How to properly get into the Marvel Cinematic Universe--Angie

 

If you haven’t heard about Marvel, then you must be 80 years old. Actually, that is a lie

since the first Marvel comic was released in 1939, and they were a hit! It is important to know

that there is beauty even in the ugly (we are looking at you, Thor: Dark World). We do not want

a toxic fan base or are one! You can find every single little flaw and focus on the negative, but

why would you want to? This is an epic part of pop culture in the modern day and for good

reason! Life lessons, joy, pain, and delight are all embedded in the pixels of your TV screen. Now

before we get into this, I will clarify some myths about the Marvel Cinematic Universe and give

you some general facts you will need to know before embarking on this adventure. So sit back,

relax, and learn about the greatest trilogy of the modern day.

The Myths!

1. You must read the comics to understand marvel.

LIE!!! There are over 50,000 marvel comics released. Who has time to read all that? One thing

you must remember is that the movies are BASED on comics. Some occurrences directly follow

certain comics, and many simply take inspiration. Now if you want a guide on how to get into

the comics, then sorry, can’t help you. Needless to say, the movies can be understood without

prior knowledge, as everything is inevitably explained.

2. It takes too long

Okay maybe it might take a while, but honestly, that just means the more the joy lasts! You can

watch 1 movie a day or try 3 over the weekend. Either way, it is a fun experience!

3. There are too many details to understand

Umm yes, but that is not a negative!! You will never catch every easter egg, parallel, or ironic

occurrence on the first watch. You can even watch videos on YouTube to catch all the easter eggs

from a movie! It is fun to watch and catch them for yourself.

Now just some general facts before we get started:

- As of November 2021, there are 26 films and 4 television series. (Hawk-eye show and

Spiderman: No Way Home approaching release)

- The first movie came out in 2008 (Iron Man).

- The movie The Incredible Hulk is somewhat iffy. The actor playing HULK was replaced

with Mark Ruffalo, who plays Bruce Banner in the MCU. Honestly, many people skip

this movie because you can understand the MCU without it, but if you don’t mind, go

ahead and watch. (This movie is not found on Disney+)

- The shows and movies are released in phases, so far, phase 4 is in progress.

- The character development is unmatched compared to other trilogies.

- I will keep this tutorial spoiler free!

Now let's get into the steps on how to begin and how to not get lost. The devils in the

details isn’t it?

1. Get a Disney+ subscription

Most Marvel movies are on Disney+. You will need to get a subscription for the streaming

service as it is the most affordable way to watch the movies. The Marvel shows are also only

found on the streaming service. It is also beneficial as all the movies are organized in release

order, chronological order, and phases. This makes it easier to follow!

***Movies not on Disney+ are Spiderman movies and The Incredible Hulk

2. For first time watchers, watch in release order.

It might be tempting to watch in chronological order right? Wrong! Marvel Studios released

their movies in a specific order for a reason! As long as you know where the specific movie is in

the timeline (pictured below), you should be fine. Ex. Captain Marvel came out in 2019 but is set

in 1985 in the MCU. Watching in release order is incredibly important as the end credit scenes

are in chronological order! If you watch the movies in chronological order, then the end credit

scenes will essentially spoil future movies.

This timeline is in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER^. Keep in mind Iron Man (2008) was the first to

release, but it is not the first on the list, Captain America is. (once again I do not recommend

first-timers watch in this order)

Release order ^^

3. Organize yourself with the 4 phases.

Look at this graphic below, this image shows what was released within each phase.

(image 2) (the TV series are part of phase 4)

You can take breaks between phases to develop your own opinions, theories, and to let the

content ruminate for a while. The waiting game is vital, so you have time to take it all in.

Watching every movie back to back will be too much and you will forget details. When I was

teaching my mom, we watched one movie a day and took breaks after phases so I could explain

and catch her up. It can get overwhelming, so take your time so you could take it all in!

4. Watch the end credit scenes.

The end credit scenes are just, if not more important than the movie itself. This is the reason

why I recommend watching in release order. The movies may not be in chronological order

when watching, but the end credits will be! EVERY single movie and some episodes have end

credit scene(s). NEVER leave the theater before the prominent red MARVEL logo appears. The

only movie so far without an end credit scene is Endgame… :(

5. Watch with a friend!

Sometimes one needs to bounce ideas off one another to get a new perspective. You may have

missed a detail or two, so it's nice to have someone to ask so they can clarify. My friend who

started watching Marvel at my discretion always asked me questions to clarify. Two minds are

better than one after all!

6. The shows are still part of the MCU! Watch in release order as well!

These Emmy award-winning shows are phenomenal and add so much to the universe.

WandaVision in my opinion was nothing like I've ever seen before. It is truly astonishing the

creativity and talent that is put into this series. Loki, What IF…, Falcon and the Winter Soldier,

and the upcoming Hawkeye series are all canon to the MCU. These shows are just as important

to the MCU storyline as the movies, they cannot be overlooked.

***Daredevil, Agent Carter, Jessica Jones, and Marvel Agents of Shield are excellent TV shows

that follow the MCU storyline. Kevin Feige has stated the shows are not canon to the MCU yet. I

personally enjoy the show Agent Carter as we only saw Peggie Carter in a few movies and this

show allowed for character development.

7. Understanding the Sony situation

The character of Spiderman/Peter Parker has a lot of red tape as the character is owned by

Sony. This is why you will not find the Spiderman movies on Disney+. You will not find The

Incredible Hulk on Disney+ either. There are previous Spiderman movies with Toby Maguire

and Andrew Garfield. I adore watching these movies, even though they aren't particularly part

of the MCU. The third Spiderman movie with Tom Holland is set to release in December. I

recommend watching Maguire and Garfield's Spiderman movies, as they are connected in the

upcoming film.

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8. Stan Lee Cameos

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Dont forget to look out for Stan Lee (creater of many marvel comics) in all the movies! His

appearances are always fun to catch!

If you follow these steps and suggestions, then you are on the right path to becoming a marvel

fan. It is exciting to watch all the movies and to be part of such a major fandom. I hope this has

answered some of your questions and cleared any misconceptions you may have. Just remember

I'm with you to the end of the line! Let me know if you have any questions and good luck!

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Image 1-

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140420025424/disney/images/0/05/Marvelstudioslogo

2013.jpg

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https://preview.redd.it/lmgt6aq2akt21.jpg?auto=webp&s=8568ed8aaa8a0ae9901c02ef7eb0e839

97a8322c

Image 3

https://mculocationscout.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/avengers_105-shawarma.jpg?w=768

Image 4

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/336433034641206522/

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Teaser of 'WandaVision', 'Falcon and the Winter Soldier …

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https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/1152061-spider-man-3-tobey-maguire-andrew-gar

field

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https://japaninja.pro/welcome-marvel-fans/

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Marvel movies ...theverge.com

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https://screenrant.com/stan-lee-greatest-mcu-cameos-ranked/