It’s a pretty common plan among Marvel fan-circles; that, before the release of Avengers: Infinity War, they’ll make their way through every MCU movie to date. And why not? Infinity War is releasing to celebrate the MCU’s 10-year anniversary. The blockbuster hit is expected to tie together plot threads from every previous Marvel movie, not least because it stars Thanos, who’s come to claim the Infinity Stones. Not only is it prudent to refamiliarize yourself with the MCU to date, it’s also worth doing it just to build up the hype.

But here’s the catch. The clock is ticking down, and there isn’t much time left to binge-watch your way through the MCU. Some fans were organized, and kicked off their viewing shortly after Christmas, scheduling one a week. But the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and many of those fans have gradually slowed down as the months have passed. Besides which, Marvel complicated matters by moving Infinity War’s release date forward.

With Infinity War officially releasing on April 27, we’re in the final stretch. If you do intend to watch all 18 Marvel movies, you don’t have much time left. Let’s say you want to watch one movie a day. In that case, the latest you can start rewatching is actually April 8.

The Black Panther Factor

Unfortunately, there is one complicating factor. Marvel’s latest box office blockbuster, Black Panther, is actually still in theaters now. While the film will have ended its run before Infinity War’s release, Marvel is yet to give a release date for the DVD and Blu-Ray. That means the Marvel binge-watch can’t include Chadwick Boseman’s starring turn. That’s particularly disappointing given Infinity War’s entire third act is set in Wakanda, and marketing has stressed the close connection between the two films.

The problem was an inevitable one, of course; there was never any chance Black Panther’s home release would be before Infinity War hit the big screen. Marvel is now releasing three movies every year, meaning there’s a constant stream of new MCU content. That kind of pace was always going to lead to issues like this. It makes the 10-year anniversary a little more complicated, and those binge-watching plans are thrown askew, but if the alternative is only to get two Marvel movies a year? Fans will live with it.

So, if you are planning to binge-watch your way through the entire MCU before Infinity War’s release, there are two things you need to do: Start quickly and track down your nearest cinema that’s still showing Black Panther. The clock is ticking.

MORE: The 6 Essential Marvel Movies You Should Rewatch Before Avengers: Infinity War

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