Marvel Cinematic Universe: A Guide for Beginners (Phase One)

So it’s the weekend of Easter. You don’t have work to do but you’re also, let’s say, limited in terms of family get-togethers. So you have nothing to do and you’ve probably been binging so movies and show and you remember you wanted to get into that Marvel Cinematic Universe everyone keeps talking about. But not being a big superhero fan, you don’t want to sit through the 20+ movies of this franchise.

That’s why I’m here, to guide you through all the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies! The ones that are great  and the ones that are only kind of meh! The ones that are important to the overall story and the ones that are only slightly important. But just to be safe, I should explain what exactly is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU for short. It is a franchise consisting of 23 superhero movies, either origin stories, sequels, spin-offs or team-ups, that all take place in the same universe. It’s kind of like a big TV show, focusing on different characters and their stories until eventually some of them cross paths or they all they all team-up (a bit like Game of Thrones the more I think about it).

So now without further ado, we’re gonna go through all the movies. For each movie, all say if I recommend it or not, if it’s important to the over-arching story of the universe, and how many movies you have to watch beforehand, if any. I will also reference the number of scenes that play during the credits, since most of the movies have at least one of those that either plays in the middle or at the end of the credits, which can be just a fun gag or something that sets up the next movie.

I won’t be talking about the synopsis in order to avoid spoilers, but if you want to know what these movies are about, I’d recommend either going to IMDb or watching the trailers. This article will only be covering Phase One of the MCU, with the other Phases having their own separate articles. Now let’s go!

IRON MAN (2008)

Should you watch it?: Definitely! This is a great superhero movie. It’s very grounded and realistic but also has a big emphasis on humor. Tony Stark/Iron Man is a very charismatic character all thanks to the brilliantly improvised dialogue of Robert Downey Jr. It also has some solid action scenes

Is it important to the universe?: Yes. It’s the origin story of the most important superhero of the franchise.

How many movies should you watch prior?: None

How many mid or post-credits scenes?: One post-credits, and it’s important.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)

Should you watch it?: Not really. if you’re really into monster movies, this has some decent action scenes. But there’s nothing much to it beyond that.

Is it important to the universe?: Also no. You get a good sense of who Bruce Banner/Hulk is in The Avengers. And from that movie onward, he’s played by a different actor, so if anything it will make things less confusing.

How many movies should you watch prior?: None

How many mid or post-credits scenes?: None

IRON MAN 2 (2010)

Should you watch it?: Not really. It’s a bit of a mess, with way to many subplots going on at the same time.

Is it important to the universe?: Only a little. It’s the movie where Tony’s friend Rhodey becomes the hero War Machine. It also introduces Black Widow, but like the Hulk you get a good sense of who she is in The Avengers.

How many movies should you watch prior?: Iron Man of course.

How many mid or post-credits scenes?: One post-credits, and it’s important (so I guess watch you should watch only the post-credits scene, on youtube or something).

THOR (2011)

Should you watch it?: In my opinion yes, though take it with a grain of salt. This movie is often considered one of the weakest out of the MCU, though personally I think it’s underrated. The problem a lot of people point out is the “fish out of water” story and the issues that come with it, mainly spending to much time in the real world with real world characters which aren’t as interesting as the fantasy world with its fantasy characters. That said the world of Asgard is fascinating, Chris Hemsworth’s debut as Thor Odinson is solid and the family drama between the Odinsons I find compelling. I think if you’re into fantasy and norse mythology, you’ll at least like this one fine.

Is it important to the universe?: Yes. it’s the origin story for one of the most important heroes of the universe and a lot of the characters and plot points introduced here carry on to many of the other movies.

How many movies should you watch prior?: Only Iron Man is slightly important, and that’s only because it introduces the secret government organization S.H.I.E.L.D., which plays a big part in this movie.

How many mid or post-credits scenes?: One post-credits, and it’s important.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

Should you watch it?: Yes. It’s a fun action movie that takes place in WWII. Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America is an all around good guy, but not in a boring way, and the supporting cast is also great.

Is it important to the universe?: Yes, for the exact same reasons as Thor. Also it introduces the first of the Infinity Stones. They’re the macguffins (objects that drive the plot) of the franchise. Think the one ring in Lord of the Rings or the Horcruxes in Harry Potter.

How many movies should you watch prior?: None, especially because this is the first one chronologically.

How many mid or post-credits scenes?: None.

THE AVENGERS (2012)

Should you watch it?: Absolutely! This where it all comes together! Seeing these different characters with different personalities interacting off of each other is sastisfying and a lot of fun. And the action scenes, especially the battle at the end, are nothing short of epic.

Is it important to the universe?: One of the most important. The Avengers are the superhero team at the center of this entire universe, and this is where they first assemble.

How many movies should you watch prior?: I’d recommend watching the movies I listed as important (Iron Man, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger) but this also might a good starting point to see if the MCU is something you want to get into or not. But there are a few people that enjoy all the MCU movies except for the Avengers movies, so that’s not always the case.

How many mid or post-credits scenes?: One mid-credits scene, which is important, and one post-credits scene that’s just a funny gag.

So that’s it for Phase One of the MCU. To know how all of these guidelines apply to the other movies, stay tuned for articles covering the movies of Phase Two and Three.

Written By: Miguel Coelho

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