“This is an impossible choice. AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE,” wrote one anonymous voter in response to our survey asking Wellesley students to pick the best Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film out of the 18 released thus far. Impossible choice though it may have seemed, the 93 respondents provided a clear answer: “Black Panther,” which swept with 51.6 percent of the vote. After “Black Panther,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” tied for a distant second place, each receiving 9 votes (9.7 percent).
On the subject of bad guys, several people mentioned Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger as one of strengths that set “Black Panther” apart. “It has the best villain, best overarching plot and Shuri is amazing,” wrote Samantha Lincroft ’21. Several respondents also lauded the film for its representation and landmark inclusivity. “Black Panther doesn’t just avoid being problematic, it actively pursues gender and racial equity, while being a really good movie at the same time,” praised one anonymous voter. “I nearly cried many times during that movie, and not for ‘this scene is sad’ reasons, but just because it was such a beautiful piece that I think made a lot of people feel represented and included in a way that they deserve, which was just overwhelmingly positive. The variety of roles women played in the film was also especially brilliant,” another anonymous respondent enthused.
Beyond the Captain America trilogy, the only other MCU series for which all installments received votes in our survey was “Guardians of the Galaxy,” with James Gunn’s introduction to Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and company tying for second place overall. The sequel received a more modest two votes. Neither “Volume 2” supporter chose to comment on their selection, but Catherine Gooding ’19 elaborated on her choice of the first “Guardians” film, writing, “I think Guardians is when Marvel really hit its stride and figured out that their films can be goofy and epic simultaneously. Plus, who can resist that soundtrack?” Another anonymous voter wrote about an appreciation for the film’s focus on anti-heroes and the collaboration between unlikely allies instead of a narrow focus on the heroics of a single individual.