Set of Six - Which six films would I pick for a Marvel film marathon to lead into Endgame

A cinema near L does theme days, where they show all of a set of films one after the other e.g. all the LOTR films or a selection of Schwarzenegger. There was talk of them doing an MCU-athon running into the first showing of Endgame. 

So L set me a task - having watched Avengers: Endgame, which Marvel films would you choose to lead into it? 

I'm only allowed to pick 7 films, because that is the maximum they can show in a row for these things. 

Presuming Endgame would be shown as film 7, that leaves me with 21 films to fill 6 spaces. 

I think you'd have to have Infinity War to lead into Endgame, so we're down to 20 films and 5 spaces very quickly. 

Some films are easy for me to cut. I know you can enjoy Endgame without The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2 or 3 or Spiderman: Homecoming (because I still haven't seen any of the 4 films mentioned, or not all the way through) so out they go. 

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 was mostly a re-tread of 1 so to save space, I will boot that one too. 

I am booting Thor: Ragnarok next because, enjoyable though it is, I think the inevitability of Thor forgiving Loki is present in every other Thor-featuring film and, because it's not clear where Bruce flies off too in Age of Ultron, his return might not need explaining. 

Doctor Strange is also skippable, because it mostly sets up its own sequel which we never got. I think the gist of Stephen Strange (sarcastic, excellent magic user, takes "thou shalt not kill" very seriously) is covered in Infinity War. 

13 films, 5 spaces 

This is where it gets tricky, because I have to try and figure out which of the characters get enough introduction and time in the "Avengers" films that I don't need to include their solo films. 

If I include Civil War, it may ease things for several characters. 

I don't want to get rid of Black Panther because it's my favourite of the Marvel films, but I think T'Challa gets enough of an intro in Civil War that it's doable, and I think Scott Lang falls under the same category so that's Antman 1 and 2 out too. 

9 films, 4 spaces 

My first attempt at this featured me cackling with glee because I might be able to boot Thor: The Dark World, which is probably the weakest of the MCU films. And then I remembered I couldn't because of the Frigga scene. As it does some very quick sketching of everyone non-Thor of the Asgardians and associated peeps, I fear it must be kept instead of the first Thor film. This makes me sad. 

7 films, 3 spaces 

I think Winter Soldier gets booted next. Very little of it is brought up again or needed to understand what follows. 

6 films, 3 spaces 

I think we need to keep Avengers Assemble for whacky time travel hijinks and the excellent fight that is called back to in Endgame. 

5 films, 2 spaces 

This is where I am having to hope Civil War explains Vision and Wanda well enough (that film is having to do some damn heavy lifting), so I can save space by booting Age of Ultron. 

4 films, 2 spaces 

I want to keep Iron Man in, because Tony needs to be the bookend, for bits of Endgame to work (see, L, I am going for thematic consistency). And I think Cap 1 needs to be kept for similar. 

Which means I have to hope that Infinity War provides enough of an intro to the Guardians gang and Endgame has enough Cap Marvel to make sense without her solo film. 

So, after all that, my 7 are: 

Iron Man 

Captain America: The First Avenger 

Avengers Assemble 

Thor: The Dark World 

Captain America: Civil War 

Avengers: Infinity War 

Avengers: Endgame 

Am I happy with that list? 

Sort of. 

Part of the problem is that I am having to cut some of my favourites out for some of my less favourites, and, like I said, having to keep in Thor 2 which is probably the weakest out of the whole 22, which makes me cranky. 

But the films that I have kept should make the important emotion-hitting parts of Endgame work. 

It's really brought home to me how good a job Marvel have done of making it a cohering universe where every bit matters, but I do now further understand D+R's complaint that the MCU suffers from continuity lockout if you're not willing to watch 4+ films a year. 

I'd be really interested to know other opinions on what the 7 films could be.