Watching the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a true undertaking. Since Iron Man debuted in 2008, the MCU has evolved into a colossal, interconnected franchise. Over 15 years, more than three dozen films and a multitude of television series have chronicled the adventures of superheroes, villains, and everything in between. And with Phase Six currently in development, the MCU continues to expand. The most recent addition, Daredevil: Born Again, premiered on Disney+ on March 4, adding another exciting chapter to this ever-growing universe.
For those eager to jump into the MCU, there are two ways to approach this cinematic journey: you can watch the films in order of release or follow the chronological timeline, which starts with Captain America: The First Avenger.
Watching in release order is often considered the easiest and most intuitive option, as it unveils larger stories progressively. Plus, many films include mid- or post-credit scenes that hint at upcoming installments. However, if you’re looking for a more immersive experience, following the chronological order gives you the full, official timeline, from World War II with Captain America: The First Avenger to the futuristic Captain America: Brave New World, which is set to arrive in theaters on February 14, 2025.
Ready to dive into the MCU? Here’s a guide to help you navigate all the films either by release date or in chronological order:
Marvel Movies in Release Date Order:
Phase One:
- Iron Man (May 2, 2008)
- The Incredible Hulk (June 13, 2008)
- Iron Man 2 (May 7, 2010)
- Thor (May 6, 2011)
- Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22, 2011)
- The Avengers (May 4, 2012)
Phase Two:
- Iron Man 3 (May 3, 2013)
- Thor: The Dark World (Nov. 8, 2013)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April 4, 2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (Aug. 1, 2014)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1, 2015)
- Ant-Man (July 17, 2015)
Phase Three:
- Captain America: Civil War (May 6, 2016)
- Doctor Strange (Nov. 4, 2016)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 5, 2017)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7, 2017)
- Thor: Ragnarok (Nov. 3, 2017)
- Black Panther (Feb. 16, 2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (April 27, 2018)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 6, 2018)
- Captain Marvel (March 8, 2019)
- Avengers: Endgame (April 26, 2019)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 2, 2019)
Phase Four:
- Black Widow (July 9, 2021)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Sept. 3, 2021)
- Eternals (Nov. 5, 2021)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (Dec. 17, 2021)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 6, 2022)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8, 2022)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Nov. 11, 2022)
Phase Five:
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Feb. 17, 2023)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5, 2023)
- The Marvels (Nov. 10, 2023)
- Deadpool & Wolverine (July 26, 2024)
- Captain America: Brave New World (Feb. 14, 2025)
Marvel Movies in Chronological Order:
1. Captain America: The First Avenger Set during World War II, Captain America: The First Avenger tells the story of Steve Rogers, a weakling Brooklyn kid who volunteers for the super soldier program and becomes Captain America. He faces the villainous Hydra and is forced to rescue his best friend, Bucky Barnes.
2. Captain Marvel In 1995, Vers (Carol Danvers) is a soldier from the Kree Empire who crash-lands on Earth. With the help of Nick Fury, she uncovers her true identity as Carol Danvers, a U.S. Air Force pilot who was presumed dead years earlier. This film sets up the cosmic elements of the MCU.
3. Iron Man (2008) Billionaire Tony Stark is captured by terrorists and forced to build a weapon. He escapes and crafts an iron suit, later becoming the armored hero known as Iron Man.
4. Iron Man 2 (2010) Tony Stark faces pressure from the government to share his technology and cope with the deadly palladium poisoning in his chest. Meanwhile, a rival inventor creates his own powerful armor to take down Stark.
5. The Incredible Hulk (2008) Bruce Banner seeks a cure for his gamma radiation-induced condition while evading the military. The film introduces the Hulk and sets up the character for future films with Mark Ruffalo in the role.
6. Thor (2011) Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, is banished from Asgard to Earth. Stripped of his powers, he must learn humility and work with Earth scientists, including Jane Foster, to prevent his brother Loki from conquering Asgard.
7. The Avengers (2012) The Avengers assemble to stop Loki, who steals the powerful Tesseract and brings an alien invasion to New York City.
8. Thor: The Dark World (2013) Thor confronts the Dark Elves, who plan to use the Aether (one of the Infinity Stones) to destroy the Nine Realms.
9. Iron Man 3 (2013) Tony Stark faces a new enemy, the Mandarin, and must deal with the trauma of the events from The Avengers.
10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) Steve Rogers is forced to confront the reality that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been infiltrated by Hydra. He teams up with Black Widow and Falcon to uncover the Winter Soldier’s true identity.
11. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Star-Lord and his ragtag group of misfits, including Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot, band together to stop the villain Ronan the Accuser from destroying the planet Xandar.
12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) The Guardians deal with the reappearance of Peter Quill’s estranged father, Ego the Living Planet, while facing new threats and challenges.
13. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) The Avengers inadvertently create the villain Ultron, an AI bent on destroying humanity. They must unite to stop him, facing off with the Maximoff twins, Wanda and Pietro.
14. Ant-Man (2015) Scott Lang is recruited by Hank Pym to become the new Ant-Man, using a suit that can shrink him to microscopic size while retaining his strength.
15. Captain America: Civil War (2016) The Avengers are divided over the Sokovia Accords, leading to a rift between Captain America and Iron Man. New characters like Black Panther and Spider-Man are introduced.
16. Black Widow (2021) Set after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Natasha Romanoff faces her past as she teams up with her sister Yelena to take down the secretive Red Room.
17. Black Panther (2018) T’Challa ascends to the throne of Wakanda after his father’s death. His reign is threatened by Erik Killmonger, a powerful adversary who seeks to exploit Wakanda’s resources.
18. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) Peter Parker struggles to balance high school life with his role as Spider-Man. When a new villain, Vulture, emerges, Peter must rise to the occasion.
19. Doctor Strange (2016) After a car accident leaves him unable to use his hands, Dr. Stephen Strange embarks on a journey to the mystical Kamar-Taj, where he learns magic and uncovers alternate dimensions.
20. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Thor faces the destruction of his homeworld at the hands of Hela, the Goddess of Death, and joins forces with Hulk and other allies to stop the apocalypse.
21. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) Scott Lang teams up with Hope Van Dyne (the Wasp) and Hank Pym to rescue Janet Van Dyne from the Quantum Realm.
22. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Thanos sets out to collect all six Infinity Stones and wreak havoc across the universe. The Avengers unite in a last-ditch effort to stop him.
23. Avengers: Endgame (2019) The Avengers attempt to reverse the devastation caused by Thanos in Infinity War by traveling through time to retrieve the Infinity Stones and defeat Thanos once and for all.
24. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) Peter Parker copes with the loss of Tony Stark and goes on a school trip to Europe, where he faces a new threat, Mysterio, who is manipulating events for his own gain.