# Marvel Viewing Order Marvel Viewing Order is a meme based on an infographic that maps out the chronological viewing sequence for all 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Originally posted by Australian radio host Kent "Smallzy" Small in March 2019, the graphic quickly became a parody template where people swapped MCU titles with absurd or unrelated films like *Shrek* and *The Room*[1]. ## Origin On March 25, 2019, Australian radio host Kent "Smallzy" Small tweeted an infographic walking viewers through all 22 MCU films in their in-universe chronological sequence[2]. The tweet picked up over 70 retweets and 240 likes within two months. The timing lined up with the massive pre-release hype for *Avengers: Endgame*, which hit theaters on April 26, 2019, making "what order should I watch Marvel" a genuinely common question online at the time. - **Platform:** Twitter (original infographic), Reddit (first parody) - **Creator:** Kent "Smallzy" Small (original infographic), u/nondiary_kramer (first known parody) - **Date:** 2019 ## Overview The original Marvel Viewing Order is a colorful infographic that arranges all 22 MCU films released through *Avengers: Endgame* into their in-universe chronological order rather than release order. Each film title sits in a numbered circle, connected by lines that guide the viewer through the timeline from *Captain America: The First Avenger* through to *Endgame*[2]. The parody format keeps the infographic's layout intact but replaces some or all of the MCU titles with unrelated, often comedic film choices. The joke works because the elaborate, carefully organized presentation clashes with ridiculous movie picks that have nothing to do with Marvel. ## How It Spread The infographic spread fast across platforms in the days after Small's tweet. On March 26, 2019, it was reposted to the /r/Marvel subreddit where it pulled in over 2,100 upvotes[2]. The next day, March 27, it hit 9GAG and earned more than 12,500 points[2]. That same day, March 27, Reddit user nondiary_kramer posted what appears to be the first parody of the infographic to the /r/Cumtown subreddit, earning 220 upvotes over two months[2]. The parody format really took off about a month later. On April 26, 2019, Twitter user @lunchbot1 shared another parody version that got over 70 retweets and 160 likes within a month[2]. Over the following two days, this parody was reposted to /r/marvelmemes and /r/me_irl, where it gained over 1,600 and 1,900 upvotes respectively[2]. In the weeks that followed, more parodies popped up across Twitter, Reddit, and other platforms. Popular substitutions included *Shrek* films, *The Room*, and other cult favorites that clashed with the serious, completionist energy of the original guide[2]. ## How to Use The format is straightforward. Take the original Marvel Viewing Order infographic (or a clean template version of it) and replace the MCU film titles with your own picks. Common approaches include: - Swapping every title with films from a single non-Marvel franchise (*Shrek*, *Fast and Furious*, etc.) - Mixing in deliberately terrible or obscure movies alongside real MCU entries - Replacing titles with increasingly absurd choices that escalate as the list goes on - Using the same film title for every single slot The humor typically comes from the contrast between the infographic's earnest, organized presentation and the ridiculous content people insert into it. ## Cultural Impact The meme rode the wave of *Avengers: Endgame* hype in spring 2019, when MCU viewing guides were a genuine topic of discussion for casual fans trying to catch up before the film's release[2]. The MCU's sprawling 22-film timeline made the viewing order question feel overwhelming, which is exactly what made the parody format land. By turning a sincere fan resource into a shitpost template, the meme poked fun at both the MCU's complexity and the obsessive completionism of its fanbase. ## Fun Facts - The original infographic covered all 22 MCU films released between 2008's *Iron Man* and 2019's *Avengers: Endgame*[2]. - The first parody appeared just two days after the original tweet went up, showing how quickly the template caught on[2]. - *Shrek* and *The Room* were among the most commonly inserted films in parody versions[2]. - The meme peaked in the narrow window between the infographic's posting and *Endgame*'s theatrical release, making it a product of a very specific cultural moment. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Marvel Viewing Order? It's an infographic originally created to guide viewers through all 22 MCU films in chronological order, which became a meme when people started replacing the film titles with unrelated movies[2]. ### Where did Marvel Viewing Order come from? Australian radio host Kent "Smallzy" Small posted the original infographic on Twitter on March 25, 2019[2]. ### What does Marvel Viewing Order mean? In its original form, it's a sincere viewing guide. As a meme, the parody versions mock the complexity of the MCU by replacing titles with absurd film choices[2]. ### How do you use the Marvel Viewing Order meme? Take the infographic template and swap out the MCU film titles with your own picks, usually for comedic effect[2]. ### Is Marvel Viewing Order still popular? The meme peaked in spring 2019 around the release of *Avengers: Endgame* and has largely faded since then[2]. ### Who created the first parody? Reddit user nondiary_kramer posted the first known parody to the /r/Cumtown subreddit on March 27, 2019[2]. ### What movies do people usually put in the parody versions? *Shrek* films and *The Room* were popular choices, though people inserted all kinds of unrelated or cult movies[2]. ## References 1. [Features of the Marvel Cinematic Universe]() 2. [Marvel Viewing Order - Know Your Meme]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/marvel-viewing-order Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library