Anna Daniels
On social media, people often ask the proverbial “What movie would you watch if you only had one on a deserted island?” question. Not everyone can answer that definitively, probably because we’re living in a film franchise world where multiple movies are all connected with a prolonged plot.
Trying to pick out just one MCU movie is arguably harder than any because of this very reason. Not that fans haven’t done a good job of whittling it down to one perhaps standing alone.
As usual, Reddit is the place where fans seem to hone in on such things. Which movie did they choose as the best singular MCU movie to watch without knowing anything before or after?
Not surprisingly, it’s mostly a comedy.
There seems to be split opinion on which MCU movie can stand alone
In the Reddit community, a tie developed between either Iron Man (yes, the first one kicking off the MCU), or Guardians of the Galaxy as best film. A good argument can be made the latter film is better if someone wants a movie they can enjoy without consulting comic books beforehand.
This whole argument started from those being trapped indoors during quarantine while the world battles Coronavirus (COVID-19). Someone started a Reddit thread saying they’d never seen an MCU movie and wanted to know which movie they could watch alone without committing to anything else.
For those on the Iron Man side, proponents think once someone watches the film starting it all, it’ll hook people into watching the others. Of course, this goes against what the original poster wanted in just wanting a movie standing on its own merits.
Everyone recommending Guardians of the Galaxy note something singular: It’s a film not referencing anything else going on in the MCU. Regardless, the characters do get involved in the Avengers films.
Some people watch ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ first, then go back to watch ‘Iron Man’
Many other fans think Guardians of the Galaxy works so entertainingly, it can get viewers into the MCU spirit. After viewing it first, some say they go back and start the franchise from the beginning to put everything all together.
Whether any casual viewer would really be able to watch every movie and stay interested is another argument worth having. One thing to remember about Guardians of the Galaxy is it brings an effective mix of action, comedy, and a little drama.
The film has just about everything to keep one entertained, including more than a few belly laugh one-liners.
Comedy in the MCU has done the franchise well, and it’s a genre not done nearly enough in the other movies. No wonder so many fans recommended this film since the other films do require watching others to understand what’s going on. Plus, most of the others are seriously intense as anyone who watched Endgame can attest.
Despite the Thor and Ant-Man movies also offering comedy, they may not hold up over time because of how they connect so much to the other films. Far into the future, Guardians of the Galaxy might become THE favorite Marvel film based squarely on cable airings.
Each volume of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ might be able to stand on their own merits
With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 about ready to be filmed by director James Gunn (assuming COVID-19 doesn’t delay it further), it’s possible all three films might be able to stand as individual films.
It’s not typical for movie trilogies to have each film be watchable on their own without watching all three. Star Wars couldn’t even do that, outside of The Empire Strikes Back being a little better on this front.
Once Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequels are mainstays on cable, it’ll be interesting to see if they truly become the favorites of the bunch for the casual viewers. If so, don’t be surprised to see cable marathons with all three films for holiday airings.
Viewings of the other MCU films might not be quite as common then since it usually requires airing a couple of ensuing films to make complete narrative sense.
Written by: Cheat
