Never seen a Marvel comic book movie and thinking about joining the millions of other people who have, except you're worried that your unfamiliarity with the comics'll leave you totally lost? You're in luck. We put together this handy guide that'll allow you to get your MCU game on track.
What's the MCU you ask? Marvel Entertainment -- the comic book publisher that brought the world superheroes such as Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk (not Superman and Batman, they're owned by a whole other company) -- developed a film arm a few years ago, Marvel Studios, responsible for bringing their superhuman characters to a theater near you. The comics are full of hundreds of people who can fly, smash through buildings and crawl across ceilings. The movies, on the other hand, contain only a fraction of them. Many of them interact with each other and show up in each other's films. That world, which they inhabit together, is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So far, the MCU consists of 20 movies with many more to come. What happens in one film influences the events -- and the people -- in another.
You could devote considerable time towards watching all 20 movies -- gems and duds alike -- to find out how the overall story unfolds. But you don't have to. We've wasted our time for you. Follow these steps and you'll reap the best entertainment value to be had from the MCU. You'll see the best of the best and bypass the meaningless entries and the junk that never should've seen the inside of a digital projector.
Step 1. Iron Man
Iron Man is the very first installment of the MCU. Understanding that most non-comic book readers are completely unfamiliar with the character, Marvel Studios wisely presented the movie as an origin story -- establishing the precedent for the initial solo film of nearly every Marvel hero to come. Billionaire genius Tony Stark's (the man inside the Iron Man suit) motivations and inner-demons play a pivotal role in a couple of the later movies -- and the fate of the world -- and this one gives you an idea of what kind of guy he is.
While the movie's primary importance lies in its presentation of background information, what you'll love most is seeing Iron Man flying -- and crashing. However, Stark reveals his previously secret identity to the world during a press conference at the end of the movie. As a result, S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division)-director Nick Fury approaches him and lets him know that his organization is considering him for "the Avengers Initiative".
Step 2. The First Avenger
The story details how a short and scrawny but tough and principled U.S. Army reject (Steve Rogers) becomes the first and last successful participant in the military's "super-soldier" program in which his strength, agility, endurance, healing, speed and reflexes are increased exponentially. He also grows taller and gains an astounding amount of muscle mass. His primary weapon, a shield made from vibranium, was designed by one of his contemporaries, genius-industrialist Howard Stark (Tony's father). Following Rogers' plane crashing into the Arctic Ocean, Stark retrieves an otherworldly device called the Tesseract (which was also on the plane) while attempting (unsuccessfully) to locate Steve and the aircraft.
After Rogers awakens in New York City after being frozen in the Arctic for seven decades, he's offered a mission by Nick Fury in a post-credits scene.
You won't see anyone flying through the clouds but watching Cap acquire his powers is entertaining enough. Like Iron Man, Captain America's worldview has an enormous impact on events to come in later movies.
Step 3. The Avengers
The Avengers finally brings Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow together when the "Avengers Initiative" is activated in order to save New York City from an alien invasion that none of them could hope to thwart without the others. It also happens to be the most entertaining and re-watchable entry in the series and its what all of the preceding films were building up to.
The Tesseract is used to open an intergalactic portal that allows an alien army entrance to Earth right above Manhattan.
Captain America begins to take the reins of the team that he commands in the comics but the Hulk and Iron Man steal the show.
Step 4. The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier isn't the first MCU movie to follow The Avengers but it is the first good one. It's also one of the rare sequels that is actually better than its predecessor (Think: The Empire Strikes Back and The Dark Knight). While The First Avenger is a war movie, The Winter Soldier is a spy-thriller. It also serves to introduce future-Avenger Falcon.
The Winter Soldier himself turns out to be Cap's oldest friend James "Bucky" Barnes, previously thought to have been killed after falling from a train. Actually, Barnes was rescued by a Russian intelligence agency, injected with the same (stolen) "super-soldier serum" as Rogers, brainwashed, periodically placed in cryogenic stasis and trained to be an assassin. He's also been outfitted with a vibrainium arm to replace the one he lost during WWII. Following a near-fatal confrontation with Steve, Buck's brainwashing wears off slightly.
After discovering that the agency has been infiltrated by a terrorist organization and irrevocably corrupted, Cap literally dismantles S.H.I.E.L.D. with the help of Falcon and Black Widow. A mid-credits scene introduces two future Avengers, twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff.
Step 5. The Age of Ultron
So far, The Avengers: The Age of Ultron is the first movie in which the Avengers are tasked with saving the world. The film also features super-powered characters Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch and Avengers-member War Machine.
Age of Ultron features two villains: black-market vibranium-dealer Ulysses Klaue, who confesses that the substance was obtained in the African nation Wakanda (in its first MCU mention) and narcissistic A.I. Ultron, who shatters the scepter used by Thor's brother Loki in The Avengers to reveal that it contains an Infinity Stone, specifically, the mind stone. Ultron implants the stone into the forehead of the Vision, intending to download himself into the body.
Captain America has some great lines. Some of the best actually - even better than Iron Man's. They include:
"I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science invented was me."
"You get hurt, hurt 'em back. You get killed - walk it off."
"What kinda monster would let a German scientist experiment on him to help his country?" (Sarcastically referring to himself)
A mid-credits scene features Thanos brandishing the Infinity Gauntlet.
Step 6. Ant-Man
Ant-Man finally brought Avengers founding member and Ultron-inventor Dr. Hank Pym into the fold. The movie also teases the future appearance of another Avenger -- the Wasp. Falcon is the only present Avenger to show up.
Ant-Man bears the distinction of being the only superhero movie that belongs to the "heist film" genre and represents the very rare occasion in which a heavy emphasis on comedy in a superhero movie is a good idea.
Step 7. Civil War
After Bucky (the Winter Soldier) is framed for assassinating the Black Panther, T'Chaka, his son T'Challa takes on the BP mantle and doggedly pursues Buck in order to avenge his father's murder eventually forging a temporary alliance with a faction of the team headed by Tony Stark (Iron Man). Ever the faithful friend, Cap leads the other half of the Avengers against Chrome-Dome and company in order to keep his boy out of prison and any number of super-powered crosshairs.
When all's said and done, the team is split up (along with Cap's shield) and a post-credits scene reveals that the new Wakandan king (T'Challa), after realizing that WS was set up, has offered the now one-armed Bucky (thanks to his fight with Stark) asylum and psychological treatment to counteract his brain-washing in the safety of the African nation.
Step 8. Black Panther
In a post-credits scene, Bucky is revealed to be still missing an arm and living in Wakanda, though there's a suggestion that he may be rid of the mind control. He's even been given a nickname -- White Wolf -- a reference to a caucasian character from the comics who's adopted by T'Chaka and raised and trained alongside T'Challa.
Step 9. Infinity War
Infinity War brings almost every MCU hero together in one movie (the exceptions are Ant-Man and Hawkeye). After fulfilling his mission of assembling all six Infinity Gems, intergalactic tyrant Thanos wipes out half of all life in the universe with a snap of his fingers. His victims include the Winter Soldier, Groot, the Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Peter Quill, Drax, Mantis and Black Panther. He also murders Vision, Gamora and Loki with his bare hands.
I've seen Infinity War three times already and I like it even more than I did the first time I watched it. I agree with the filmmakers that this is mainly Thanos' story. There was some question as to whether a live-action Thanos would or even could do the original comics version justice. And the fact is that the iteration of the character that we see in Infinity surpasses all the ones that came before. But there are standouts on the other side of the war as well.
I've seen Infinity War three times already and I like it even more than I did the first time I watched it. I agree with the filmmakers that this is mainly Thanos' story. There was some question as to whether a live-action Thanos would or even could do the original comics version justice. And the fact is that the iteration of the character that we see in Infinity surpasses all the ones that came before. But there are standouts on the other side of the war as well.
The pressure was on for the MCU's 18th feature to deliver on 10 years worth of build-up. And IW certainly met the challenge. The Guardians of the Galaxy have never been better -- not even in their own movies. Quill and Rocket outshone the vast majority of the other characters onscreen. The two of them really did have the best lines. Infinity also provides the greatest showcase for Thor. It's a huge step up from the Thor trilogy, in particular. He really does emerge as the hero, albeit an unsuccessful one.
There you have it. So far, the MCU also includes three Thor movies, two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, two Iron Man movies and an Ant-Man movie that failed to make this list. Also left off are Doctor Strange and Spider-Man: Homecoming. Don't sweat it and don't bother watching them. None of them are necessary and most are best ignored. They're best disavowed like 2008's The Incredible Hulk -- Marvel has downplayed Hulk's connection to the MCU since the year it was released.
Step 10. Endgame
Endgame starts off promising enough: we finally see Hawkeye again (thankfully out of his ridiculous uniform) after three years; Tony Stark and Nebula work together in a desperate but doomed attempt to get Peter Quill's battered ship to civilization before they run out of breathable air (they've already run out of food -- the consequences of embarking on a hopeless mission without a real plan); Captain Marvel miraculously locates the pair in time; after locating Thanos, the surviving Avengers minus a malnourished Iron Man but with assistance from Marvel and Nebula confront him again; Thor chops off the retired warlord's gauntlet and then his head. Unfortunately, Thanos revealed before his death that he destroyed the Infinity Stones -- which leads the heroes to conclude that they must accept the new state of the universe.
Things are still moving along nicely when we catch up to some of the survivors five years later: Steve Rogers has taken a page out of the deceased Sam Wilson's book and now leads "survivors' guilt" group therapy sessions; and Ant-Man, who's been trapped in the Quantum Realm since before The Snap, is finally released when a rat (a shoutout to Disney?) manages to step on the "Enter" button on the keyboard in Luis' van; Cap and Scott present the latter's Back to the Future plan to Tony, who's now living the quiet life with Pepper and their daughter, Morgan.
Also, Thor finally becomes the clown that his father always feared he would be. And for some reason, he hands the Asgardian leadership reins over to Valkyrie -- who was just as much of a drunk as he is a mere six years prior (in Ragnarok). Worse, she was a despotic slave-master's mercenary toady and failed to lift a finger when Thanos and his people murdered half of her fellow refugees (in Infinity War). Even Drax would make a better king. And where the hell did she get a flying horse??
Eventually, things get back on track: Hawkeye and Black Widow head to Vormir in order to get their hands on the Soul Stone, which costs Natasha her life; when Nebula visits 2014, Thanos discovers the 2023 Avengers' plan and decides to let them do his dirty work and then simply take the Stones from them; we get a battle royale between the Avengers and their allies and Thanos' vast army.
Even though we've all known for a year that Black Panther and Spider-man would be resurrected (a moment that elicited applause in the theater), it was great to actually see the two of them -- not to mention Falcon and Bucky -- step onto the battlefield.
While Endgame represents a step back in MCU quality in some respects (especially after the two giant leaps forward of Black Panther and Infinity War), the filmmakers seemed to have learned lessons from others' mistakes: Tony Stark gets the death that his DC counterpart and fellow billionaire/genius/playboy/non-superpowered hero (Bruce Wayne) should've had in The Dark Knight Rises; and Thanos is allowed the dignified end that his fellow galactic tyrant (Darth Vader) was denied in Return of the Jedi.
Eventually, things get back on track: Hawkeye and Black Widow head to Vormir in order to get their hands on the Soul Stone, which costs Natasha her life; when Nebula visits 2014, Thanos discovers the 2023 Avengers' plan and decides to let them do his dirty work and then simply take the Stones from them; we get a battle royale between the Avengers and their allies and Thanos' vast army.
Even though we've all known for a year that Black Panther and Spider-man would be resurrected (a moment that elicited applause in the theater), it was great to actually see the two of them -- not to mention Falcon and Bucky -- step onto the battlefield.
While Endgame represents a step back in MCU quality in some respects (especially after the two giant leaps forward of Black Panther and Infinity War), the filmmakers seemed to have learned lessons from others' mistakes: Tony Stark gets the death that his DC counterpart and fellow billionaire/genius/playboy/non-superpowered hero (Bruce Wayne) should've had in The Dark Knight Rises; and Thanos is allowed the dignified end that his fellow galactic tyrant (Darth Vader) was denied in Return of the Jedi.
The movie's undisputed greatest line is delivered by the very mortal Tony Stark:
"I am Iron Man."
Step 11. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The former Sorcerer Supreme devotes himself to protecting teenage orphan America Chavez from embittered mass-murderer Wanda Maximoff, who intends to steal her ability to travel between universes in order to be with the children that she conjured for herself. Strange must confront his own character flaws or neither he nor his rescuee will survive.
Forced to battle demons, monsters, secret societies and a fallen witch, Dr. Stephen Strange's second solo mission is exponentially better than his first. Doc Strange is undoubtedly the most-improved MCU hero and sub-franchise -- hands down. The movie's only flaw lies in the inclusion of cheesy ass Illuminati members: Black Bolt, Reed Richards and Professor X (and his goofy yellow hoverchair).
Step 12. Wakanda Forever
Originally Posted 9/1/17
Updated 11/15/17
Updated 2/28/18
Updated 7/7/18
Ok, I admit Iron Man and Ant-Man were both good but the last thing I want to do is continually watch comic book films and especially when they aren't that good. I have seen bits and pieces of some of the other movies listed here but just could not get into them...
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