Man, after 'Avengers: Age of Ultron', the next big team-up flick was 'Avengers: Infinity War'—but man, there’s a whole journey in between! First, we got 'Captain America: Civil War', which kinda feels like an honorary Avengers movie since almost everyone shows up. Then there’s 'Thor: Ragnarok', which totally reshapes the team dynamic by the end. 'Infinity War' is where it all explodes, though—Thanos arrives, and man, that ending wrecked me for weeks. I still remember the silence in my theater when people walked out. It’s wild how much groundwork 'Age of Ultron' laid, even if it wasn’t everyone’s favorite at the time.
If you’re strictly talking about the next numbered Avengers sequel, that’s 'Infinity War', but the MCU’s never that simple. The Phase 3 movies all feel like puzzle pieces leading to it. 'Black Panther' and 'Doctor Strange' introduced key players, and even 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' tied in loosely. Honestly, skipping any of them means missing half the emotional payoff when Thanos snaps his fingers. That’s what makes the MCU so addictive—every detail matters, even the post-credits scenes.