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our comics, but within the overall
notion of enhanced humans."
You'll also discover why the
righteous Cap (Chris Evans) is one
of the best Marvel characters. who
also gets the best movies, with
subsequent adventures
The Winter
Soldier
and
Civil War
both highpoints
in the MCU.
Now backtrack to the first official
Marvel Studios production,
Iron
Man
(2008), which introduces the character who will
subsequently shape events to come – Tony Stark,
a billionaire weapons manufacturer who dons a full
metal jacket to become a crusader against evil. The
film's success is largely due to Robert Downey Jr.,
and it even manages to make Gwyneth Paltrow
likeable.
Another major player is
Thor
(2010), and you
should make his acquaintance next. Our very
own Chris Hemsworth has the looks, locks and
muscles to play the eponymous, hammer-wielding
warrior from the mythical realm of Asgard. But he's
upstaged by bad brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who
ultimately steals the film and consequently becomes
a villain you'll want to see more of (and you will).
The fantasy element distinguishes
Thor
from other
Marvel offerings, and Kenneth Branagh directs like
he's shooting Shakespeare, giving the film a bonkers
sensibility that somehow works in its favour.
It's time to get the gang all together to battle
Loki and save New York from an alien invasion, in
The Avengers
(2012). Joss Whedon deftly juggles a
big cast in a massive movie, which introduces Mark
Ruffalo's Hulk and raises the benchmark for future
MCU installments.
FURTHER VIEWING
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is
constructed in 'phases', and now that
you've experienced the best from Phase
One, proceed into the post-Avengers
world where the stakes are raised even
higher and the action is even more
spectacular.
This is where you'll find the very best
films in the MCU to date, which are also,
curiously, the most atypical.
Captain
America:TheWinter Soldier
(2014) is a propulsive
Bourne-like thriller, and
Guardians of the Galaxy
(2014) a tongue-in-cheek sci-fi romp featuring
obscure Marvel characters and a soundtrack of '70s
hits. Both are essential.
Guardians
doesn't directly
connect to the films and characters established in
Phase One, so can be watched anytime (and the
sooner the better), however
The Winter Soldier
requires familiarity with the MCU for maximum
impact.
If you've made it this
far, you'll have already
filled in the gaps –
Iron Man 2
(2010),
Iron Man 3
(2013),
Thor: The Dark World
(2013),
Avengers:
Age of Ultron
(2015),
Ant-Man
(2015) – and
discovered the true
extent of this colossal
cinematic universe.
And with Phase
Three delivering a further nine films over the next
three years (see right), the MCU is about to get a
whole lot bigger!
CAPTAIN AMERICA:
CIVILWAR (2016)
When is an Avengers movie not an Avengers movie?
When it's a Captain America movie that features most
of the Avengers members (and Spider-Man), who must
choose sides in the clash between the Cap and Iron Man.
DOCTOR STRANGE (2016)
Benedict Cumberbatch is the surgeon inducted into
an arcane world by Tilda Swinton's bald Sorcerer
Supreme. Directed by Scott Derrickson (
Deliver Us
from Evil
), expect this to lean toward the dark side,
with some cool
Inception
-like reality bending.
GUARDIANS OF THE
GALAXY VOL.2 (2017)
Peter Quill/Star Lord searches for his father (who may
be Kurt Russell) in the hotly anticipated follow-up to
one of the greatest Marvel movies – all set to the
music of Awesome Mixtape #2, of course.
THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)
Currently shooting on the Gold Coast, plot details
are yet to be revealed, but we know that Loki is
back, and the Hulk is also onboard for Thor's third
outing, as is Kiwi director Taika Waititi (
Hunt for
the Wilderpeople
).
Look out, too, for:
Spider-Man:
Homecoming
(2017),
Avengers: Infinity War -
Part 1
(2018) and
Part 2
(2019),
Black Panther
(2018)
and
Captain Marvel
(2018).
PHASE THREE