I've only seen Iron Man and want to binge the MCU. What should I skip and should I go chronological or release?

[Flandy]

I've lived this past decade on this planet having only seen Iron Man and I think it's finally time I change that. I've looked around and haven't been able to decide on how I should watch these movies. What should I skip? Should I watch in Chronological, Release, or some order?

Spoiler

I also saw a midnight showing of Ant Man 2 but I barely remember that

 

[Kinggroin]

You can skip the Hulk movie. But honestly, what made End Game such an impact was having ten years of backstory and world building and character arcs

I really recommend that if you can do it, watch them all. And in order (release date)

 

[shacklecat]

Release order, skip nothing. Not even Thor 2

 

[jon bones]

I would not skip a single film, and I would watch them all in release order.

Take your time with them, as well. No need to binge.

 

[thekonamicode]

Release order is best. Skip Hulk.

 

[Terminus]

There is absolutely no reason to watch the Hulk movie. Everything else has at least some redeeming quality or essential information.

 

[Raide]

Watch them all, in order. Also only watch end ending of Hulk, since it ties in Avengers. Skip the rest of the film.

 

[J_ToSaveTheDay]

All of the movies in release order.

Chronological order is a novelty only and isn't at all necessary to present a cohesive timeline -- release order tends to show the evolution of the films and style over time to greater appreciable effect than the novelty of watching the events play out chronologically.

 

[Flandy]

I was not expecting to be told to watch Thor 2

 

[Pluto]

Skip The Incredible Hulk, watch all the other movies but be aware that Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World aren't very good.

Watch Agent Carter the tv show at any point after Captain America The First Avenger, ignore all other tv and streaming shows, some of them aren't bad but don't affect the movie universe.

 

[Plainswalker]

I agree with everything everyone else said. Release order, Hulk is skippable, don't skip anything else. Yes, even Thor 2: The Dark World.

 

[Kinggroin]

I was not expecting to be told to watch Thor 2

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It's referenced enough and has some plot points that tie back in to the rest that—yeah, you'd be missing out without it.

 

[DrForester]

Watch it all, skip nothing.

Here's the release order, and I would stick to that.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

I was not expecting to be told to watch Thor 2

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Well it is incredibly relevant to Endgame

 

[Septimus Prime]

Are they still doing that 59-hour marathon? That be the fastest way to catch up.

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

Release order, skip nothing. Not even Thor 2

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.

 

[catashtrophe]

I've skipped a fair few and had no problems with Infinity War and End game

 

[KimiNewt]

It's referenced enough and has some plot points that tie back in to the rest that—yeah, you'd be missing out without it.

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Like many other movies (Ant-Man 2, Dr. Strange, Cap Marvel, Iron-Man 2/3) - you can read a one paragraph summary of it and you'll be golden. Don't have to put yourself through all of that.

Well it is incredibly relevant to Endgame

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Thor 2 is the only movie I didn't watch and it took me about two seconds to figure out what was going on when it was referenced in Endgame. It wasn't like Thanos was revealed to be a Dark Elf.

 

[Gareth]

Release order. Watch all.

 

[Yasuke]

Just watch em all, in release order.

There's no reason to skip anything if you're interested in immersing yourself in the universe. None of the movies are bad, and even watching something like Incredible Hulk builds upon understanding where Bruce is at mentally in Avengers, as well as understanding the history of Ross and what the government has been trying to do to replicate the Super Soldier serum.

It's dope that you wanna watch the movies. My honest suggestion is to watch them all and form your own opinion about them. If nothing else, each one expands the universe a little more, which is really cool to witness.

 

[GamerJM]

I was not expecting to be told to watch Thor 2

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(Only very mild spoilers, you can probably click if you're not too bothered by smaller things)

Spoiler

It ends up becoming important for Endgame but it's not that great of a movie, people haven't really changed their opinion on it

I agree with watching them all. Hulk is skippable but also just worth watching because it's a fine movie on its own merits, IMO. Most skippable otherwise might actually be Captain Marvel, though that'll probably change eventually.

 

[Min]

So I guess watch them all but sometimes it's a struggle. Some I struggled through:

Thor
Thor 2
Ant man 2
Captain America
Captain America 2
Iron Man 3
Dr. Strange

None of the movies in the MCU are ones I'd want to rewatch, they're dumb fun for a weekend.

 

[HeartlessNobody2134]

Watch them all in release order.

 

[TronLight]

Absolutely skip Thor 2 and watch a recap, thank me later. You could do the same for Antman and Antman 2, but those are decent (although wasted).

 

[Kinggroin]

Like many other movies (Ant-Man 2, Dr. Strange, Cap Marvel, Iron-Man 2/3) - you can read a one paragraph summary of it and you'll be golden. Don't have to put yourself through all of that.

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Nah. There's weight, gravity given to having it visualized in a way that you can't really convey via txt. I'm with most of the folks here; watch it all.

 

[LewieP]

Watch all the movies, in release order. Take your time. Even the worst movies are decent but forgettable, and have plot points that have significance to the broader story.

 

[Flandy]

Soo should I watch some of the less liked movies like Thor 2 or just go for a recap?

 

[Claire Delune]

Hulk doesn't really provide anything crucial to the overall universe, but it's still a fun movie regardless. I think 10 years of MCU had inured people with the incessant in-universe cross references to the point that they forget that folding in Tony/Stark Industries and the super soldier serum were kind of a big deal at the time.

 

[Deleted member 16657]

Here's my opinion, based mostly on avoiding bad movies.

1. Iron Man 1
2. First Avenger
3. Avengers 1
4. Winter Soldier
5. GotG 1 (GotG 2 optional afterwards)
6. Age of Ultron (its meh but still worth watching)
7. Ant-Man
8. Civil War
9. Spider-Man Homecoming
10. Black Panther
11. Doctor Strange
12. Thor Ragnarok
13. Infinity War
14. Ant-Man and the Wasp
15. Endgame

Skipped are the Iron Man sequels, the first two Thors, Hulk, Captain Marvel, etc

The Cap trilogy is strong throughout and should be watched.

Ant-Man is surprisingly important.

 

[Weapxn]

Absolutely skip Thor 2 and watch a recap, thank me later. You could do the same for Antman and Antman 2, but those are decent (although wasted).

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I'd honestly say you could do the same for Guardians 2, Iron Man 3 and Doctor Strange – not because I don't like them/just to cut down on the list of movies.

 

[Kinggroin]

Soo should I watch some of the less liked movies like Thor 2 or just go for a recap?

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Yo, like 90% here are saying all of it.

You got your answer. Go watch it and stop wasting time in this thread (this is why you only have Iron Man under your belt—lol).

 

[Khanimus]

Are you just trying to catch up? Firstly, watch in release order

But secondly, the only ones I would outright skip (and even then, atleast watch a recap video) are:

Iron Man 2
Incredible Hulk
Iron Man 3
Thor: The Dark World

Even that last one, it's really not good, but also there's stuff in there you'd wanna be familiar with.

 

[Servbot24]

Remember just because references exist doesn't mean you need to know them. Not worth wasting two hours of your life so you can catch a 2 second cameo in Endgame.

 

[TronLight]

I'd honestly say you could do the same for Guardians 2, Iron Man 3 and Doctor Strange – not because I don't like them/just to cut down on the list of movies.

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Dr. Strange has some sweet visuals though (I agree anyway).

 

[Deleted member 16657]

I'd honestly say you could do the same for Guardians 2, Iron Man 3 and Doctor Strange – not because I don't like them/just to cut down on the list of movies.

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I'm trying to cut down the list and I wouldn't cut Dr. Strange... too integral to later movies and the film itself is solid.

 

[Cheerilee]

One of the most amazing things about the MCU is the steady high quality of the movies. Some are really good. Others are "just good". Which means they're pretty much all watchable.

One of the other most amazing things about the MCU is the continuity. A bunch of solo movies that stand on their own and then build up to something like Avengers. That was basically unheard of before Avengers, and you're selling yourself short if you try to experience it in a half-assed way.

Thor 2 being bad is a meme. It's a better movie than you would assume just from what you absorb from Resetera.

BTW, people keep mentioning Iron Man 3 as a bad movie, but it's actually a divisive movie. Some people love it, other people hate it. Watch it for yourself and make up your own mind.

 

[Yasuke]

Soo should I watch some of the less liked movies like Thor 2 or just go for a recap?

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Most have already said just watch them all. Thor 2 included. There's no need to skip anything, especially since you've never seen any of them. None of the movies are bad. If you want the full experience, watch the full list of movies.

What you do now is up to you.

 

[Ikuu]

Skip the trash.

 

[h1nch]

Saw Endgame yesterday and loved it. Now I'm rewatching all the MCU films in order before I go see Endgame again.

Everyone hates the Hulk movie but I liked it. It doesn't have nearly the epic scale of other MCU films but I really like it as a complement to the rest of the films. I love the whole opening act in Brazil (I thought the chase scenes were well-shot) and I found the parts with Banner and Betty sweet and endearing. The final act is meh but I find that to be a common theme across most MCU films. I thought the movie's pacing was pretty quick, which I appreciate.

I never saw any of the Thor films or the Ant Man sequel so I'll be filling in the blanks.

 

[Kinggroin]

Yeah all this Thor 2 hate is overblown. It's a split, critically speaking, so there's a good chance you'll enjoy it.

 

[LewieP]

Yeah all this Thor 2 hate is overblown. It's a split, critically speaking, so there's a good chance you'll enjoy it.

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It was a dark time. We don't talk about it.

 

[Kinggroin]

It was a dark time. We don't talk about it.

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Haha

 

[Microsoft]

Watch it all, skip nothing.

Here's the release order, and I would stick to that.

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When the Doctor says you only have a week to live.

Edit: Is there a place where I can watch all of these in a convenient manner?

 

[Robin]

Never chronological, ever.

 

[Blue Ninja]

Watch them all, in release order. Don't bother with the tv shows.

My brother-in-law and his girlfriend are watching everything in chronological order for the first time, including the tv shows. They've already burnt themselves out at this point, I think, but they just keep going. :lol

 

[thecowboypoet]

The only series worth consuming chronologically is of course, Metal Gear!
When it comes to the MCU, best to watch all of them (including Hulk and Thor 2) in release order.

 

[DrForester]

When the Doctor says you only have a week to live.

Edit: Is there a place where I can watch all of these in a convenient manner?

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No. They're quite spread out all over the place, and few sites stream the old films. Netflix has Guardians 2 - Ant-Man and the Wasp. I think HBO has Incredible Hulk.

You could always streaming-rent them. Sadly the digital copies seem to rarely go on sale.

 

[MadMike]

Watch all of them. Release order, not chronological. Maybe skip the Hulk movie since it's the weakest film, he's recast, and it doesn't really add much to the MCU as a whole. It feels like a pre-MCU Marvel movie, even though it came out after Iron Man.

 

[LewieP]

No. They're quite spread out all over the place, and few sites stream the old films. Netflix has Guardians 2 - Ant-Man and the Wasp. I think HBO has Incredible Hulk.

You could always streaming-rent them. Sadly the digital copies seem to rarely go on sale.

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They will likely all be on Disney Plus given time.

 

[SaintBowWow]

If you want to cut down the list you can skip:

Iron Man 2+3
Thor 2
The Incredible Hulk
Dr. Strange
Guardians of The Galaxy 2
Spider-Man Homecoming
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Captain Marvel

People will tell you that everything is essential but it's very easy to follow the overall narrative of the MCU without these films. You may miss a reference or not know a few minor characters in Infinity War or Endgame, but it's not a big deal. That said, there's good movies listed above that you should watch just because they're entertaining, and if you have time I'd recommend watching everything save Thor 2 and the Incredible Hulk.