Marvel has been releasing movies for decades now, and especially since the beginning of the MCU, films focused on the company’s superhero characters are seemingly constantly being released. While most Marvel movies are released in the Spring, Summer, or late Winter, the sheer number of Marvel movies means that basically any random date could eventually be home to a movie’s premiere. So, this makes the fact that four major Marvel movies were released on the same day incredibly strange.

May 2 has become a major date for Marvel, as four different Marvel movies have been released on the date across the years. X2, Iron Man, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and most recently Thunderbolts* have all been released on May 2 of their respective years. So, here are all four of these movies ranked, showing the range of quality that these May 2 movies span.

4) The Amazing Spider-Man 2

May 2, 2014, saw the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which is easily the worst of these four Marvel films. The notorious film is often considered to be the worst live-action Spider-Man movie, with its music and visual style feeling really dated and its story being a hodgepodge of different setups and uninteresting storylines.

The worst crime of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is how it butchered Harry Osborn, Electro, and the Rhino all at once. All three of these villains were completely mishandled, with their designs, personalities, and stories barely representing their comic book counterparts. While Peter and Gwen’s relationship was done well, and there was some good CGI, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is mostly a mess, with it only being remarkable due to it being the last attempt for Sony to avoid bringing Spidey to the MCU.

3) Thunderbolts*

May 2, 2025, saw the release of Thunderbolts* (aka The New Avengers), which introduced an entirely new team of superheroes to the MCU. The film acted as a sequel to several different projects, including Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and more, with some of the Multiverse Saga’s most popular new characters forming the most significant MCU team since the original Avengers.

After a streak of poorly-received movies, Thunderbolts* helped reignite interest in MCU films due to how great it was. The movie featured interesting themes and told a compelling self-contained story rather than simply being an excuse for cameos and recognizable characters. The end of Thunderbolts* also got fans excited about the future of the MCU, something that the franchise’s movies had been failing to do for years.

2) Iron Man

May 2, 2008, saw the release of Iron Man, which is one of the most important films in cinematic history. Iron Man is the film that kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the massive web of interconnected movies and TV shows that has changed the blockbuster landscape forever. The film introduced Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, a casting choice so incredible that it is still considered to be one of the best superhero castings to this day.

Iron Man moved away from the campy nature of many of the superhero films of the early 2000s and told a fun, grounded superhero story that acted as an entry point into Marvel for general audiences. While the film started small, its post-credits scene proves that it came out of the gate with big ambitions. The story of Iron Man took decades to tell, and like many other Marvel stories, it all started on May 2.

1) X2

May 2, 2003, saw the release of X2, which is easily the best of these four films. Beyond that, X2 is the best movie in FOX’s X-Men series, so it isn’t surprising that the film has topped our list. X2 perfectly balances its massive cast of mutants, with it jumping right into an exciting story that is unburdened by all the setup from its predecessor. The film is FOX’s best exploration of the X-Men franchise’s central themes, with it telling a political story centered on a potential mutant registration act.

No other X-Men movie has lived up to X2, with it being one of the early greats in the superhero genre. The impact of X2 can be found in the DNA of many later superhero team-up movies, and while it does have some flaws, it is one of the best movies to have ever come from Marvel.