The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
is a monumental franchise in terms of its duration, and honestly, I get why its not easily accessible for newcomers. I was fortunate enough to have started watching the MCU back in 2008 when the original Iron Man movie came out. And while the journey has been an absolute blast for me, and one that I have no intention of slowing down as I immediately book the earliest tickets to go and watch each new release, it is getting more and more complicated to revisit the MCU ahead of a new release.
The thing is, the exact reason why this shared franchise is exciting, as it replicates the comics and sees incredible crossovers between epic heroes, has led to the MCU becoming too big for new fans to partake in. Or at least, if you are thinking of jumping on the MCU bandwagon, you need to invest a ridiculous amount of time to get started. And with this simple fact now in play, it may deter potential fans from engaging with the series.
Rewatching Every MCU Movie & Show Would Take An Enormous Chunk Of Time
The MCU Has Grown To Become Spectacularly Large
Adding up all the MCU movies, and the TV shows, and the special presentations, you are looking at just over 6 days of continuous viewing to get through the MCU. That is 8,807 minutes of material up to and including Daredevil: Born Again. But, to be honest, that is just half of the equation since the Multiverse Saga came along. Now, to fully get up to speed, you will also need to watch all the X-Men movies, both the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy and The Amazing Spider-Man duology, the Blade trilogy, and depending on who appears in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, that list could grow even longer.
And then there are shows that tie in. To be fair to the MCU, the Netflix Marvel shows have now been canonized, which adds up to roughly 300 hours of content just across the Netflix Marvel shows and the canonical MCU. There’s also shows like Inhumans, and Agents of SHIELD that have clear connections to the MCU which deserve to be added to the list, and could be further validated by the upcoming Avengers films. All in, the amount of stuff to watch adds up to weeks’ worth of content, without any breaks.
Even Just Watching The MCU’s Marvel Roster Is A Big Time Commitment
There Is No Quick Way To Get Through The MCU
And if you want to take it easy, and just stick to the MCU movies, it’s definitely easier, but its still no simple task. Since 2008, the MCU has released a whopping total of 35 movies up to and including Captain America: Brave New World. Not including special presentations, not including TV shows, and not including any other part of the MCU such as the shorts that were released in the Infinity Saga, that adds up to a whopping total of 4,597 minutes. Or, to break that down, it’s 76.6 hours of non-stop viewing time. So, if you have a spare 3.19 days to completely sink into the MCU and rewatch every single тιтle, you can make your way through the movies alone.
But at that point, you are missing out on some valuable stuff in the shows, where some key characters have been established who will likely have larger parts in the future of the MCU. So, no matter what way you approach a watch party for the MCU, it’s not something that is possible to do in one sitting. It’s unlikely to be possible to even do so with close friends, unless you are living together for a week or longer and have nothing else to occupy your time outside of sleeping and eating.
The MCU’s Huge Watch Time Is A Major Blessing & Curse At The Same Time
The Universe Has Expanded Exponentially Since The MCU Started In 2008
And while this creates a major hurdle for people to enter into the franchise, it’s also kind of extraordinary. While there have been franchises that extend over decades, and get into the double digits in terms of releases, the MCU is one of a kind with what it has created. These interwoven stories are so much bigger and more involved than anything that came before. It’s not reboots and spin-offs, and completely meaningless entries; it’s an extensive library of connected stories with heroes that exist in overlapping ways.
And if you do want to introduce someone to the franchise, there is a lot of material to go through, get excited about, and get hooked on. This ultimately can lead to a more dedicated and enthusiastic fanbase. It is a challenge, and as the MCU continues to grow and redefine itself, it will face new challenges, but so far, it’s been an incredible experience, and with all the announced releases still to come, it shows no signs of stopping. As the Multiverse Saga comes to an end, the MCU may be growing too big for casual viewing, but it’s still one of the most remarkable achievements in cinematic and franchise history.
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
- Created by
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Kevin Feige
- First Film
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Iron Man
- Latest Film
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Upcoming Films
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Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania
- First TV Show
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WandaVision
Summary
The monolithic franchise that kicked off with Iron Man, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is one of the industry’s longest-running and largest cinematic franchises. Based on the heroes from Marvel Comics, the MCU is a new way for fans and newcomers alike to enjoy the ever-expanding universes of some of the world’s most famous superheroes. Releasing as “Phases,” Marvel Studio’s first three Phases came to be known as “The Infinity Saga,” which surrounded the formation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and their showdown with the Mad тιтan known as Thanos as he sought to collect the Infinity Stones. With his ultimate goal of indiscriminately wiping out half of all life in the universe, this plot ultimately reveals itself over ten years of films, ending in a two-part finale that changed the world’s fate – and the core cast forever. Currently, the MCU is preparing to enter the fifth phase, focusing on Kang the Conquerer as the new core series villain.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday
- Release Date
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May 1, 2026
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
- Release Date
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July 31, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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