The Best Marvel Movie Drinking Games For Your Next MCU Watch Party

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become an instrumental part of the pop cultural landscape since "Iron Man" premiered in 2008. During these years, the films have changed the game when it comes to developing an interconnected movie-verse, and developed their own language while doing so. These days, they're so recognizable that even if you're not a superhero fan, it's borderline impossible to glance at a MCU project and not immediately recognize it as one.

Overall, the franchise is filled with endless interconnected references, in-jokes, Easter eggs, and borderline memes, all of which lend themselves very well toward drinking game purposes. Next time you're planning a MCU marathon with your friends and a couple of drinks, here's a fun way to celebrate the occasion with a drinking game. To make the game easier for your eyes (not to mention liver), we've broken the game into several parts, each section themed after a complete phase of the shared universe — with rules for the "Avengers" film series and the Disney+ shows thrown in for good measure. Have a blast, and remember to drink responsibly!

Phase 1 jump-starts the entire MCU timeline, and centers heavily around the introduction of the original Avengers lineup in general ... and, let's face it, Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man in particular. It also establishes the standard MCU formula that would bring Marvel Studios plenty of wins for quite a long time. Because of this, many drinking game-worthily repetitive aspects of this era are fairly straightforward and can be applied to just about any of the first three MCU phases. Consider having a drink when:

• Someone makes a S.H.I.E.L.D. reference

• Tony Stark builds a new armor or gadget

• Stan Lee makes a cameo

• Pepper Potts has to endure Tony's bad behavior

• Howard Stark is mentioned or appears onscreen

• Thor attempts to figure out an Earth concept

• Someone underestimates Steve Rogers

• The Big Bad of the movie reveals themselves

• Someone mentions the Tesseract (including when they call it a "cube")

• Someone discusses Tony Stark's health

• Nick Fury makes a cameo

Here's where the key players of the Infinity Saga have already been introduced, and the MCU could afford to have fun with both specific genres (the espionage thriller style of "Captain America and the Winter Soldier") and calculated risks ("Guardians of the Galaxy"). Combine this with the fact that several drinking game elements from Phase 1 can still be used, and the rules start to get considerably more specific. As such, take a drink in the following conditions:

• "I am Groot"

• Two or more heroes start an argument with each other

• Someone calls out Tony Stark for his actions

• One or more main characters easily tear through multiple henchmen

• Someone other than Thor tries to lift Mjolnir

• A film has multiple post-credits scenes

• A main character discusses friendship

• A popular '80s song is played

• A person talks with artificial intelligence

• A flashback sequence is used to expose a major character's backstory

The stakes have never been higher before -– and, some might say, since -– MCU Phase 3, which closes out the Infinity Saga. It also features some of the most beloved MCU films ever, from the no-holds-barred "Captain America: Civil War" to no less than two gigantic "Avengers" movies. At this point, both the MCU and the drinking game assume that the viewer is fairly familiar with the general lore, and they focus on fairly specific, yet suitably repetitive concepts and events. As such, tip the glass whenever ...

• A MacGuffin from a previous movie turns out to be an Infinity Stone

• A major character struggles with romance

• A character does a magic spell with cool hand motions

• A major villain easily beats the hero(es)

• The Sokovia Accords are mentioned

• Gamora receives gruesome injuries

• Star-Lord loses his cool

• A character busts out an important new power or gadget

• A major superhero or villain cameos in another one's movie

Where Phase 1 builds a world, Phase 4 builds creates countless ones. The Multiverse Saga is an ambitious undertaking that, thanks to troubles both on screen and behind the scenes, ultimately sent the cinematic universe in disarray. As such, the phase can come across as a bit all over the place — but it nevertheless has several ongoing themes that will make for an excellent drinking game. Take a sip, then, whenever the MCU's first Multiversal endeavor rolls out any of the following events:

• The Multiverse is mentioned

• A character from another universe visits the main one

• A main MCU character visits a new universe

• An antagonist proposes an alliance with a hero

• Two or more Black Widows fight

• Someone opens a portal 

• Someone uses the Ten Rings

• A main character loses a family member

• A major antagonist has a tragic backstory

• Someone does the three-point superhero landing (Have another drink if someone then mocks said landing)

It's been a long time since MCU movies were standalone in any way. They constantly reference each other, and contain little bits of world-building that inevitably heads toward the next major stop on the tracks — a new Avengers movie. Since the first "Avengers" dropped in 2012, these large team-up films have been the thing all other MCU films build toward, and even the most massive single-superhero franchise films like "Spider-Man: No Way Home" tend to pale in comparison. 

Because "Avengers" movies are the culmination of everything that has happened between them and, well, the previous "Avengers" movie, they have developed a language of their own. Because of this, they also contain a number of unique repeating moments and memes that fit very well in a drinking game contest. Here are some cues for tipping the glass during your next "Avengers" marathon:

• Bruce Banner changes into Hulk or vice versa

• A character makes a pop culture reference

• Steve Rogers actually understands said reference

• Someone uses one or more Infinity Stones 

• Someone disagrees with Tony Stark

• Tony Stark banters with a villain

• Tony and Bruce talk about science

• The Avengers do a cool group pose

• Hawkeye manages to take down a powerful character

• Iron Man and Captain America have an uncomfortable stand-off

• "Avengers assemble!"

• An Avenger tricks the villain

• Someone mentions Budapest

• Phil Coulson's Captain America superfandom is referenced

• Banner calls Hulk "the other guy"

The advent of MCU shows on Disney+ changed the game when it comes to storytelling. It has allowed Marvel Studios to develop characters like Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in ways the shorter movie form would never allow, and sneakily introduce new fan-favorites like Kathryn Hahn's Agatha Harkness, Oscar Isaac's Moon Knight, and Owen Wilson's Mobius M. Mobius. They've done serious world-building that has leaked into movies like "Deadpool and Wolverine" and "The Marvels," and will likely continue to play a major part in Marvel Studios' release strategy. As it happens, they also have an internal language that lends itself quite well to a drinking game, so have a sip whenever ...  

• A character mentions the town of Westview

• There's a fight in a corridor or warehouse

• A real person is mentioned or makes an on-screen cameo

• There's a big CGI fight scene that seems out of place with the rest of the show

• A fun, previously unknown fact of a well-known character's personal life is revealed

• Someone the main character personally knows is revealed to be a villain

• An episode has a post-credits scene

• Someone mentions the Battle of New York

• Kathryn Hahn steals a scene

• A non-MCU Marvel show or movie is referenced