Special Phase 1 — The Avengers Initiative (2008–2012)

Item 47

Name: Item 47
Released: 2012-09-25
Duration: 12 min
Rating: 6.4
Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Bradford, Maximiliano Hernández, Titus Welliver

"The Avengers won the battle, but a few items were left behind."

Released September 25, 2012 0h 12m ★ 6.4TMDB ○ Optional to the MCU

Benny and Claire, a down-on-their-luck couple, find a discarded Chitauri weapon referred to as 'Item 47'.

How to watch Short film

Watch note

Short film set after the Battle of New York. Skippable.

Why It Matters in the MCU

The One-Shot following a civilian couple who recover a Chitauri weapon after the Battle of New York is a dry office-comedy riff on SHIELD bureaucracy that prefigures the tone of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. It is the longest One-Shot produced, running eleven minutes, and functioned as the clearest argument for why the franchise needed a television extension.

Watch These First

6 titles lead into Item 47 — 12 hours in total. All 6 are essential.

Captain America: The First Avenger Essential 2h 4m ★ 7.0
Iron Man Essential 2h 6m ★ 7.7 +1 before this
Iron Man 2 Essential 2h 4m ★ 6.9 +1 before this
The Incredible Hulk Essential 1h 52m ★ 6.3
Iron Man 2 (Post-Credit Scene) Essential 0h 2m
Thor Essential 1h 55m ★ 6.8 +3 before this
Captain America: The First Avenger (Credits) Essential 0h 2m
Thor (Post-Credit Scene) Essential 0h 2m
The Avengers Essential 2h 23m ★ 8.1 +3 before this

Create a watch plan for this list

Opens the planner with just these titles, so you can set your own pace.

Where It Fits in the MCU

Item 47 sits at position 46 of 158 in the MCU's story-chronological order, placing it within the Phase 1 — The Avengers Initiative (2008–2012) era. It is rated Optional — can be skipped without losing the main thread. Watching in story-chronological order provides the most coherent character development experience — individual arcs build naturally toward the franchise's major crossover events, with each film's post-credits scenes carrying forward into what follows.