The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has become a cultural phenomenon with its interconnected storylines, characters, and movies. With over 20 films in the franchise, it can be overwhelming to keep track of how they all fit together. In this article, we’ll explore how all of the Marvel movies are connected.
Phase One: The Beginning
The first phase of the MCU started with “Iron Man” in 2008 and ended with “The Avengers” in 2012. It introduced us to some of the most significant characters like Tony Stark (Iron Man), Steve Rogers (Captain America), Thor, and Bruce Banner (Hulk). The post-credit scenes in each movie gave us hints about an upcoming event that would bring all these superheroes together.
The Avengers Initiative
In “Iron Man,” we see Nick Fury approaching Tony Stark about an idea called ‘The Avengers Initiative.’ This initiative is a plan to bring together a team of superheroes to fight against future threats. We later see Nick Fury recruiting other members like Captain America, Thor, and Hulk for this initiative.
Tesseract – The Key to Everything
Another element that connects most of the Phase One movies is the Tesseract. The Tesseract is an ancient cosmic cube that possesses immense power and can be used as a source of energy for weapons.
It’s first introduced in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” where it is used by Red Skull as a power source for his weapons. Later in “The Avengers,” we see it being used by Loki as a gateway to bring an alien army to Earth.
Phase Two: Expanding the Universe
Phase Two started with “Iron Man 3” (2013) and ended with “Ant-Man” (2015). It focused on expanding the universe by introducing new characters like Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man, and Scarlet Witch.
Infinity Stones – The Ultimate Power
The Infinity Stones are six powerful stones that were created by the Big Bang. Each stone has its unique power and can be used in combination with others to create immense power.
In Phase Two, we see the introduction of three new stones – The Power Stone (Guardians of the Galaxy), The Reality Stone (Thor: The Dark World), and The Mind Stone (Avengers: Age of Ultron). We also see the Tesseract being revealed as the Space Stone.
Phase Three: The Endgame
Phase Three is where everything comes together, leading up to “Avengers: Endgame.” It started with “Captain America: Civil War” in 2016 and ended with “Spider-Man: Far From Home” in 2019.
The Snap – Decimation
In “Avengers: Infinity War,” we see Thanos collecting all six Infinity Stones to wipe out half of all life in the universe. This event, known as ‘The Snap’ or ‘Decimation,’ affects every character in the MCU and sets up the plot for “Avengers: Endgame.”
Time Travel – Saving the Universe
“Avengers: Endgame” sees our heroes traveling back in time to collect the Infinity Stones before Thanos can get his hands on them. They succeed in bringing everyone back to life but at a cost – Iron Man sacrifices himself to use the stones to defeat Thanos.
Conclusion
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a vast interconnected world that has been built over more than a decade. From Phase One’s introduction of key characters like Iron Man and Captain America to Phase Three’s epic conclusion with “Avengers: Endgame,” each movie has contributed something significant to this incredible franchise. With more movies and TV shows coming up, it’s safe to say that the MCU is here to stay.