The MCU: My personal watching order
Over on Twitter, ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bookgazing asked about catching up on the MCU, particularly the Netflix and TV shows. Clearly, I have an opinion on this subject, and it's too much to put in a tweet, or even a thread. So for your perusal, my recommended watch order for the MCU, with a focus on content relevant to Agents of SHIELD and the Netflix originals. EDIT: I forgot Agents of SHIELD Season Five; now added into its correct place.
1. Iron Man. Without this movie, there would be no MCU, and it sets the tone and agenda for so much that follows. Also, it's very fun.
2. Captain America: The First Avenger. The first story chronologically, and vital for understanding Cap's character and for setting up Agent Carter. And an enjoyable period piece in its own right.
3. Agent Carter, S1. My favorite MCU tv series. Peggy is such a wonderful character and I love that this show gives her so much room to grow and develop. You'll also meet the original Jarvis and Peggy's amazing friend Angie.
4. Optional: Iron Man 2, Thor. I actually like both of these movies pretty well, and they set up some things for later films as well as Agents of SHIELD, but if you're looking to shave off some time, this is a place to do it.
5. Avengers. Although this film has its flaws, it's also where the MCU came together for me, and went from a thing I was vaguely interested in to a canon I love and adore. Also, especially if you skip Iron Man 2 and Thor, this movie is necessary backstory for Agents of SHIELD.
6. Iron Man 3. Includes some useful backstory for Agents of SHIELD, and maybe the best movie for exploring the consequences of earlier films. Some of the best Tony Stark content in the franchise.
7. Agents of SHIELD, Season One, Episodes 1-7. People argue about this show, but I am a fan. The first season can be uneven, but when I watched it again a couple of years ago (as part of a full-canon rewatch pre-Age of Ultron) it held up as a unit way better than I thought it would. Even the seemingly-throwaway oddity of the week episodes all have ties to the main story arc. It could have been paced better, but I still recommend you watch it all -- especially as a prelude to the excellent final run of episodes. Broken into chunks because of how it fits with the movies.
8. Optional: Thor: The Dark World. Optional because it is for my money the worst movie in the franchise. Included because it sets up the next episode of AoS and also when Sif appears later you won't know who she is, especially if you skipped the first Thor movie. You could probably watch that instead, read a plot synopsis, and be fine.
9. Agents of SHIELD, Season One, Episodes 8-16. The next chunk, in the lead up to Winter Soldier. A mixed bag of episodes but none of them are really skippable from a plot and characterization perspective.
10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier. My very favorite MCU film. A huge turning point for the franchise, with particularly significant effects on AoS.
11. Agents of SHIELD, Season One, Episodes 17-22. This is where AoS gets super, super good (a level of quality that, in my opinion, is mostly maintained through the rest of the series). Absolutely must watch.
12. Guardians of the Galaxy. I don't like the Guardians sub-series as much as other people seem to, but the first one is at least pretty funny, and there is a subtle-but-huge tie to Agents of SHIELD. Worth watching.
13. Agents of SHIELD, Season 2, Episodes 1-19
14. Optional: Guardians of the Galaxy 2. A lot of things about this movie bugged me, but if you want to watch it, this is where it sits chronologically. Sets up some things that happen in Infinity War.
15. Daredevil, Season 1.
16. Avengers: Age of Ultron. Part of me wants to call this optional, but it's got too many important plot developments to skip.
17. Agents of SHIELD, Season 2, Episodes 20-22
18. Optional: Ant-Man. This is actually quite a fun movie (though not without its missteps), and it's useful to meet Scott before Civil War, but it's not necessary to the TV shows and might be a place to shave some time.
19. Jessica Jones, Season 1
20. Agents of Shield, Season 3, Episodes 1-10
21. Agent Carter, Season 2. If you prefer internal chronological order, it goes right after Season 1, but there are two reasons I put it here. First, there are some great nods to recent events in Agents of SHIELD and the Phase Two movies that will make more sense if you watch now; and this way you get to spread out the Peggy goodness a little more.
22. Daredevil, Season 2. I might call this optional, but I don't think The Defenders would be comprehensible without it. Maybe fast-forward through all the Punisher stuff. Or read a detailed plot synopsis.
23. Agents of SHIELD, Season 3, Episodes 11-19
24. Captain America: Civil War. Another one that people argue about, but I think the good outweighs the bad, and it's another turning point for the franchise.
25. Agents of SHIELD, Season 3, Episodes 20-22
26. Black Panther. This is where it sits in the chronology, and it just came out on video and streaming. If you haven't seen it already, absolutely see it now; if you have seen it, it's a great time to watch again.
27. Luke Cage
28. Optional: Doctor Strange. Only if you feel the need to know more about him for Infinity War. He hasn't tied into the TV shows at all, and the movies only lightly. I think Infinity War gives you enough internal context to follow along.
29. Agents of SHIELD, Season 4, Episode 1-15
30. Iron Fist. Note, I myself skipped this and read a few detailed plot synopses instead. A lot of what happens in this season set up the Defenders, but the synopses were enough for me. It might be enough for you. But if you're determined to watch it, this is where it goes.
31. Agents of SHIELD, Season 4, Episodes 16-22.
32. Spider-Man: Homecoming. No ties to the TV shows as yet, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. And it calls back to the first Avengers movie in a wonderful, unexpected way.
33. The Defenders
34. Thor: Ragnarok. Do not miss this movie. It is great fun and some huge character development.
35. Jessica Jones, Season 2. Note, I haven't finished this yet myself. It's good, but so far I don't love it as much as I did the first season.
36. Agents of SHIELD, Season 5. I have a few episodes left to go on this one, too, so again I can't quite comment on how it fits in with recent developments, if at all.
37. Optional: Avengers: Infinity War. Yes, I said it. If you haven't seen this movie yet, that means you aren't dying to avoid spoilers (or are in a space where you won't run across them). I actually think someone who is not a dedicated fan of the series might do better to wait and watch it next year, shortly before Avengers 4 comes out, so you can experience it as the two-parter it is so clearly designed to be.
Skipped: The Incredible Hulk (technically MCU but has almost no ties to other films and even less connection to the TV shows), The Punisher (which I haven't watched because that character bores me to tears) and The Inhumans (also unwatched because by all reports it is terrible). If you watch them, the Hulk goes in with Iron Man 2 and Thor (you can watch those in any order really; release order does help the post-credit scenes make more sense), and the Punisher/Inhumans any time after the Defenders but before Infinity War.
So that's my list. Feel free to argue in the comments. :)
bookgazing asked about catching up on the MCU, particularly the Netflix and TV shows. Clearly, I have an opinion on this subject, and it's too much to put in a tweet, or even a thread. So for your perusal, my recommended watch order for the MCU, with a focus on content relevant to Agents of SHIELD and the Netflix originals. EDIT: I forgot Agents of SHIELD Season Five; now added into its correct place.1. Iron Man. Without this movie, there would be no MCU, and it sets the tone and agenda for so much that follows. Also, it's very fun.
2. Captain America: The First Avenger. The first story chronologically, and vital for understanding Cap's character and for setting up Agent Carter. And an enjoyable period piece in its own right.
3. Agent Carter, S1. My favorite MCU tv series. Peggy is such a wonderful character and I love that this show gives her so much room to grow and develop. You'll also meet the original Jarvis and Peggy's amazing friend Angie.
4. Optional: Iron Man 2, Thor. I actually like both of these movies pretty well, and they set up some things for later films as well as Agents of SHIELD, but if you're looking to shave off some time, this is a place to do it.
5. Avengers. Although this film has its flaws, it's also where the MCU came together for me, and went from a thing I was vaguely interested in to a canon I love and adore. Also, especially if you skip Iron Man 2 and Thor, this movie is necessary backstory for Agents of SHIELD.
6. Iron Man 3. Includes some useful backstory for Agents of SHIELD, and maybe the best movie for exploring the consequences of earlier films. Some of the best Tony Stark content in the franchise.
7. Agents of SHIELD, Season One, Episodes 1-7. People argue about this show, but I am a fan. The first season can be uneven, but when I watched it again a couple of years ago (as part of a full-canon rewatch pre-Age of Ultron) it held up as a unit way better than I thought it would. Even the seemingly-throwaway oddity of the week episodes all have ties to the main story arc. It could have been paced better, but I still recommend you watch it all -- especially as a prelude to the excellent final run of episodes. Broken into chunks because of how it fits with the movies.
8. Optional: Thor: The Dark World. Optional because it is for my money the worst movie in the franchise. Included because it sets up the next episode of AoS and also when Sif appears later you won't know who she is, especially if you skipped the first Thor movie. You could probably watch that instead, read a plot synopsis, and be fine.
9. Agents of SHIELD, Season One, Episodes 8-16. The next chunk, in the lead up to Winter Soldier. A mixed bag of episodes but none of them are really skippable from a plot and characterization perspective.
10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier. My very favorite MCU film. A huge turning point for the franchise, with particularly significant effects on AoS.
11. Agents of SHIELD, Season One, Episodes 17-22. This is where AoS gets super, super good (a level of quality that, in my opinion, is mostly maintained through the rest of the series). Absolutely must watch.
12. Guardians of the Galaxy. I don't like the Guardians sub-series as much as other people seem to, but the first one is at least pretty funny, and there is a subtle-but-huge tie to Agents of SHIELD. Worth watching.
13. Agents of SHIELD, Season 2, Episodes 1-19
14. Optional: Guardians of the Galaxy 2. A lot of things about this movie bugged me, but if you want to watch it, this is where it sits chronologically. Sets up some things that happen in Infinity War.
15. Daredevil, Season 1.
16. Avengers: Age of Ultron. Part of me wants to call this optional, but it's got too many important plot developments to skip.
17. Agents of SHIELD, Season 2, Episodes 20-22
18. Optional: Ant-Man. This is actually quite a fun movie (though not without its missteps), and it's useful to meet Scott before Civil War, but it's not necessary to the TV shows and might be a place to shave some time.
19. Jessica Jones, Season 1
20. Agents of Shield, Season 3, Episodes 1-10
21. Agent Carter, Season 2. If you prefer internal chronological order, it goes right after Season 1, but there are two reasons I put it here. First, there are some great nods to recent events in Agents of SHIELD and the Phase Two movies that will make more sense if you watch now; and this way you get to spread out the Peggy goodness a little more.
22. Daredevil, Season 2. I might call this optional, but I don't think The Defenders would be comprehensible without it. Maybe fast-forward through all the Punisher stuff. Or read a detailed plot synopsis.
23. Agents of SHIELD, Season 3, Episodes 11-19
24. Captain America: Civil War. Another one that people argue about, but I think the good outweighs the bad, and it's another turning point for the franchise.
25. Agents of SHIELD, Season 3, Episodes 20-22
26. Black Panther. This is where it sits in the chronology, and it just came out on video and streaming. If you haven't seen it already, absolutely see it now; if you have seen it, it's a great time to watch again.
27. Luke Cage
28. Optional: Doctor Strange. Only if you feel the need to know more about him for Infinity War. He hasn't tied into the TV shows at all, and the movies only lightly. I think Infinity War gives you enough internal context to follow along.
29. Agents of SHIELD, Season 4, Episode 1-15
30. Iron Fist. Note, I myself skipped this and read a few detailed plot synopses instead. A lot of what happens in this season set up the Defenders, but the synopses were enough for me. It might be enough for you. But if you're determined to watch it, this is where it goes.
31. Agents of SHIELD, Season 4, Episodes 16-22.
32. Spider-Man: Homecoming. No ties to the TV shows as yet, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. And it calls back to the first Avengers movie in a wonderful, unexpected way.
33. The Defenders
34. Thor: Ragnarok. Do not miss this movie. It is great fun and some huge character development.
35. Jessica Jones, Season 2. Note, I haven't finished this yet myself. It's good, but so far I don't love it as much as I did the first season.
36. Agents of SHIELD, Season 5. I have a few episodes left to go on this one, too, so again I can't quite comment on how it fits in with recent developments, if at all.
37. Optional: Avengers: Infinity War. Yes, I said it. If you haven't seen this movie yet, that means you aren't dying to avoid spoilers (or are in a space where you won't run across them). I actually think someone who is not a dedicated fan of the series might do better to wait and watch it next year, shortly before Avengers 4 comes out, so you can experience it as the two-parter it is so clearly designed to be.
Skipped: The Incredible Hulk (technically MCU but has almost no ties to other films and even less connection to the TV shows), The Punisher (which I haven't watched because that character bores me to tears) and The Inhumans (also unwatched because by all reports it is terrible). If you watch them, the Hulk goes in with Iron Man 2 and Thor (you can watch those in any order really; release order does help the post-credit scenes make more sense), and the Punisher/Inhumans any time after the Defenders but before Infinity War.
So that's my list. Feel free to argue in the comments. :)
no subject
no subject
no subject
I watched S1 of Jessica Jones and found my soulmate, so I’m glad to have it in the list :)
no subject