There’s a certain comfort in rewatching a favorite movie. After a long day of work or a study break distraction, pressing play on a familiar film is a great way to unwind. That’s not to say the movie of choice will necessarily be a great film – The Godfather is a masterpiece, but it might not be the movie to throw on for a quick watch at the end of the day.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with rewatchable films, but with so many entries in the franchise, there are a few less accessible options to revisit. It doesn’t make the less rewatchable films bad as a rule but rather possesses less of a fun factor than some of the blockbusters produced by Marvel. From overpacked sequels to tearful goodbyes, here are the least rewatchable MCU movies, ranked by how unappealing it is to sit back and revisit them.

10 'Iron Man 2' (2010)

Directed by Jon Favreau

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) feels untouchable with his new status as a superhero in Iron Man 2. While Tony learns that the arc reactor keeping him alive is also poisoning him, an eccentric criminal in Russia with familial ties to the creation of the original reactor, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), plots revenge for the mistreatment of his family line. If that wasn’t enough, rival weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) wants his hands on Tony’s designs to make his version of the Iron Man suit.

Expectations were high for Iron Man 2 to match the quality and enduring appeal of the first Iron Man. Knowing that Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) would be making her MCU debut made it a priority viewing for Marvel fans. However, a scattered focus on both primary antagonists ultimately made both look less important, and Iron Man 2 is a good, not great, MCU entry that sinks to the middle of the pack.

9 'The Incredible Hulk' (2008)

Directed by Louis Leterrier

Edward Norton works hard to control his temper in his first (and last) Marvel Studios appearance, The Incredible Hulk. Norton stars as Bruce Banner, who, at the beginning of the film, is living off the grid while keeping a close guard on his emotions. General “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) manages to track down Banner’s location and sends a team led by Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) to retrieve the unstable scientist. Forced to once again relocate, Banner returns home to reunite with lost love Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) and take on new and mutated threats that wish to cage the Hulk for good.

There are many fans who prefer Norton’s take on Bruce Banner, and for those, the rewatchability of The Incredible Hulk runs higher. The other segment of the MCU fan base who prefer Mark Ruffalo’s performance will find less to return to, as tonally, The Hulk has moved in such a different direction compared to this 2008 effort. The action scenes hold up well with the CGI, but the time from one set piece to the next can feel too long to make the wait worth it.

8 'Doctor Strange' (2016)

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) goes from the operating room to magical temples in the fantasy adventure Doctor Strange. A car accident leaves Strange’s hands unable to perform surgery, so the doctor searches for any cure, regardless of how seemingly unorthodox, to fix his hands. His quest leads him to the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), who hesitantly teaches Strange the art of mastering new mystical powers and reveals new dimensions to explore, such as the astral plane.

Origin stories are burdened with the unpacking of exposition, probably no more so than Dr. Strange, a character casual audiences weren’t as familiar with. Not helping is the lack of a compelling villain, which, when so much of the story is dedicated to how Strange becomes the hero of Marvel lore, doesn’t leave room for a conflict to sufficiently build. The visuals are dazzling to look at, so those might be moments fast-forwarded to in lieu of watching Doctor Strange in its entirety.

7 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015)

Directed by Joss Whedon

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes once again assemble to take down an evil of their own creation in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner work on creating a new defense program known as Ultron (James Spader) that quickly goes rogue and decides humanity is the greatest threat to Earth. While the team struggles to fend off the highly intelligent robot, they will also need to subdue Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), two super-powered beings with the capability to bring down the Avengers from within.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is an action-packed spectacle that delivers large-scale battles with one of the Avengers’ greatest foes, Ultron, but of all the Avengers movies, it’s the one least likely to revisit. Later epics in the Marvel timeline will need longer runtimes to accommodate multiple characters in different locations, but a standalone battle against Ultron could have benefited from a leaner cut more focused on the core villain. Fans of Ultron might find this to be their favorite Avengers movie, but other entries have more allure as a rewatch.

6 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' (2018)

Directed by Peyton Reed

The stakes get bigger (by Ant-Man standards) in the Ant-Man and the Wasp. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has been languishing under house arrest after the events of Captain America: Civil War, but a message from Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), the long-lost mother to Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and wife to Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), pulls Scott back into action. The race is on to save Janet from the Quantum Realm, but the complications from the mysterious Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) will make an already challenging mission even more difficult.

Ant-Man and the Wasp falls victim to the most common superhero trap: it gets bogged down in its lore to the point where the effort of being entertaining takes a backseat, and it doesn't help that it has some of the most forgettable characters in the MCU. There’s nothing exceptionally bad about the film, but being average has a worse connotation when the inevitable comparison to the other Marvel films is made. It’s nice fan service to see Lilly take on the role of the Wasp, but perhaps Ant-Man and the Wasp work better as members of a team and less as stars of solo adventures.

5 'Thor: The Dark World' (2013)

Directed by Alan Taylor

Fantasy meets Shakespearean sensibilities in the second solo outing for Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in Thor: The Dark World. Thor assumes life will be calm with Loki (Tom Hiddleston) imprisoned for his crimes, but in the mortal realm, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) finds herself unwittingly merged with the Aether, a legendary weapon. The activation of the Aether awakens the ancient Dark Elf Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), who will stop at nothing to reclaim the weapon for his desires. The imminent danger of Malekith’s quest causes Thor and Loki to join forces to vanquish the dark elf.

When Marvel Studios was on an unbelievable hot streak of box office success, Thor: The Dark World was the first entry in the franchise that was met with a more tepid fan reaction. Thor: Ragnarok wisely moved the characters into a more pulpy adventure away from the overly serious presentation of the first two Thor films, giving it a wider audience accessibility. In the overall timeline of the MCU, Thor: The Dark World feels less vital to revisit than some of the other entries of the same era.

4 'Iron Man 3' (2013)

Directed by Shane Black

Sins of Tony Stark’s past come back to haunt him in the Shane Black-directed Iron Man 3. A fateful meeting between geneticist Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) and Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) introduces Tony to the concept of the Extremis treatment that promises to regenerate the tissue of injured bodies. He passes on the idea in a dismissive manner but is forced to pay attention when, in the present day, Extremis is responsible for massive bombings in public settings. A master terrorist known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) claims credit for the destruction, leading Tony on a mission to stop the cryptic leader before more lives are lost.

One of the largest issues in the movie is the unfortunate mishandling of the longtime comic book nemesis, The Mandarin, which undercut what was set to be an exciting confrontation. While Downey was fun to watch, as always, it seemed that each film in the series got further away from the simple storytelling that made the first so much popcorn fun. The climactic scene of the many variations of the Iron Man suits filling the sky is a masterful visual display, but that energy doesn’t carry to longer stretches of the movie.

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3 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' (2022)

Directed by Ryan Coogler

A touching farewell with a graceful look to the future, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever examines grief and the burden of unexpected responsibility. Shuri (Letitia Wright) still mourns the loss of her brother T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), but complications from Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the mutant king of Talokan, force her to embrace her destiny. With a powerhouse performance from Angela Bassett as Ramonda, the queen of Wakanda, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a bold and worthy sequel to the original.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an emotionally demanding film, both in terms of the loss of Black Panther actor Boseman and the journey the fictional characters go on as they mourn their king. The 2 hours 41 minutes of run time is used wisely to build a rising conflict between Wakanda and the underwater city of Talokan, but that time investment lowers the chances of pressing play on a rainy day.

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2 'Eternals' (2021)

Directed by Chloé Zhao

In Eternals, a group of benevolent super-powered aliens walk among mortals to fulfill their mission. Once led by Ajak (Salma Hayek), the immortal beings have scattered to different parts of the Earth, pursuing individual lives. A resurgence of The Eternals’ sworn enemy, the Deviants, reunites the estranged group to once again work and fight as a team. The all-star cast features Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Brian Tyree Henry, and Barry Keoghan as just a small chunk of the expansive collection of performers.

Eternals is far better than its reputation suggests. Director Chloé Zhao created a uniquely different viewing experience full of sweeping shots and methodical pacing. The plot is so highly reliant on the intrigue of the central mystery that repeat viewing will require patience through the slower chunks of exposition and speculation. With a runtime of two hours and 36 minutes, Eternals might not have the fun factor of a rewatchable film.

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1 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' (2023)

Directed by Peyton Reed

Scott Lang has found a comfortable rhythm in his post-Thanos life as Ant-Man, but his daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) challenges that they could be doing more. When she inadvertently creates a portal that transports everyone to the Quantum Realm, Scott, along with Hope, Janet, and Dr. Hank Pym, must work together to get home. Unfortunately, they’ll have to cross paths with the evil Kang (Jonathan Majors) before they can escape.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is an unfortunate and inevitable low point for the MCU, and it’s a tough watch to finish on the first attempt. There’s a really good idea hidden in the final product of a wild and unpredictable journey through the Quantum Realm, but the execution feels rushed and under the quality expected from one of the largest and most successful movie studios. Ideally, the film will serve as a redirection point for the franchise, but Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is not a second trip worth taking.

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NEXT: The 10 Most Rewatchable MCU Final Battles, Ranked