7) Captain America: The Winter Soldier Completely Changed The Game
Let’s be honest for a moment. While Captain America certainly kicked ass in the Avengers movie, his first solo effort wasn’t exactly the thrilling WWII epic that fans were hoping for. Fortunately, The First Avenger was still a hit worldwide, guaranteeing that the Star Spangled Avenger would get another solo shot at the big screen… and thank god he did.
The Winter Soldier delivered on every level, re-imagining the corny old-school adventures of the first movie into a credible 70’s style thriller that became Marvel’s strongest solo outing to date. Fans may have expected The Winter Soldier to up the stakes, but few could have anticipated the incredible critical reception it received. As if that wasn’t enough, Captain America’s follow-up also unexpectedly altered the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe with the revelation that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been run by Hydra this whole time.