A Marvelous Accomplishment
If you know me, then you know that I really like sci fi / adventure / action movies and shows: Star Wars, Doctor Who, Indiana Jones, etc. But I have never been a huge fan of superheroes, although I have been known to enjoy X-Men and the awkwardness of 2000s-era Spider-Man. So I never watched any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, except for an occasional side movie, like Guardians of the Galaxy, Shang-Chi, or Black Panther — until last year. Last year, to give myself a break from the trash fire that was/is the rest of my life, and with the enthusiastic support of a friend who is a true MCU fanatic, I embarked on the journey of watching the entire MCU, in order. We watched everything on Disney+ using the “Watch Party” feature, which synchronizes your video and makes watching together (remotely) very convenient. It took me approximately six months, August through February, to watch everything, and then I saw Ant-Man: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 in theaters. However, I had skipped The Incredible Hulk because it wasn’t available at the time on Disney+. And now, as of three days ago, The Incredible Hulk is available on Disney+, and tonight, I watched it. So I can now confirm that I have seen all 32 movies and 10 TV shows (as of June 19, 2023) that are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This week, we continue Phase 5 with Secret Invasion, which starts Wednesday.
Kevin Feige, I’m waiting for my trophy. Drop me a line.
Quick thoughts, followed by longer thoughts:
Was it worth it and would I do it again? Absolutely.
Am I now a die-hard Marvel fan and superhero junkie? Not really. My favorite films and shows in the MCU are still the side quests, the ones with sillier plots and lower stakes, or more out-there concepts. (Top films and shows for me: Spider-Man; Ant-Man; Guardians of the Galaxy; Hawkeye; Moon Knight; Ms Marvel; She-Hulk.) I don’t think I’ll ever be a big superhero fan. But the sheer scope of these movies, and sheer amount of money being poured into them (or sometimes lit on fire), make them worth watching.
Longer thoughts:
If you are also considering taking this journey, prepare for a wild ride. The fans who were part of this universe from the beginning had years in between movie releases, and re-watched the movies multiple times in the interim, so the sequels assume you really know your stuff and absorbed it all. I had trouble following when I had seen the movies only once (but mere days or weeks before), since sometimes I would miss minor points in one movie that would become important later. Thank goodness my friend was there for guidance. Get yourself a guide, if you can, and if not, be prepared to have to Google some stuff. And always check for mid- or post-credits scenes, which help tie things together.
Tom Holland is my hero
The Phase 3 insanity between Infinity War and Endgame reminded me, in a good way, of the insanity of Doctor Who under Steven Moffat. If that is not your jam - again, buckle in.
It feels impossible to do any kind of recap or analysis of the whole MCU, so I don’t think I’ll even try. But if you’re curious what kept me watching: the quasi-workplace relationships of the characters is generally entertaining and fun; the level of snarkiness and jokes is consistently high; usually the good guys win; usually people learn from their mistakes. There is enough technobabble and fun gadgets/McGuffins to keep it feeling like a sci fi universe, even if it’s also mostly set on Earth in contemporary times (see also: Doctor Who).
I am grateful that I now understand the many, many MCU pop culture references that are scattered like confetti across the internet.
In conclusion, I am not planning to attend any Marvel conventions or anything like that in the near future, but I am excited to see where Phase 5 takes us next.
Some useful references: What the heck are the Phases anyway
I’m sure you’re wondering what’s next for me, now that I have to wait for months between new Marvel offerings - what could possibly top this epic adventure? Well, I haven’t set a start date, but I think the answer is Star Trek. Yes, I am mildly embarrassed to admit that I have seen little to nothing of Star Trek, one of the longest-running and greatest sci fi shows of all time, and it’s about time to remedy that. I’ve seen the movies that came out in the 2000s, which I enjoyed, but that was back before streaming and being an adult etc, so it feels like now is my chance to watch in a more thorough fashion. I have a few friends who have offered to guide me through this massive undertaking, so bless you all, and I’ll report back when I can.
And, of course, I am unreasonably excited about Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary specials in November, and the anticipated Star Wars movies and shows coming out or recently announced (Ahsoka!). I also have a lot of The Clone Wars and the more recent animated Star Wars shows to catch up on, since I missed all of those when I was in college & grad school. So, lots of things on the horizon. It’s a great time to be a fan. Oh - and a very special shout-out to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which was an absolutely amazing game that you should play or watch immediately. I liked Jedi: Fallen Order, but Jedi: Survivor kicks it up several notches and makes Cal into a fantastic character. I hope he gets his own show. So go watch it now.
Avengers Campus, Disneyland Paris, from my trip earlier this year!
