movie not only earned a heap of money that no one could imagine, but also earned appreciation from the critics.

It seems as flawless and perfect as it could be – character development, humor and action – which was indeed needed for the riskiest project in the MCU to survive with dignity in the box-office. We loved every character in the movie - right from the heroes (anti-heroes actually) to the baddies. Okay, you might have complains about Ronan, but you must admit that he is the villain with some guts - challenging Thanos isn't what every other baddie would dare to do.

In spite of having no connections with any of the MCU characters other than Thanos, Guardians of the Galaxy very well fits in the universe. It is the quirkiest and funniest movie Marvel has ever produced and that is what helps it to bag the second spot in our list.

Hit 7 to check out the best one of MCU Phase 2!

The Best One- Captain America: The Winter Soldier!

You can term the first installment of the Captain America franchise as a boring one, but you have to admit that the second one was exceptionally good. Captain America: The Winter Solider offered humor, action, twist and philosophy - all of that simultaneously and in perfect equilibrium.

Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson – each and every actor did an amazing job with their roles making the movie not just the best one in the MCU Phase 2, but also an ideal example of how a superhero solo movie should be.

How do you rank the movies of MCU Phase 2? Do let us know via comments.