My 59-hour Marvel movie marathon is here. Yes, I’m about to watch 59 hours of Marvel movies, back-to-back (to back).
For two and a half days, I’ll essentially be confined to a chair at an AMC theater in San Francisco as I attempt to watch all the movies from start to finish, beginning with Iron Man and wrapping up with Avengers: Endgame on Thursday (read our CNET review here). I’ll sleep in a theater chair and eat way more popcorn than I probably should. It’s been nice knowing you, everyone.
I slept well Monday night, the night before the big race, but not for very long since I got home late, so we’ll see how far I make it before crashing Tuesday. I might end up napping through Thor at 4:50. My bags are packed with (hopefully) everything I’ll need to keep me going: toothbrush, toothpaste, neck pillow, leggings, socks and battery packs. Lots of battery packs.
Watch this:
Preparing for a 59-hour Marvel movie marathon
2:54
I’ll add to this story (latest updates at the bottom) and share Twitter updates about my dwindling state of mind, so be sure to follow me there to see how I’m holding up.
I’ve seen only three MCU movies to date: Spider-Man: Homecoming, Black Panther and Captain Marvel. I liked them, but I wouldn’t call myself a giant Marvel fan… yet. Here’s to hopefully becoming one.
The movie rundown:
Day 1
Tuesday, 9:23 a.m. PT: I’m standing outside the AMC Metreon waiting to get in. There are seven other people waiting. I’d figured the theater would’ve opened the doors by now. First meal of the day: lemon cake from Starbucks. A needed sugar rush.
Tuesday, 9:58 a.m. PT: I’m in my seat! These chairs are seriously nice. Plenty of space between rows, which is great for getting in and out and stretching your legs.
Tuesday, noon PT: Just finished Iron Man! I’m pleased to say I enjoyed it, as pretty much everyone told me I would. The plot was fun to follow and there wasn’t too much crazy action (which can be a deterrent for me). And I’m actually — dare I say it — excited to watch the sequel in a few hours.
Also, these seats are amazing. I can totally see myself taking some incredible power naps in here.
Still not hungry enough for lunch — I had some lemon cake at around 9:30 and that’s kept me full. Maybe I’ll get some pizza when I do get hungry, though. Tony Stark ate some in the movie and it looked delicious. Next up: The Incredible Hulk.
Tuesday, 2 p.m. PT: Stepped out of The Incredible Hulk for a quick prayer break (I’m Muslim and I pray five times a day). Was going to wait until the movie was over but figured it wouldn’t kill me to miss some of it….
The Incredible Hulk is done. Not a huge fan. I was also distracted by the fact that every time I saw @TyBurrelI I could only see him as Phil Dunphy
— Abrar Al-Heeti (@alheeti_3) April 23, 2019
Tuesday, 2:30 p.m. PT: Iron Man 2 is starting and I’m eating delicious BBQ chicken pizza.
Tuesday, 4:30 p.m. PT: Iron Man 2 just ended. It was fun, I just didn’t get as into the plot as I did for the first movie. To be fair, I don’t know if I should blame the movie or my brain.
It was pretty cool to see pieces of (what I assume to be) other Marvel movies start coming together, with what I believe to be Captain America’s shield appearing in one scene and Scarlett Johansson’s character showing up (I don’t know the character’s name without Googling it, I’m afraid to say).
I’m starting to feel sleepy but I wonder if that’s because I’ve been in a dark room for six hours. Thor is next. Let’s see if I doze off.
Iron Man 2 just ended. Didn’t like it as much as the first, but it was still fun. 19 movies to go! Thor is next. Should I nap during the next one or fight my sleepiness?
— Abrar Al-Heeti (@alheeti_3) April 23, 2019
Tuesday 7:44 p.m PT: Just finished grabbing dinner with my friend and colleague Alexandra Able. We had some delicious burgers and garlic fries from Super Duper that totally hit the spot (sorry to the guy sitting next to me in the theater).
I’m enjoying an hour-and-a-half break between Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. I tried to sleep during Thor but it turns out that’s easier said than done, as I was woken up by loud sound effects throughout. Still, it’s safe to say that movie was lost on me. Based on feedback from many folks on Twitter, though, I didn’t miss much.
I’m charging my phone in the hallway, but a few folks are napping in the theater. Rest will be much needed, as the next long break isn’t until around 10:30 a.m. PT tomorrow.
Tuesday, 10:14 p.m. PT: I loved Captain America: The First Avenger. It’s my favorite of the films I’ve seen so far. I think part of it has to do with the fact that I enjoy stories set in the past, but I also just loved the plot. I can’t wait to see the other Captain America movies.
Also, Captain America is absolutely gorgeous. Just saying.
Seems like just about everyone in the theater is still awake. Let’s see how long we all last tonight. The Avengers is next! I’m excited.
Tuesday 12:48 p.m. PT: My descent has begun.
I was looking forward to The Avengers because of the praise it got from my friends and colleagues, but this is when the sleepiness really kicked in. I tried resting my head on a pillow for comfort but it quickly became clear that was a sure way to knock out in no time. Even when I sat upright, I inadvertently dozed off a few times.
But I think it’s OK. Each time I woke up from my mini naps (maybe about four times), they were still fighting Loki. There’s a lot of fighting in this movie. Like, really a lot. I wouldn’t mind if there was a little less. After a while, I start to just block it out.
Turns out my short naps weren’t that deep, though, because I could still kind of hear everything happening.
Iron Man 3 is next. I’m planning to just knock out during this one. Based on what I’ve been told on Twitter and heard here in the theater, I don’t think it’ll be a loss to miss it.
This story originally published April 23 at 10 a.m. PT and will be updated often over the course of the marathon.