The Marvel Cinematic Universe 22 Movies in 22 Days Challenge

CALENDER UPDATED AS OF APRIL 26th

On April 26th, 2019 the latest entry into the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) will be released in theaters world wide and because it is an Avengers titled film, it is considered a cinematic crossover event. As anyone who knows me knows, I love to binge a series in prep of crossover events. I attended the All Day Avengers Marathon in 2012 when Marvel did that for the first time. I attended the 2 day event when Age of Ultron was released. I did not attend the theater marathons when Infinity War came out because none of them showed the complete series of films; which makes sense, who wants to be stuck in a theater for over 40 hours? Instead I did my own at home marathon over several days. Now with Avengers Endgame I plan to do it again, but with a twist. I have a baby that will be 7 months at the time of Endgame's release and cannot afford the time in a theater or off of work. Instead I will be viewing each film one day at a time starting on April 4th using the chronological order I have written about in the past. 22 films in 22 days and I will post on social media using the hashtag #22MCU.

As Marvel Super Fan, I own all of the films on blu ray,  except for the ones still streaming on Netflix (Thanks Netflix! You're still the best!), but in the event someone does not own all 20 films that have been given a home video release, there are ways to find them for viewing. Back in the day you could just saunter on down to the local video rental store and rent what you wanted, Amazon and other digital services have made it so you don't even need to leave the comfort of your own couch (or bed; I mean this is a lot of movies). But lets say you don't want to rent all of those movies. Well fortunately the Marvel movies are beloved and in fact get played on television a lot. So you can set your DVR Devices to watch the ones being played on network TV. I have a calendar that will be updated frequently and is attached to this post here:
 

  

Looking at this calendar, you can see that the viewing order is not based on release dates. No I prefer to watch these films in a continuity chronological order. Ideally I would be viewing the Avengers Saga Marathon Fan Cut which actually edits all of the scenes into a chronological order, but with a child I have no time to update that (it is an insane amount of editing). So instead I will be viewing the films in their original format in the above calendared order. This makes it fun to track the progression of our heroes and the history of their universe (weeellllllllllll, fun for people like me, which if you are reading this I hope that means you).

*****WARNING! SPOILERS FOR ALL 21 PREVIOUSLY RELEASED MARVEL FILMS*****

The first film to kick off this event is Captain America The First Avenger. With 90% of the film set in the 1940s, it makes sense to start here. We get to see a 1940s Marvel Universe which includes Howard Stark as the original playboy billionaire genius. We see SHIELD before it began and was just known as the Strategic Scientific Reserve. This film shows us the birth of a legend and the origin of The Marvel Universe. This film also introduces the first Infinity Stone: the Time Stone which is embedded inside the Tesseract. Fitting with the film's light fare as directed by Joe Johnston, I will be making Captain America's Shield Pancakes for this viewing.

The second film in the viewing is actually the most recent released film Captain Marvel. Being completely set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is the next film in the continuity order. By the time this comes around in my viewing order (Saturday April 6), Captain Marvel will not be hitting home video. So I will make the trek to a local theater (because this movie is a hit and definitely will still be in theaters). I think it would be actually cool if everyone rewatched Captain Marvel in the theaters this day. Just a random boost in ticket sales for the film. What's fun about this is we see even more origins in Marvel Universe. Young Fury and Coulson before they are the weathered professionals in the current era. The Tesseract (later to be revealed as the Time Stone) also makes an appearance allowing us to track its progress through Marvel history. Alas, no homemade treat here. Just a bucket of popcorn as I enjoy the 90s blast that is Captain Marvel.

The third film in the viewing order is actually the first film ever released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Iron Man. I was stationed  in Iraq when this film was released, but thankfully it was still playing in theaters when I returned. Setting the tone of the rest of the films to come, Jon Favreau brought in talent that was not afraid to have fun and take the material serious enough to avoid a campy movie. And then the attention to detail for the technology used really grounded it in a reality that makes you believe a genius could in fact build something like the armor. More to that, it showed how heroes could have a story arc in their films. One might actually argue that Tony Stark's story arc spans the entirety of the Marvel films. One really cool thing is that with Captain Marvel playing before this, we see how Fury has changed. In the comics Stark was a drinker for a period of time so I will honor that by having a mimosa (orange juice and pink champagne; if only they made red colored champagne to honor the red and yellow avenger).

The fourth film in our viewing is The Incredible Hulk. The second film to be released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe we finally see what is meant by Fury's appearance in the post credit scene of Iron Man. A larger universe indeed. This movie mentions SHIELD, Stark Technology, and even the super soldier serum. Now the events of this film take place over a few days and actually the scenes should be cut between scenes from Iron Man 2 and Thor. But instead the film will be viewed in its entirety as we watch Ed Norton give his only performance as Bruce Banner in this slightly darker tale about the Hulk and his torturous existence. This is heavy stuff so I will be making a giant hulk of a burger using my Hulk Cooking mitts and spatula.

The sequel to Iron Man is the fifth film in our continuity viewing. Set six months after the first Iron Man, Stark has become a hero for the people but is still quite full of himself. Believing no one can take him, he wants help from no one whether he is battling people or an infection trying to kill him. This one actually leads to our first set of side characters which become more than just sidekicks. Don Cheadle takes over as Col. James Rhodes and dawns what eventually will become the War Machine armor which results in our first MCU hero versus hero fight scene. Also appearing for the first time is Scarlett Johansson as The Black Widow. Arguably one of the most badass introductions for one of the most bad ass avengers. Her scene when she infiltrates a Hammer facility and takes out half a dozen guards in just a couple of minutes is actually my favorite scene in this movie. In the film there is a scene where Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko (the villains played by Academy Award Winners Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke) are served Salmon Carpaccio, so that's the meal I will be making that night.

Sixth film and penultimate to The Avengers is Thor. This was the first film released to show us another world in the MCU. Half of the film does take place on Earth, but the scenes on Asgard are beautiful and majestic. Because of the scene when Coulson tells Stark he has been reassigned to New Mexico, we know the events of Thor take place near the third act of Iron Man 2. Like Iron Man 2, Thor introduces key characters that will play larger roles in the MCU. We barely see his face, but Jeremy Renner makes his cameo as future avenger Hawkeye. I remember the scene that shows a hand reach for a gun and then reaches for a bow, my eyes practically blew out of my head as I gasped out loud "Hawkeye?!" But the real treat of the film comes in the form of Loki played by Tom Hiddleston. Hiddleston provides so much charm and conflict in this role that for many years he was the standout of the Marvel villains. This is the final component before the first crossover. There is a scene between Thor and Professor Selvig at a bar in which they both chug a couple of boiler makers, so you better believe that's what I'm gonna do!

Finally. The seventh entry in the marathon watch: The Avengers. This one was a real game changer not just for superhero movies but for the film industry as a whole. This let studios know that yes fans are interested in a shared universe and shared universe event films. This was everything comic book fans wanted for so long. Avengers is over 2 hours but its a fun 2 hour plus that flies by just like all great summer blockbusters should. I don't know how many times I have seen this movie but I never get bored of it. To this day it has my favorite shot in any Marvel movie, the pan around shot showing all of the Avengers standing together ready for anything. For the overall MCU story we get our first glimpse of Thanos as well two Infinity Stones: The Space Stone (in the Tesseract) and the Mind Stone (in Loki's scepter). One of the most memorable scenes for this film is the post credit scene which shows them all just run ragged sitting in a restaurant eating shawarma. I made shawarma once for the last binge of the films. Time to try again!

Starting Phase 2 of the MCU Adventure is the eighth entry in our viewing party: Iron Man 3. If Phase 1 was about assembling the Avengers, then Phase 2 is definitely about beginning breaking them apart. Tony has given up the booze, trying to give up adventure and start anew. But no matter what he tries to give up, what he tries to change, something from his past will always come to get him. This film is definitely another notch in the argument that Tony Stark is his own worst enemy. The opening scene sets that up and actually takes place in 1999, so continuity wise that scene should be before Iron Man and after Captain Marvel. But this ain't that kind of viewing. In Iron Man 3 he realizes that he is more than the arc reactor in his chest and Iron Man isn't the suit but him and he will never be able to change that fact. To prove Tony has turned over a new leaf, a comment is made that he had gluten free waffles for breakfast. I don't much care for the gluten free craze but Marvel I will give it a shot.

The ninth entry in this viewing order is Thor The Dark World, but the first two scenes occur out of continuity from the rest of the film. The opening scene of Odin's father fighting the Dark Elves might be the earliest scene in history shown in the MCU. It predates the previous early scene of Odin telling the story of the Frost Giants. So in the scene continuity those first few minutes should be the very first thing we watch overall.  Then comes Loki in chains, which should be the opening scene for Phase 2. He clearly was jailed briefly as the shackles don't match, but for his in the Battle of New York, Loki was sure to be sentenced not long after his return to Asgard. I enjoy that this movie spends more time in the varying realms than it does on Earth. it makes sense  as to why Thor would not be contacting the Avengers and it is a nice break to be somewhere other than Earth. This is also one of the first mentions of the Infinity Stones which as we all know play a huge part in the overarching MCU storyline. Introduced is the Aether which later will be known as the Reality Stone. While on Earth Jane Foster is on a date with the charming Chris O'Dowd and they debate having the seabass. So that is what I will be eating for dinner. Seabass.

Tenth in the viewing order is Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Though he rejoined the MCU in The Avengers, this is his real return. The man out of time element still exists but in a more mellow form. Instead the action is ramped up with more complex fight scenes, car chases and stunts that far exceed previous Marvel films. Easily one of the best action flicks of the MCU, if not the past 20 years. The environment of distrust and paranoia really helps Cap's decision to not contact the Avengers make sense. Reaching out to them will give away his location or put the people he cares about in danger. This has nothing to do with Infinity Stones or aliens which really helps to keep the story grounded. Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson "The Falcon" makes a joke about breakfast and if they do that sort of thing. And near as I can tell no one eats any food in this movie. So instead I have decided to insert my own wish treat. A Winter Soldier Sundae which includes ice cream, a chocolate covered banana split in two, and a cherry.

Eleventh entry is Guardians of the Galaxy. This is a real departire from Earth with all but the first 5-10 minutes taking place in a galaxy far far away. Its distance from the Earth adventures also helped to make it really feel like a stand alone movie. If not for the Marvel logo and more talk of the Infinity Stones, no one would even know of its association to the MCU. At this point Guardians was hands down the most fun Marvel movie. Its sense of humor was almost self deprecating, but somehow not in a pitiful way. Its cast of characters fully realized and developed made this team instantly lovable. And we got the cutest scene ever with the dancing Baby Groot in the mid credits sequence. My special treat for this will be an attempt at an orb shaped cupcake with a candy or chocolate center. This is of course to mimic the look of the orb which both contains the Power Stone (an Infinity Stone) and is the mcguffin of the film.

The twelfth feature is Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. Though this was released a couple years later, Kevin Feige (if you don't know who that is google him and see who this mastermind of the MCU is) has gone on record saying that Volume 2 takes place weeks to a month after the first Guardians of the Galaxy. The exception of course being the scene opening the movie in the 1970s. Other than that, continuity wise this is why we have back to back Guardians adventures. No mention of Infinity Stones but definitely some character development to make up for us not seeing this group again until Infinity War. One space chase scene shows Baby Groot strapped in eating some m&ms. So I will have  a bowl of m&ms to keep me company.

The thirteenth entry brings us back to Earth with Avengers Age of Ultron. Finally the team is back together and though they do work great together, its obvious they are still a volatile mixture. This is best represented when once again Tony Stark demonstrates he is his own worst enemy with his intent being to create a shield for the Earth and instead creates the murder bot Ultron which demonstrates many Stark-like personality traits. Setting up more of the MCU we meet the weapons dealer Klaw who will play a part in the future box office hit Black Panther. Quicksilver leaves just as quickly as he came. Scarlett Witch is introduced and joins the team. And while we have been tracking the Infinity Stones, this is the first time the Avengers actually become aware of them thanks to a vision Thor has. This also leads to the creation of The Vision, another team member, with the help of the Mind Stone. Though this is called Age of Ultron, I plan on making cupcakes in the style of The Vision with little candies as the Mind Stone.

The fourteenth entry is Ant-Man. What I really like about the approach to Ant-Man is there are two famous Ant-Men in the comics and the movie incorporates both of them and actually tells a story very similar to how they met in the comics. Michael Douglas was a perfect choice to play scientist adventurer Hank Pym. With more morals than Howard Stark but just as much smarts, his distrust of Stark adds to the complex history of the MCU and even makes sense why the Avengers are not brought in to assist which allows the film to tell a standalone story within the Marvel Universe. Chronological wise, the first 5 minutes take place in the late 80s and show off a young Hank Pym tendering his resignation from SHIELD to Howard Stark (still alive) and Peggy Carter (older than when we saw her in First Avenger but not as old as in Winter Soldier). The rest of the film takes place in the current era and is all about a heist rather than heroics. My treat will be chocolate ants. Not chocolate covered ants, but chocolate in the shape of ants. You will see when I post to Instagram.

Captain America Civil War is the fifteenth film entry. Though it has been officially said that Ant-Man closes out Phase 2, I think if Phase 2 is how the Avengers split up, this film definitely hits the nail in that coffin. We have seen the heroes fight each other before, but the airport scene in this movie is insanely epic and unforgettable. This film introduced two major characters  including the one that would go on to star in one of Marvel's most successful films: Black Panther. We also had our introduction of one of Marvel Comics most iconic characters: Spider-Man. With Spidey and even Ant-Man joining the fray we have what really seems like a bigger crossover than what occurred in Age of Ultron. In terms of continuity, we get to see a mission that the Winter Soldier went on in the early 90s. Just a couple years after Pym resigns from SHIELD but before the events of Captain Marvel. Just more bits and pieces in the overall MCU History which I absolutely love. One scene in the film has The Vision attempting to make a dish from Wanda's (The Scarlett Witch) home country. The dish is Paprikash, which is typically made with chicken. Last marathon I made chicken paprikash for the viewing meal and this time I will do the same.

The start of Phrase 3 and the sixteenth film entry should be Black Panther. The first 5-10 minutes of Black Panther take place in 1992 when King T'Chaka comes to Oakland, California to confront his brother and set in motion events that will lead to his son's need to battle for the kingdom of Wakanda. The 1992 event is just after the Winter Soldier's 1991 mission we saw in Civil War and definitely before Captain Marvel. Again, more history building that I love. It really seems like Marvel had been building up to reveal of the world of Wakanda and not since Thor and Guardians of The Galaxy have we seen such a rich and fully realized culture that stands apart from the rest of the Marvel Universe. Because of that and what T'Challa (The Black Panther) is fighting for, this is an ideal situation of how Marvel can continue to tell stories within their universe but still separate from the main fray. A perfect way to kick off Phase 3 after the disassembly of the Avengers and build momentum towards Infinity War. I really dig that the Black Panther's costume is hidden in his necklace and so I will be making a Black Panther Candy Necklace to snack on while watching the film.

Spider-Man Homecoming, the seventeenth film in the viewing order and second appearance of the wallcrawler in the MCU. While most of the film occurs 6 months after Civil War, thus placing it well past Black Panther in the continuity, the opening scenes are a different story. The very first scene is Adrian Toomes managing a wreckage disposal crew just days after the Battle of New York. Ideally this scene should kick off Phase 2 because we can see the aftermath of The Avengers just before we would see Loki in chains from Thor The Dark World. Coincidently the next scene is a great way to open Phase 3. Peter's video diary summarizing the events of Civil War is funny and a neat way to give exposition. Once we get into the actual movie its very much its own thing. Yes, Tony Stark makes several appearances but the enemy Spidey deals with is so below Iron Man's radar, no one pays it any mind. Yet another fun and creative way to tell a standalone story with the presence of the Avengers looming near but never interfering. In one scene, Peter visits a bodego and orders a sandwich with the request to "smoosh" it down. Given this is in New York, that flattening of the sandwich makes me believe this must be a Cubano. While I have had Cubanos and they are easy to find in LA (Yeah Portos I am talking about you), I will attempt to make my own for this viewing.

Number eighteen in the viewing order is Doctor Strange. An introduction to the character, the mystical part of the Marvel Universe, and the Time Stone! I really feel that Phase 3 does an amazing job of telling stories that feel in the Marvel Universe but are not as connected as some from Phase 2. Doctor Strange spans some time in between us meeting Stephen at his height, him losing the use of his hands, the loss of his fortune in pursuit of repair, his time with Ancient One, etc.. It never clearly states how much time has passed, but it must be months to a year. What we do know is that Strange has the use of his hands right after Civil War as I assume the injured Airforce pilot he refuses to help is Col Rhodes. We also know that he is already in his Sanctum Santorum by the time Thor Ragnarok comes around. So I am thinking this is a good spot. I will be making a pretzel in the shape of the Vishanti emblem which adorns the window of Strange's Sanctum. I have never made pretzels before but this should be fun!

Ant-Man and The Wasp is the nineteenth film in the viewing order. As with the first Ant-Man film we begin with a younger Hank Pym, now joined by his wife Janet Van Dyne (the original Wasp) in the past. This scene occurs right before Hank quitting SHIELD in 1989. When the film enters the current era we see Scott Lang has been released from jail for the crimes he committed by aiding Cap in Civil War. He has been on house arrest and is just about to get out. Enough time has passed to warrant Scott being almost done with his house arrest and obviously this occurs before the events of Infinity War. One could argue that the events of this film take place after or during Thor Ragnarok. That is entirely possible but without the edited scenes we have to choose an order. I think given the mid credits scene in Thor Ragnarok, it makes sense to watch Ant-Man and the Wasp first. For Ant-Man I chose to make chocolate shaped ants. For Ant-Man and The Wasp I will be making chocolate shaped ants AND chocolate shaped wasps. Almost a Marvel trail mix.

The final standalone before the Avengers doubleheader is Thor Ragnarok at number twenty. With some of the brightest and wonkiest visuals since Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor Ragnarok is just a ton of fun despite the multitude of deaths. Continuity wise we know by the cameo from Doctor Strange that this film is after the events in Doctor Strange. Taking place mostly in other realms and worlds, we don't really know what is happening on Earth, but we do know Hulk has been on Sakaar since the jet flew him away at the end of Age of Ultron. Though time passes different on Sakaar as stated by The Grandmaster, the mid credits scene in this film is the PERFECT last thing to see before the opening scene of Avengers Infinity War. In terms of Infinity Stones, we do get to see the Tesseract one last time before Infinity War. With six appearances, the Tesseract pops up more than any other Infinity Stone. Because Thor Ragnarok bids farewell to Thor's beloved hammer Mjolnir, I have decided to make alcohol filled chocolate Mjolnirs for this film.

Twenty one is Avengers Infinity War. This is the last film in our viewing order that can be seen from the comfort of your own home. Yes, Ant-Man and the Wasp as well as Captain Marvel were released after this film, but come on. Are you telling me that Avengers Infinity War is NOT the perfect film to see right before Avengers Endgame? This movie is just non stop. Leaving no time to breathe, the two hours and forty minutes just fly by with action set piece after action set piece. No film to date in the MCU has had more Marvel Characters as it has most of our heroes' storylines converging in this epic as they face a threat greater than ever before with the fate of existence hanging in the balance. The quiet ending with a very solemn piano playing the usually heroic theme from the Avengers' score sets the stage just right for the soon to be released final entry in Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this world the Avengers have apparently had ice cream named after them by Ben and Jerry's. The line "Hulka-Hulka Burning Fudge is our favorite" declared by Wong in the film has lead me to create this ice cream by adding some chocolate fudge to mint ice cream in order to emulate the green behemoth's ice cream flavor.

Finally is Twenty Two Avengers Endgame! Obviously by the time this post hits the web, I will not have seen this latest entry. I do know without a doubt that it has to be the final film in this 22 day viewing order. In the aftermath of Infinity War, all of the questions will be answered and all of the tragedies will be avenged. I have nothing else to say other than I am genuinely excited to see what this film does for the overall story and where it leaves the Marvel Universe once the credits, and hopefully post credit scene rolls. Since like Captain Marvel this will be seen in theaters, and has a rumored run time of 3 HOURS, popcorn is going to have to be snack of choice for this epic. 

I do hope there are some fans that read this and join me on this journey and share your thoughts and experiences. These movies are have shown that giving the fans what they want does not mean a sacrifice in quality. And the fans and their participation are what make films like this fun.

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