Anthem Screen Guides Magazine

Ten films. That’s how many movies were initially planned for what would become known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hell, even that number seemed absurdly ambitious in 2008. It wasn’t as if Marvel had its pick of the biggest and most marketable characters, with
Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men all licensed to other studios. Those left were often described as “from the bottom of the toy drawer”, lesser-known IPs that Marvel wasn’t sure audiences had even heard of.
Everything was a gamble with that first movie: Iron who? with Robert Downey Jr, that washed-up former jailbird? And from the director of Elf?? It didn’t look promising, yet Iron Man was a sensation, and while Marvel experienced a few bumps in those early years, when that first roster of superheroes coalesced into The Avengers, comic-book fans got the team-up they’d been waiting half a century for.
Ten movies was the dream and now, this December, Marvel are releasing their 39th blockbusting epic. Since then, Spidey, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men have re-entered the fold and the MCU stands as the highest-grossing movie franchise of all time, having generated more than $35.1 billion globally.
As the world readies itself for 18 December, we’re taking this chance to look back over the entire MCU saga, with our guide to all 39 movies, right up to Avengers: Doomsday. We’re covering every Marvel TV show and counting down our favourite big-screen moments. We also profile some of the franchise’s most important players, from Robert Downey Jr to the Russo brothers, and look at what’s on the studio’s calendar for 2027 and beyond.
Excelsior!