We’re down to the last part of our year-end series. Hope you guys enjoyed the MCU offerings of the year as much as we did. Sorry Ant-Man & the Wasp for not including you here. We still love you though!

Black Panther

I was originally going to choose Avengers: Infinity War as my pick for Best Film, but I don’t think I can in good conscience do that, simply because it is so dependent on 10 years of movies, character development, and build up. So, while it is still my favorite, I would not consider it the best on those grounds.

So, with that in mind, I would have to pick Black Panther, for its likable characters, engaging performances, breathtaking score, and message of identity and isolationism. I still listen to the score while I work – especially the track “Ancestral Plane” and I love how Shuri is a teenager into American culture (and dumb memes.) Yes, the CGI in the climax isn’t very good and it ends in a fist fight, but I still believe that it is an entirely effective movie and experience. – Pierre Chanliau, Editor

With no surprise, my pick for best MCU film is Black Panther. I don’t know if anything more could be said about this film. The Direction by Ryan Coogler is amazing, and the story is one that has crashed through the glass ceiling of the genre. With many experts predicting an Oscar nomination, the film certainly looks as if it will continue to make an impact long after its release. I’ll never forget the image of walking out of the theater and seeing a young African-American boy in a traditional tribal outfit staring in awe at the poster on the wall. A poster with faces that looked just like his, a cast, a world, a hero that represented him in the way no other film ever had. This film deserves every bit of the recognition it has received. – Kevin Carter, Editor

Infinity War

Even though Black Panther and Ant-man and the Wasp were great, they’re really hard to compare to Avengers: Infinity War. It’s a culmination of 10 years of storytelling and Marvel didn’t disappoint despite the absurdly high expectations we all had going in. – Alex Lurie, Feature Writer

It is hard not to consider Avengers: Infinity War the best film that Marvel Studios pushed out this year. The fact that the Russo Bros. could balance so many characters and still keep a consistent pace throughout is worthy of any awards alone. What truly stands out is that this is the first film that actually is more about the villain than our heroes. Thanos’ arc is a rather tragic one and it is a film I have watched countless times ever since its release. – Joseph Aberl, Editor

Despite some really high expectations – and having over 25 characters in one film – Avengers: Infinity War managed to surpass audience and critics expectations and blew mine out of the water. This was the biggest, most epic, and most brutal film that Marvel Studios have produced, and it shows. There are so many amazing character moments (Like Thor’s speech to Rocket) as well as fantastic actions scenes such as the 1-v-1s Thanos had with Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Hulk. I love this movie to pieces. – Curtis Johnson, Feature Writer

It has to be Infinity War. So many characters juggled well, iconic fights, and a perfect blend of drama and humor with an unforgettable ending. – KJ Callahan, Feature Writer

What else? Black Panther was great and Ant-Man and The Wasp was fun, but Infinity War actually delivered what seemed impossible: It lived up to ten years of expectations and speculations, becoming an unparalleled achievement in terms of working so many characters in a single film. It looked great, the dialogues were fantastic and the action thrilling. It had fun moments but never lost its serious tone. It ended in a shock that the MCU never delivered before, and showed that the stakes are very much real in this universe. An absolute home run. – Tiago Fiszbejn, News Writer

Happy New Year, everyone! Stay safe and have a great time!