Film|Actors

What’s Every MCU Star’s Favorite MCU Movie?

Erica Blair
Updated July 3, 2024 15 items

Fans around the world flock to theaters whenever a new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is released, and with that universal acclaim, it's no surprise that the actors who play the Avengers are MCU fans, too. They don't just stick to their own corner of the franchise either; some of the best-known Avengers' favorite MCU movies aren't their own. While their favorite superheroes come from both the Marvel and DC comic universes, the actors have a deep appreciation for the other entries in the MCU, possibly because they have to keep up with the interconnected universe in preparation for their crossover roles. 

Robert Downey Jr. appeared in several MCU movies after launching the universe with Iron Man in 2008, giving his pick for the best MCU movie a little more weight. Chris Evans's Captain America is the moral center of the franchise, though, so his selection will inevitably land harder depending on whose side you picked in Civil War. Let's dig deep into the fabulous world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and see what inspired our favorite actors and actresses that bring these characters to life.

  • Robert Downey Jr. Praises A Specific Eight Minutes Of Action

    Robert Downey Jr. Praises A Specific Eight Minutes Of Action

    According to Iron Man, AKA Robert Downey Jr., his favorite MCU movie is Infinity War. The Upcoming was able to interview star, and he said: 

    The last 8 minutes of that movie [Infinity War] are maybe the best 8 minutes of the entire history of the whole run of them in a way. Because everyone’s involved. So I was delighted.

  • Chris Evans Prefers His Second Solo Outing

    Chris Evans Prefers His Second Solo Outing

    Chris Evans plays Captain America himself, the moral center of the Marvel Universe thanks to Super-Soldier Serum and a deep desire for justice. In an interview with Men's Journal, Evans declared his love for fan-favorite Winter Soldier. He said:

    Winter Soldier was the first one where I felt like I had my feet on the ground, and actually started to understand the character. I really liked that story, the cast, [and] the Russo brothers... I’ll say Winter Soldier.

  • Mark Ruffalo Has A Soft Spot For Shwarma 

    Mark Ruffalo Has A Soft Spot For Shwarma 

    Mark Ruffalo played everyone's favorite green giant, the Hulk, in several movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He declared the first Avengers movie to be the best when he appeared on a panel at Tokyo Comic Con:

    When we shoot the Marvel films we’re like a family. And there’s a lot of laughter and we eat a lot of food. My favorite, probably, scene is when we were eating shwarma at the end of the first Avengers movie.

  • Chris Hemsworth Gives 'Guardians' The Nod

    Chris Hemsworth Gives 'Guardians' The Nod

    Chris Hemsworth is best known for playing Thor, the Norse god who fights for both humanity and his home in Asgard. He went outside his own character's trilogy to pick Guardians of the Galaxy as his favorite MCU offering. When interviewed for ET Canada, Hemsworth said:

    The first Guardians was like, "Wow, this is different...This is cool and unique." And it really kind of turned it all in a different direction tonally. I love that film.

  • Jeremy Renner Loves 'Iron Man'

    Jeremy Renner Loves 'Iron Man'

    Jeremy Lee Renner plays the underappreciated fan-favorite Hawkeye, and his favorite film from the MCU helped kick the universe off. According to an interview with ET Canada, Renner loves Iron Man:

    The one that started it off for me was Iron Man... It's actually the main reason why I got on to play Hawkeye, because I loved how plausible they actually made it seem, like, "How the heck are they gonna make this happen, with Thor and all this stuff?" So yeah, I had to jump on early on because of that.

  • Lupita Nyong'o Loves The Impact Of 'Black Panther'

    Lupita Nyong'o Loves The Impact Of 'Black Panther'

    For Black Panther star Lupita Nyong'o, her experience making the Wakandan hero's solo film was so impactful, it was unquestionably her favorite MCU movie. She told Screen Rant:

    I just feel so blessed to be a part of this movie that has the potential to inform and shift our popular culture. And the fact that it's not only fly for days, but it's also got a really interesting message and something that really makes you think.

  • Tom Holland Thinks 'Thor' Is The Best

    Tom Holland Thinks 'Thor' Is The Best

    Tom Holland's version of Peter Parker dons the red spider suit for MCU classics like Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming. When it comes to choosing an MCU favorite, Holland thinks outside of his own movie box.

    According to The Independent, he said, "I like Thor: Ragnarok."

  • Dave Bautista Prefers 'Iron Man'

    Dave Bautista Prefers 'Iron Man'

    Dave Bautista Jr. of WWE and Guardians of the Galaxy fame wasn't always an MCU fan, preferring DC comics as a kid. According to Collider, Iron Man made Bautista change allegiances. He said:

    That movie made me a fan of Iron Man, because up until then I really wasn't. Batman and Aquaman were my guys growing up, oddly enough. It just made me a fan and I started watching from then on and all the Marvel movies, it's just got the golden touch. They've really got their finger on the pulse.

  • Brie Larson Found 'Infinity War' Moving 

    Brie Larson Found 'Infinity War' Moving 

    As one of MCU's strongest characters, Brie Larson's Captain Marvel kicks Kree butt and takes names across the galaxy. When asked about her favorite MCU entry by ET Canada, Larson said:

    I liked Avengers: Infinity War. It made me feel so many things because we're watching all these characters that you've seen for so long have these quintessential and surprising interactions. And then you're really upset.

  • Anthony Mackie Is On The Fence 

    Anthony Mackie Is On The Fence 

    Anthony Mackie made a big impact when he joined the MCU in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. When asked about his feelings on the MCU around the time Civil War was released, Mackie was on the fence. According to IGN, he said: 

    It’ll be very different because... I feel the best Marvel movies thus far have been Winter Soldier and Iron Man. And I think this movie [Civil War] far surpasses those two movies. I think the Russo brothers and Marvel have done a very good job with upping the ante every movie. And this one definitely does not fail to live up to that.

  • Chris Pratt Dreams Of A Punisher Crossover

    Chris Pratt Dreams Of A Punisher Crossover

    Chris Pratt is best known for playing Peter Quill, AKA Star-Lord, in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. Instead of a favorite MCU movie, he gave Yahoo Entertainment a hypothetical scenario. Pratt said:

    Me personally, I don’t even know the right answer to that. If I say the wrong thing I’ll get in trouble by Marvel or by the fans. It’d be awesome - I would like Peter Quill to meet the Punisher. He’s not in the movies, but if I’m talking Marvel Cinematic Universe, I think it’d be cool for Peter Quill. Punisher was my favorite growing up so that’d be cool for me to meet him.

    Whether Peter Quill will ever come face-to-face with the Punisher in the MCU, only time will tell.

  • Don Cheadle Is A Fan Of 'Ragnarok'

    Don Cheadle Is A Fan Of 'Ragnarok'

    Don Cheadle stepped in to play the buttoned-up but brazen James Rhodes/War Machine in the second Iron Man movie and stuck around to back up the Avengers in several more Marvel Cinematic Universe entries. His favorite movie isn't one of his own, but a fairly recent MCU hit. In a junket interview with ET Canada (alongside Chris Hemsworth and Brie Larson), Cheadle said:

    I liked the last Thor. I like that you found another way to take it.

  • Karen Gillan Enjoys 'Endgame'

    Karen Gillan Enjoys 'Endgame'

    As Thanos's daughter Nebula, Karen Gillan's role in the MCU evolved a lot over the course of the films. She's appeared in several MCU movies, and has very strong feelings when it comes to her favorite of the bunch. According to an interview in The Toronto Sun, her favorite MCU film is Endgame. Gillan said:

    It's going to be the best superhero movie of all time. Even if you've never seen these characters before, it doesn't matter. You can still jump onboard and you're going to have a whale of a time.

  • Evangeline Lilly Has Her Favorite "Political Thriller"

    Evangeline Lilly Has Her Favorite "Political Thriller"

    The Ant-Man movies are both throwbacks to screwball spy movies of the '60s and '70s, but Evangeline Lilly's favorite MCU movie is a different type of cinematic throwback.When asked which MCU film she liked best, Lilly said:

    The Winter Soldier. I thought that it was such a deftly handled political thriller, and I felt like the topics they were attacking and tackling were so serious and so relevant. I think a lot of the times, some of the issues in superhero movies can be a bit archaic... But this was, I thought, much more modernized in the things that I certainly worry about in this day and age, and it was dealt with with courage and grace.

  • Need More Marvel In Your Life?

    Need More Marvel In Your Life?