STACK #142 Aug 2016

PHASE THREE

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.

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

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

DVD & BD

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL.2 (2017)

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

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.

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.

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

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).

Three delivering a further nine films over the next three years (see right), the MCU is about to get a whole lot bigger!

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