Just when the numbness was starting to fade from the 2012 Marvel movie marathon that ushered in The Avengers, theaters are revving up for another one — and this time, you’ll definitely need to take a bathroom break. You might even want to bring a pillow and some pajamas, too.
“The Ultimate Marvel Marathon” will kick off April 29 at various major theater chains and feature 27 hours of Marvel Studios movies — everything the studio has released in theaters so far — culminating with the premiere of Avengers: Age of Ultron on April 30. Theater chains AMC Theaters, Regal Entertainment Group, Cinemark, Megaplex, Harkins, and National Amusements have all announced their participation in the marathon, with tickets expected to be available at each company’s website soon (as well as various promotional merchandise to accompany your purchase and make you feel a little better about the prospect of spending 27 hours in a theater). Ticket prices haven’t been announced yet.
AMC Theaters have announced the planned schedule for screenings over the 11-movie marathon, so you can get an idea what you’re in for when you buy that ticket:
April 29: 6:00pm IRON MAN
8:25pm THE INCREDIBLE HULK
10:35pm IRON MAN 2
April 30: 1:00am THOR
3:10am CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER
5:30am THE AVENGERS
8:48am IRON MAN 3
11:15am THOR: THE DARK WORLD
1:45pm CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
4:20pm GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
7:00pm AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (RealD® 3D)
If spending 27 hours in the theater doesn’t sound appealing to you, take heart: there’s an alternative that’s still a little outside the one-and-done movie experience. Many of the same theater chains are offering a double-feature package with screenings of 2012’s The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron and its own set of “perks” for early purchase of tickets.
Avengers: Age of Ultron is written and directed by Joss Whedon, and officially hits theaters May 1 (if you’re not attending a marathon, that is).