There are just 37 days left on the Road to Infinity War and we have your Week 2 Recap right here. But first thing’s first, did you see the new trailer that dropped last week? If not, watch it here:
Only 37 days left till we laugh at Tony Stark and Peter Quill butting heads.
Just 37 days left till we cry as our beloved Steve Rogers takes on Thanos.
You guys…37 days left till we find out the answer to the big question “Where in the world is Hawkeye?!”
And 37 days left till we cheer on our favorite Avengers and inevitably have to say goodbye to some of them. We know it’s coming…and it’s coming fast in just 37 days. Have you purchased your tickets yet? Hit us up on Twitter and let us know when you’re going! We’ll send you virtual tissues for the big day. (You’re gonna need them.)
With that said, let’s dive right into our Week 2 recap and see where we stand with just 37 days to go!
Chronological Order
The Incredible Hulk
Bruce Banner is the third Avenger we meet on the Chronological Road. And while Edward Norton didn’t end up having the ultimate staying power to remain The Hulk, Banner is still a seminal member of the OG Avengers team and as such, deserves a stand alone movie. Love it or hate it, The Incredible Hulk certainly deserves his day in the sun! And hey, if you can make it past the angsty looks of Liv Tyler and the atrocious monstrosity that is the Abomination (have to appreciate the irony there) then you have yourself a fun Marvel popcorn movie. One that was certainly made before Marvel became…MARVEL!
Every franchise is bound to have a few missteps, and unfortunately The Incredible Hulk ends up on most people’s lists as such. But there are many redeeming qualities to Bruce Banner’s stand alone film. Norton’s inclusion in a project always guarantees that great acting will be present, no matter the role, and his turn as the mild-mannered scientist is no exception. The recapping of Hulk’s origin story in the opening credits is another tick in the plus column for this movie.
This film also has all the tentpole elements of a Marvel movie that we’ve become accustomed to seeing. Like the many easter eggs peppered throughout the film (looking at you purple stretchy pants!) And don’t forget the cameos. Not only do we see the classic Stan Lee cameo, but we also get a look at the true OG Hulk…Lou Ferrigno himself!
Other Things to Note
Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross is the only character from The Incredible Hulk (besides the character of Hulk himself) to make the transition into the greater MCU franchise. Keep an eye on him because we will be seeing him again.
End Credit Scene
Obviously, if you’re creating a team of superheroes and you hear about a big, green, rage machine…you want him on your team. In this end credit scene (bumped up to pre-credits in DVD and digital release) we see Tony Stark approaching Thunderbolt Ross about his unusual problem and the creation of a special “team.” (hint hint wink wink)
Iron Man 2
Tony Stark didn’t need to become a superhero to grow an ego. He was born with one. Being a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist certainly doesn’t help keep him humble. When we meet Tony Stark again on the Chronological Road, he is suffering from palladium poisoning. Rather than handle it like a grown man, we see Tony doing what Tony knows best. He’s smart-mouthing politicians, pushing away his loved ones and blocking himself off from the rest of the word.
But when you own a powerful weapon like the Iron Man suit and tech, you can’t stay isolated for long. Enemies start lining up to take their shots at the great and powerful Iron Man, in the form of Justin Hammer and Whiplash.
After a brief skirmish with his old/new (bye Terrence Howard. Hey Don Cheadle!) best friend, Rhodey, they join up to stop Whiplash and the Hammer drones. While this movie’s plot is thin and the rewinding of Stark’s character is tough to take, the action is strong and there is some very important world building that occurs in this movie.
Other Things to Note
We get to see more from the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., namely Agent Phil Coulson (fan favorite and man on the scene from day 1.) As well as the introduction of Agent Natasha Romanoff. This movie is worth watching for Black Widow’s fight scenes alone, in the third act. And of course, the director himself, Nicholas Joseph Fury.
We also get to see Rhodey’s War Machine suit take flight.
End Credit Scene
In this end credit scene, we see Agent Coulson of SHIELD being sent on a mission to New Mexico, where a hammer has fallen from the sky. Wonder who’s it could be… (Watching Chronologically, Iron Man 2 is a great lead in to Thor!! Enjoy!)
Thor
Thor, sweet summer child of the MCU. His origin story is the last stand alone story before The Avengers on the Chronological Road. What began as Norse mythology becomes canon when we find out that Thor, Odin, Asgard, Loki and Mjolnir are not legend at all, but living breathing gods of old. Fighting the Jötunheimr, traveling by rainbow bridge and invoking the power of thunder at will.
The mighty Thor, son of Odin, god of Thunder is a cocky would-be king, when we first meet him. He has much to learn before Odin can trust him to rule Asgard. After making some particularly bad choices, Odin decides to teach Thor a lesson and send him to Earth…powerless. With no conception of weakness or humanity, Thor is left to his own devices and soon meets the humans that will help him become the king he is meant to be.
Enter Jane Foster and Dr. Erik Selvig, along with lovable intern Darcy Lewis, who, while out in the New Mexico dessert working on some casual astrophysics one day, encounter a strange weather event that brings Thor into their crosshairs.
With Thor Earth bound and out of the way, Loki takes the opportunity to make his move on the throne. Odin has a heart attack after revealing that Loki is not his true born son and in his rage, Loki plots revenge. The Warriors Three and Lady Sif are skeptical of Loki’s tall tale and head to Earth to seek out and return Thor to Asgard, knowing he is Asgard’s only hope against Loki.
Other Things to Note
Loki is a major player in the MCU, so his introduction in this film cannot be underestimated. As well as the expanded role of the Tesseract in the MCU. Don’t forget to listen for the Easter Egg mentioning Thor’s alter ego from the comic books, Dr. Donald Blake. We also get a first look at the man in the perch, Hawkeye. He’s seen at the Mjolnir crater site, waiting for Thor to emerge and take back his hammer.
End Credit Scene
Nick Fury brings Dr. Selvig into the SHIELD fold and gets him started on the Tesseract analytics, but we quickly find out that Loki is driving the Selvig train. After the events in the movie that leave Loki seemingly dead to his brother Thor and all of Asgard, Loki is itching for a fight and eager to get back to his old tricks.
Release Date Order
Thor
If you’re watching in Release Date Order, Thor is the third Avenger you meet. See the full recap above.
Other Things to Note
In Release Date Order, the introduction of the first Infinity Stone in the form of the Tesseract (The Space Stone) happens right here in Thor.
Captain America: The First Avenger
When we first meet Steve Rogers, he is not what we would picture when we think of Captain America. After all, scrawny, little Rogers can barely get a punch in in an alley brawl, much less fight Nazi’s in World War II. He can’t even get drafted. But it isn’t brute strength or muscle mass that Dr. Abraham Erskine is looking for. He’s looking for a man who’s strength cannot be seen, a man who leads not with his fist, but with his heart.
In Steve Rogers, Dr. Erskine finds his candidate for a secret government contracted project. He could not have picked a better test subject. But the government had big plans for the super soldier serum. Plans that were derailed when a Nazi agent infiltrated the facility and blew up the technology along with Dr. Erskine. Effectively making Steve Rogers the only Super Soldier…or so we thought.
There’s is another and his intentions are pure evil. Johann Schmidt also had the super soldier serum, but instead of making him the best version of himself, it made him the worst, aka Red Skull. Two men, both given the same serum. Both given the chance to become something greater than themselves. But it isn’t the serum that makes you Captain America, it’s what lies within. And within Red Skull lies dark and evil purposes.
In the process of Steve’s origin story, he loses his best friend and brother in arms, James Buchanan Barnes. This loss indirectly leads directly to Steve’s decision to sacrifice himself and make the choice to break his date with his “best girl.” But don’t count Cap out just yet. At the end of the film, we find him decades later in New York City, after being resurrected from the dead. Nick Fury shows up to brief Cap and get him “back in the world.”
Other Things to Note
We see the continued use of the first Infinity Stone: The Space Stone in the form of the Tesseract. An artifact that, we know, has great consequence in the future of the MCU. We also meet Agent Peggy Carter in this film. If you’re interested in jumping down the extracurricular MCU rabbit hole, go ahead and catch up on both seasons of the show Agent Carter, available to stream on Hulu.
End Credit Scene
This movie came out right before The Avengers, so the end credit scene here is more of a trailer than anything else. If there was ever an end credit scene that you could feel ok about skipping, it would be this one.
Catch @NerdintheCity over on Twitter, as she watches her way through the MCU and use the hashtag #RoadtoInfinityWar to add your thoughts and gifs!