5 MCU must-see movies before Avengers: Infinity War

So many superheroes, so little time! Whether you’ve never seen a Marvel Cinematic Universe film (how dare you?) or want to freshen up and rewatch a few chapters before Avengers: Infinity War, you’ve come to the right place!

New to the MCU? You have been missing out! But better late than never. To watch all the movies back-to-back, it would take approximately one day and 15 hours. If you ask me, you can skip 2008’s The Incredibly Hulk, but even if you do, you’re still at one day and 13 hours, give or take. Avengers: Infinity War arrives Friday, April 27, so there’s not enough time to catch up if you watch one movie a day (there are 18 movies).  

Keep in mind, the above estimated time does not include TV shows (both on Netflix and networks) that are tied into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You really don’t need to watch them to understand the movies, though.

You could watch a couple of movies a day and be ready by the time the film premieres, but if you don’t want to rush it or only have time for a few, these are the five movies you must-see:

• The Avengers

• The Avengers: Age of Ultron

• Guardians of the Galaxy

• Captain America: Civil War

• Black Panther

The Avengers is arguably the most important MCU movie. It brought the Avenger OG’s, Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) together for the first time. You’ll get to meet each character and get a feel of their personalities and learn their powers.

Avengers: Age of Ultron sees the six heroes, and a few friends, unite once more. This time, they take on Ultron. This movie introduces new faces (if you’ve only watched The Avengers) and new members of the team you’ll want to meet.

More from Marvel Movies

• The ladies of Madame Web and their marvelous powers
• The Marvels movie review: Absurdist masterpiece or serious let-down?
• The Marvels closes out 2023 for Marvel as fans await Deadpool’s MCU debut
• The Marvels is likely to stream on Disney+ in early 2024
• The Marvels cast: Which Marvel stars return in the new movie?

We don’t get to see the characters in Guardians of the Galaxy in any of the other movies, so it’s important to meet them before they join the action in Avengers: Infinity War.

Captain America: Civil War finds our heroes at odds. Instead of taking out a threat together, the group is divided: Team Iron Man vs Team Captain America. The results change The Avengers as we know them.

We get to see T’Challa/Black Panther in Civil War, but what’s his story, where do his powers come from, and how does he end up joining the fight? Get all the answers (and more) by watching Black Panther.

If you have time for more, below is a list of movies to consider adding to your list…

• Iron Man
• Captain America: The First Avenger
• Thor
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier
• Doctor Strange
• Spider-Man: Homecoming
• Thor: Ragnarok
• Guardians of the Galaxy 2

Next: Who will die in Avengers: Infinity War? Ranking every character from least to most likely

Happy watching! If you’re already a Marvel Cinematic Universe fan, which movies are your go-to for a refresher? And which are your favorite? Sound off in the comments!

Avengers: Infinity War is in theaters Friday, April 27.