MYSTERY TIN

You never know where or when inspiration is going to strike. I’ve found success in saying “yes” to the more unique opportunities in life, finding inevitably that stories and community follow. I’ve found inspiration in the service of others. And when all else fails (or whenever I feel like it, really) consuming art is the greatest nutrition for the creative brain.

So I was scrolling instagram when I saw this image… a list of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe stories (movies/shows) you needed to catch up on before “Avengers Doomsday” premieres on December 18, 2026. The list is long (and also incomplete) but I was intrigued. When I clicked further, the comment on the photo gave some brief information, something along the lines of, “If you started today, it’d only take you 2 hours per day to get caught up!”

Before we go any further, I feel there are a number of disclaimers to be made here: I AM NOT A MARVEL SUPER FAN. I love movies, see hundreds a year in the theaters, but I rarely seek out Marvel material. I read a few of the comics when I was a kid in the 1990s, but I don’t have boxes of old comic books stashed away in my parents’ basement. I’ve seen a lot of the recent releases in the movie theaters, but I’ve never been to Comic Con or even that side of Disneyland. 

I’m taking on this challenge because I want to try to understand what it is about the superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that resonates so much with audiences of all ages. I’ll be the first to admit there is no chance I could include all the relevant data to make this writing endeavor in any way “authoritative,” but rather, this is simply the play-by-play of a curious yet captive audience, learning how each weave of the tapestry was made.

With the help of ChatGPT and the “ideal” viewing experience recommended by the MCU (seen here), I built a spreadsheet of all the films, television episodes, limited series episodes, “one shots,” specials, and short films available for public consumption. I also built a small list of Marvel properties that exist out their studio canon. The resulting spreadsheet of information, linked here, was astounding. (I’m sure there are things missing, so just let me know and don’t be a dick about it, okay? Thanks!)

At the time of publication, there are a total of 411 Marvel stories totaling approximately 15,724 minutes, or 262 hours, 4 minutes, or 10 days, 22 hours of continuous watching. (Was that statistic helpful? Not really! Thanks, ChatGPT!)

But then the data did become helpful…

There are 140 calendar days from today’s date (July 31, 2026) to December 18, 2026, the premiere date of Avengers Doomsday. 

If I began watching MCU stories on August 1 and finished on December 17, that is 140 calendar days.

I would need to watch approximately 2.96 stories per day, or 113 minutes per day.

I decided to write about each of the stories, likely breaking up the entries into separate posts for each of the MCU’s self-defined Phases.

In the end of this viewing experience, I imagine I will have mixed feelings about the characters, the stories, the phases, all of the usual chatter that consumes the MCU Reddit boards. Or maybe I’ll understand the feeling of belonging when I see “myself” on the screen, struggling and overcoming in the form of a superhero. Maybe I’ll be “accepted” by a community I didn’t know I was already a part of. Maybe I, too, will discover that my great weakness… is actually my greatest strength. Join me, won’t you?

According to the Official MCU guide, we start with…