The Infinity Saga," because they set up Thanos' insane quest for the Infinity Stones.
A lot of Marvel fans have been conducting walkthroughs of the MCU, trying to rewatch each film before they go to see Avengers: Endgame. But with Endgame releasing within the week, it's really hard to do that now. And that matters, because Endgame is envisioned as a celebration of the last decade's worth of Marvel blockbusters, and there's evidence it even features time travel that will revisit the ends of previous movies. Most MCU films can be watched as standalone, but Avengers: Endgame is set to be the exception.
Given that's the case, here's the CliffsNotes version of the MCU to date. This runs through all the highlights in each movie, with a particular focus on all the major plot threads that build up to Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
- This Page: Phase 1
- Next Page: Phase 2 and 3
Iron Man
- Billionaire industrialist Tony Stark is kidnapped by terrorists and escapes after creating a powerful suit of armor.
- After improving the armor, Stark publicly outs himself to the world as Iron Man.
- Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., approaches Stark with the offer of making him part of the Avengers Initiative.
The Incredible Hulk
- The Incredible Hulk is confirmed to exist in the MCU.
Iron Man 2
- Tony Stark clashes with Nick Fury, and is initially viewed as unsuited for the Avengers Initiative.
- S.H.I.E.L.D. super-spy Black Widow infiltrates Stark Industries to monitor Stark for a while.
- James Rhodes takes one of Stark's armors to become the superhero War Machine.
Thor
- Thor, son of Odin, is briefly banished to Earth where he must prove himself worthy to wield the enchanted hammer Mjolnir.
- His half-brother Loki makes his first attempt to claim the throne of Asgard, and sends the Destroyer to Earth to kill Thor.
- S.H.I.E.L.D. recruit Doctor Erik Selvig, a scientist under the influence of Loki, to research the Tesseract.
Captain America: The First Avenger
- Back in the 1940s, Steve Rogers is injected with the super-soldier serum and transformed into Captain America.
- Working with the SSR, he battles to stop the Red Skull using the power of the Tesseract to destroy the Allied Forces.
- In the final battle, the Tesseract blasts the Red Skull into space and is lost in the Atlantic Ocean. Steve Rogers is forced to sacrifice himself by crashing his plane in the Greenland ice.
- Steve Rogers' body is recovered in the present-day by S.H.I.E.L.D., who successfully resuscitate him.
The Avengers
- Loki steals the Tesseract from S.H.I.E.L.D. and uses it to launch an alien invasion. It is revealed that he was working for Thanos.
- Nick Fury assembles the Avengers, who successfully drive back the invasion.
Page 2 of 2: MCU Phase 2 and 3
Iron Man 3
- Tony Stark struggles with PTSD after the events of The Avengers.
- Fearing more attacks, Tony builds numerous new suits, constantly evolving the Iron Man technology.
Thor: The Dark World
- Jane Foster unwittingly stumbles upon the Aether, a.k.a. the Reality Stone.
- Thor learns of the Infinity Stones. While the Asgardians keep the Space Stone secure, they send the Reality Stone to the Collector for safekeeping.
- Loki fakes his own death and takes the throne of Asgard.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Steve Rogers discovers that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised from within by Hydra, and brings them down.
- Captain America also learns that his old friend Bucky has been kept in cryogenic suspension since the 1940s, and turned into the assassin called the Winter Soldier.
- The Avengers gain an ally in Sam Wilson, a.k.a. the Falcon.
Guardians of the Galaxy
- Ronan the Acc locates the Power Stone for Thanos, but decides to use it to destroy the planet Xandar instead.
- He is opposed by an unlikely band of "a**-holes," who come to call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy.
- Peter Quill discovers that he is only half-human after he successfully wields the Power Stone.
