Introduction
Well, this is about to be controversial… And yes I’m cheating slightly with this list as I’m including all Marvel shows on Disney+ so that includes the Defenders Saga. Mostly, because otherwise I’d have to talk about She Hulk and Secret Invasion which would probably cause brain aneurysms for the Joey Barton types on Twitter. Anyway, with Echo just dropping why not ranking the best Marvel Disney+ shows and probably annoy Marvel fans, not that it’s very difficult. Anyway, here is some history about them before I get into the list properly…
History
The Marvel and Disney+ era kicked off in the aftermath of Endgame all the way back in 2021 with WandaVision supposedly kickstarting a new golden era of Marvel content. However, with a very few exceptions, most of the Marvel and Disney+ content has been mediocre to forgettable with the occasional stink bomb. Here’s looking at you: Secret Invasion…. Anyway, there have been high points, like when they finally added the Defenders (but not really Defenders) Saga to the service. Which definitely wasn’t caused by fan uproar and a lack of any better content. Now without further ado, here are my picks for the best Marvel shows on Disney+.
10. Echo
Well, speaking of pissing off Marvel fans I’ve started on a good foot with Echo. Now am I putting this on here for the storyline or the lead actress? No not especially as no one was really calling for it as a show. Instead I’m putting it on here because of Vincent D’Onfrio’s Kingpin which despite being put through the ringer recently, is still one of the greatest character casting calls in Marvel history. So, it is great to see proper representation for the deaf community and also mostly for the aforementioned Kingpin and desperate attempt to rejuvenate audiences with a post credits scene so forgettable it may as well just have been in the show normally.
9. Luke Cage
Speaking of the aforementioned not really Defenders Saga, Luke Cage was certainly an interesting part of that Saga. Ultimately, it was a kind of forgettable show even if Mike Colter gave it his best shot at keeping the show moving. But, the biggest missed opportunity about the show was how it didn’t really build on the relationship between Cage and Jessica Jones which could be down to the difference in opinion of showrunners. But regardless of that, again it scores major points for its representation of a black superhero and also for a weirdly star studded cast.
8. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
And now for a show which really should have been a film. And that’s not a slight on the performances as US Agent was a genuinely excellent villain and that moment where Sam suits up as Captain America is great. But unfortunately, the show’s pacing is at best choppy and at worst down right non-existent. And you don’t need me to tell you that’s a problem as with most of the episodes topping 40 minutes the constant stopping and starting is reminiscent of most peoples first driving experience. So, while I can appreciate the performances of the two leads and villains as well as the brief Florence Pugh appearance, unfortunately the show’s pacing killed it’s chances of placing higher.
7. What If?
Quick question: does anyone actually watch What If? I’m not saying that to be crude but when talking to the very few avid Marvel fans left, nobody really mentions Marvel’s hypothetical scenario show. Though then again, there’s only really a few episodes worth checking out, like the Doctor Strange ones or Black Panther ones. And to be fair, the animation style is very nice and the range of famous voices being used are nice to see but overall it falls into the ultimately forgettable but fine category of Marvel shows. And also, I am docking points for that zombie episode because as South Park pointed out it’s too damn lazy still relying on premises like that.
6. The Punisher
Now from here on out, we’re into the actually decent stuff starting with the wonderfully brutal Punisher starring Jon Bernthal. Now whilst Bernthal never really became a leading man, he excels in the brute force roles like the Punisher. Oh, don’t watch this show whilst eating or if you’ve got a weak composition because it isn’t the easiest watch mostly due to some of the violence seen. Also, there’s a surprising amount of emotion within the show, largely thanks to Ben Barnes and Jon Bernthal who both probably needed back surgery after carrying the show for its entire run. Also, that ending shot of the Punisher in full gear about to guns blazing is so damn good. Definitely worth checking out for all the Ben Barnes fans….
5. WandaVision
Ah yes, the original Marvel Disney+ show which kickstarted the absolute mess afterwards but to its credit, WandaVision is a very solid show. And that’s mostly because of three factors: Elisabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany and Kathryn Hahn. Now, I can definitely appreciate the amount of effort that Marvel put into the show with frequent interesting stylistic changes but ultimately it turned out pretty decent, if not occasionally great. However, that pitch about the cop randomly appearing in other shows to solve pointless crimes is a very funny idea, weirdly for Reddit, and Marvel should definitely capitalise…
4. Hawkeye
Is this a controversial pick? Maybe but this was the first Marvel Disney+ series which genuinely made me laugh and have a good time while watching it. Why do you ask? Well, firstly the chemistry between leads Renner and Steinfeld is both surprising and hilarious. Also, by using the time honoured tradition of the main character having to get home for Christmas or else they’ll miss it is a nice slow burn time bomb. And if that isn’t enough, the cameos of both Yelena and the MCU debut of Kingpin make for great television even if Kingpin is nearly immediately wasted but I digress.
3. Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones is still one of my favourite things Marvel has ever produced and I’m being deadly serious. This is definitely not due to my love of all things David Tennant as he puts in such a good performance as Killgrave they straight up have Jessica keep imagining him as a reason to keep him around for the remaining series. Oh, also Krysten Ritter proves she’s more than capable of leading a show as well as the show’s great representation of mental health is definitely a positive as well. Also, the fact it had me shipping Jessica and Trish shows how well both characters are played in the show. This is definitely a huge positive and the show is worth the watch.
2. Loki
Again similarly like other entries this may be slightly controversial but then again Tom Hiddleston is endlessly charming. Despite some rocky moments, Hiddleston is largely able to carry Loki to the best Disney+ Marvel original show title. Though that isn’t very hard… Anyway, a lot of the joy comes from Hiddleston’s interactions with He Who Must Not Be Named, both literally and figuratively. Also, he has fantastic chemistry with Sylvie and the numerous other Lokis and Mobius which does help keep the show moving even whilst the pacing does occasionally struggle. Also, credit to Kate Herron and the showrunners for managing to alter Series 2 as much as they possibly could after He Who Must Not Be Named went down in flames.
1. Daredevil
And the best Marvel show on Disney+ is….. Daredevil. And for those who have seen it, are you really surprised? While the quality of Netflix’s MCU eventually petered out by Iron Fist, they hit utter gold with Daredevil. Firstly, Charlie Cox was an inspired casting call as were Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll as Foggy and Karen respectively. That doesn’t even factor in the dark, almost noir-like, tone as well as some of the villains like the aforementioned D’Onofrio Kingpin as well as Bullseye and a cameoing Jon Bernthal as the Punisher. Also, it’s kind of nice to see Marvel knowing how to direct a legal show given the weirdness that was She Hulk. Anyway, if Marvel messes up Daredevil Born Again, we’ll always have three incredible series to watch.
