Several years ago we decided to try and watch all the Marvel Movies in chronological order, we have since watched them all and decided to do it all over again. We started out just watching a movie from time to time when we could find a way to rent the right movie as streaming wasn’t really a thing when we started. There wasn’t anything particularly special to it, just a movie night as a family, but we really had a good time. Over the years, we have made it more and more special by adding little details and extra fun, although we have had several wonderful nights where we just sat together and watched! I wanted to share some of the tips and tricks of how we have made this night a tried and true tradition for our family so you can maybe start the tradition yourself!
What To Watch
There are several different ways you can go about picking what to watch. There are the two obvious options of: in chronological order (following the timeline of the story) or release order (following the order they were released in theaters.) But I would also encourage you to consider watching things in a different way like a particular character’s storyline in order, a tv show binge, or even focus on the special features of each movie – some of which are multipart over several movies. There are also a multitude of recommended watch lists online from some of Marvel’s biggest fans so I would recommend considering them too. When we started this, Disney+ was years away, so we watched what we could on Netflix and Amazon Prime and then rented anything that wasn’t free. Disney+ has since changed everything about Marvel Monday for us, we can watch more then ever now with our subscription and it really has made it all easier. If you don’t have a subscription or are somewhere you cannot get Disney+ yet, don’t worry too much. You can still rent almost all of the movies and they are shown regularly on TV so you can always DVR them. You can also ask around your family and friends or at your local library to see if you can borrow the movies on DVD or Blu-Ray.
Dinner and A Movie
As I mentioned, some nights we just sit and watch the movie without any special details, but others we put special planning into the menu so that we can make the night extra special. As the name would suggest, we usually hold these nights on Monday, but don’t feel like you are obliged to do the same. It just fit well into our schedule of themed nights. Once you decide when to have your night and what to watch, you need to figure out what to eat. We like to try and order something shawarma flavored from Hello Fresh when we can (you know, like the end of Avengers?) as there is no shawarma place near us. Other nights we just have something we would have had that week anyway like the pasta you can see in the picture above. If you don’t have plans for a special meal, you can always focus on some special snacks and drinks for the evening. This could be as basic as some popcorn and movie theater style candy from your local dollar store if you are on a tight budget. This is a favorite snack option for our family any night!
Special Extras
Another way to add an element of fun to the evening is to find some ways to add special extras into your plans. On the night we took these pictures, the kiddos got out some of their Marvel toys and spent the time waiting for dinner to be cooked playing with them. The boys played with the toys all throughout the night and we had a lot of fun coming up with silly scenarios for each of them. This is also a great way to keep younger kiddos involved as sometimes sitting through a whole movie without doing anything else is a lot to ask! We have also had nights where a special stuffed animal was selected by the kiddos for each of us, who we cuddled with as we watched. I had everyone wear their favorite Marvel shirt for this week’s Marvel Monday which added a bit of fun, especially when Hubby and I realized we had both chosen Groot shirts to wear. Other ideas of things you could include could be things like coloring books (kids or adult versions,) picture books to look at, puzzles to work on, or some form of arts and crafts. If you don’t have the budget for special food or snacks, these kinds of extras can really kick your Marvel night up a notch and for no extra cost.
Family Assemble!
We have had so much fun over the last few years holding our Marvel Mondays and it really has become a favorite part of our week. As Marvel released more and more new content, it has increased our interest in reliving past moments and tracking details we once thought were unimportant. Which, lets be honest, there are very few details that are no longer important in the MCU! Re-watching the movies of Marvel has become almost a necessity at this point to prepare for new additions to the MCU. I hope this guide helps you to plan your own Marvel nights that fit your specific situations and budgets. From a basic night where you just sit down to watch a movie together to an intricately planned evening with a special menu and activities, you can enjoy a night “at” the movies with your family. Let me know in the comments below how your Marvel Monday went with your family.
