What order should you watch every Marvel movie and TV show?
Ever since Marvel Studios released Spiderman: Far From Home, the world has anxiously awaited the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Well, it finally kicked off this past year, with new Disney+ series such as WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki.
Before WandaVision premiered in early 2021, there was a 20-month gap between major Marvel Studios releases - the longest gap in the MCU's entire dozen-year run of films. A lack of MCU is no longer a problem, however. Marvel has more Disney+ shows and even feature films slated to premiere this year and next year. If you want to freshen up your memory as Marvel's "Phase Four" kicks into gear, here is your go-to watch guide.
We've arranged everything chronologically below, but there are additional viewing orders appended to this guide for those who want to spice things up. Sorry, Marvel comic book nerds, this guide is just for people who want to watch the Marvel films and TV shows in the correct order.
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| Marvel movies: Best viewing orders | |
| Chronological order (spoilers) | Chronological order (spoiler-free) |
| Every movie and TV show (spoiler-free) | Theatre release date order (spoiler-free) |
MCU in chronological order
If you want to follow the events of the MCU, you can't watch the Marvel films and shows in the order they released. They're not chronological. So, we're showing you a different order - arranged by when the events happen. The MCU officially started in 2008 with Iron Man, but it's not the first Marvel film you should watch. Start with Captain America: The First Avenger. It released in 2011 and is the fifth film from Marvel Studios. It begins in 1942 - decades before Iron Man.
We're only featuring the Marvel movies and select Marvel TV shows (mainly the new Disney+ series) in this main chronological order. There will be a few spoilers. If you want to avoid that, go to the bottom of this guide for a list of every Marvel movie and TV show. Along with that list, we’ve compiled others.
NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011 movie)
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Captain America is the fifth Marvel Studios film, with Iron Man, The Hulk, and Thor all having films before Cap. But it's the first film on our list because the events take place first - during World War II. We see the creation of the super-soldier portrayed by Chris Evans, as well as his first battle with Hydra and its leader Red Skull. The film also introduces the Tesseract, which we later discover is the first Infinity Stone, one of the powerful gems that control reality.
Captain Marvel (2019 movie)
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The second film on our list hit theatres in 2019. In Captain Marvel, which is set in 1995, we see the titular hero Carol Danvers, played by Brie Larson, fall to Earth and begin a hunt for the shape-shifting Skrull aliens. There’s as much action here as there is nostalgia, especially if you're a 90s kid, thanks to scenes with Blockbuster stores and even dial-up internet.
Iron Man (2008 movie)
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According to the official Marvel timeline, Iron Man takes place in 2010. It's all about genius/inventor/philanthropist/playboy Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr. He is captured by a terrorist organization, the leader of which wants the latest weapons system designed by Stark. However, Stark designs something even more powerful to help himself escape: The first Iron Man suit.
Iron Man 2 (2010 movie)
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The second Iron Man picks up where the first left off: Tony Stark grappling with his Iron Man identity being revealed. The government wants the technology behind his suit, and when Stark refuses to hand it over, another weapons manufacturer shows he’s willing to do anything to get his hands on it. This film also introduces fellow Avengers the Black Widow and War Machine.
Note: Technically, you could watch The Incredible Hulk before Iron Man 2. Marvel said The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, and Thor all happen around the same time - though The Incredible Hulk released a couple years before the others. Confusing, we know. We've followed Marvel's official guidance, however, and recommend you watch Iron Man 2 first for consistency purposes.
The Incredible Hulk (2008 movie)
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The Incredible Hulk follows Bruce Banner on the run from General Thunderbolt Ross and the US Military. Realising he can’t ever hope to control or contain the Hulk, Ross decides to create his own version of the Hulk using another soldier, but he quickly loses control. The Incredible Hulk stars Edward Norton, but Mark Ruffalo replaced him in 2012 and has been the big green man since.
Thor (2011 movie)
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The God of lightning has been banished to Earth from Asgard by his father Odin, all thanks to the trickery of Loki. In order to earn his powers back and control his hammer, Thor, portrayed by Chris Hemsworth, must prove he’s worthy. Luckily, he meets a nice Earth scientist, played by Natalie Portman, who can help him set things right before Loki assumes total control of Asgard.
The Avengers (2012 movie)
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The Avengers is the culmination of the so-called "Phase One" of the MCU. With all the main heroes introduced, the real challenge was finding something daunting enough to force them to work together. The combined power of Loki, the Tesseract, and an alien horde invading New York City proved to be the match that made these superheroes become friends in life and on the frontline.
Iron Man 3 (2013 movie)
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The third and final standalone Iron Man film takes place six months after the giant fight in New York City. Tony Stark is dealing with the memories of the battle that took place (and nearly killed him). The memories lead him to build an army of Iron Man suits so he can always be prepared.
Thor: The Dark World (2013 movie)
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The second Thor film sees its hero return to Asgard after the Loki-led invasion of New York City. He doesn’t have much time to rest, however, as the ancient Dark Elves return. They were once defeated by his grandfather and thought to be extinct. They're back now and seeking the Aether, a powerful weapon that is later revealed to be an Infinity Stone, or one of six powerful gems in the MCU.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014 movie)
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Captain America has been working for Shield, a special government agency, since the events of The Avengers, but he finds himself questioning the motives of the organization as he learns more about its plans. On top of that, his closest friend returns from the dead and becomes an adversary, the Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan. This film also introduces The Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014 movie)
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Guardians of the Galaxy stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, a rogue scavenger who stumbles across an Infinity Stone hidden in the ruins of an alien world. In a race against time, he forms a ragtag group of outcasts that includes a talking raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Groot the talking tree, and others. Together, they must stop Ronan the Accuser from wielding the Infinity Stone.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (2017 movie)
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This sequel picks up a few months after the original. Peter Quill is falling deeper in love with Zoe Saldana’s Gamora. And he is forced to confront the mysteries of his past when he comes face to face with a godlike entity known as Ego, played by Kurt Russell. Part of the challenge of placing these Guardian of the Galaxy films in the MCU Timeline is that they seem separate and all take place in outer space.
The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015 movie)
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The Avengers reunite to confront a mistake created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner: the AI known as Ultron, voiced by James Spader. If a single robotic version of Ultron is left standing, he can continue fighting the Avengers. This film also introduces new Avengers: The Scarlet Witch (played by Elizabeth Olson), Quicksilver (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and Vision (played by Paul Bettany).
Ant-Man (2015 movie)
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Ant-Man stars Paul Rudd as a cat burglar recruited by Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym to dawn the Ant-Man suit in order to stop the technology from becoming weaponized. Pym’s former prodigy (played by Corey Stoll) has recreated the technology in the form of a yellow jacket suit, and Ant-Man must battle him and ultimately save the day on the smallest scale imaginable.
Captain America: Civil War (2016 movie)
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Although it's a Captain America film, Civil War features almost every single Avenger while adding two more heavy hitters to the lineup: Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Unfortunately, the Avengers are split into different factions due to Captain America wanting to save his friend Bucky Barnes, who appears to be responsible for the bombing of a UN session.
Spiderman: Homecoming (2017 movie)
The wall-crawling web-slinger makes his solo debut here, where he faces off with Michael Keaton’s Vulture, a construction foreman who’s become a black market weapons dealer after recovering technology from the New York City battle in the first Avengers film. On top of all that, Peter Parker is also dealing with all the usual problems that come with being a freshman in high school.
Doctor Strange (2016 movie)
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Stephen Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, is a world-class surgeon, and he knows it. Strange is insufferable to almost everyone who has to deal with him until a tragic accident takes away the use of his hands. Strange then travels the world searching for a cure that will give him back the use of his hands - and he does find an answer, in the form of some ancient magic.
Black Panther (2018 movie)
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After the UN bombing in Captain America: The Civil War, T’Challa must return home to Wakanda and be named king. Once there, he is confronted with the continuing policy of isolation that has helped protect Wakanda. He also faces a mistake from his father’s past in the form of Eric Killmonger, who is played by Michael B Jordan and might be the best villain in any Marvel film.
Note: This film follows the events of Captain America: The Civil War, so you could watch it after that film, but Marvel prefers you watch it here.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017 movie)
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The third solo film for Thor finds the hero jettisoned across space after the death of his father and the destruction of his hammer by his long-lost sister, Hella, played by Cate Blanchett. He finds himself stuck in gladiator fights pitted against the Hulk, who hadn’t been seen since the Avengers defeated Ultron. Together, Thor and Hulk team up with Loki and Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie to take on Hella.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018 movie)
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Scott Lang is back, but he has been placed on house arrest following his role in the Civil War and siding with Captain America. He's been estranged from Hank Pym and Pym's daughter, Hope. But he reluctantly agrees to help them, thinking that Pym might be able to retrieve Hope's mother from the Quantum Realm. (Head's up: Save the post-credits scene until after you’ve seen Infinity War.)
Black Widow (2021 movie)
Unfortunately, it took Black Widow's demise in Endgame for her to get a standalone movie.
Nevertheless, Black Widow follows Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanov during a period of exile in her life. It takes place after the events of Captain America: Civil War, but before Infinity War and the Snap. It's being built up as a prequel to explain Black Widow's background. We get to see some of her old friends and family as she explores her past, including a fatherly figure, played by David Harbour, who is known as the Red Guardian. He's basically the Soviet Union's answer to Captain America. Most importantly for the future of the MCU, though, is the introduction of another Black Widow, Florence Pugh's Yelena.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018 movie)
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After years of orchestrating things from behind the scenes in order to find all the Infinity Stones, Thanos (voiced by Josh Brolin) has decided to go get them himself. The only thing standing in his way are the Avengers, who are currently spread across the universe. To raise the stakes even more, Thanos’ only reason for seeking the power of the stones is to wipe out half of all life in the universe.
Avengers: Endgame (2019 movie)
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After Thanos snapped away half of all life, leaving the universe in total chaos, the Avengers must try to make things right. Five years pass and a slim chance emerges for them to undo it all, but before that can happen, Captain America and Tony Stark need to make peace and reunite the Avengers one final time.
WandaVision (2021 - Disney+ series)
Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff has quietly been one of the most tragic characters in the MCU. She lost her family in a bombing, which saw her left stranded in a pile of rubble for days with her brother. Her brother then died during the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron.
She finally found love with Paul Bettany's Vision but was forced to kill him to prevent Thanos from getting his hands on the Mind Stone. Oh, and after killing him, Thanos reversed time and killed Vision again in front of her. All this has led us to Wandavision, the first live-action MCU show on Disney+, which sees the character take over a small town in New Jersey in order to make a happier version of her own life.
Wandavision takes place the closest to Endgame of all the phase four Marvel content, with it picking up nearly immediately after Wanda's returned from the snap.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021 - Disney+ series)
The second of Marvel's new Disney+ series premiered in March 2021. It sees Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson (aka The Falcon) and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes (aka The Winter Soldier) teaming up to take on a new threat in the form an organization known as the Flagsmashers, who've gotten their hands on some type of super-soldier serum like the one that made their former friend Steve Rogers into Captain America.
If that wasn't enough, the pair also has to deal with the government's hand-picked choice to wield Cap's shield, John Walker (Wyatt Russel).
We're placing this series before Spider-Man: Far From Home, because we know it takes place six months after the snap which, would put us around the spring of 2024 in the MCU. Far From Home takes place just a little later, coinciding with the end of Peter's school year in 2024.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019 movie)
Far From Home is the last film of Marve's "Phase Three", and it serves as our first look at the MCU post-Infinity War, as we see everyone who was snapped by Thanos return to life five years later. The freshly unsnapped Peter Parker heads to Europe for a field trip, but he’s surprised by Nick Fury and Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio, who need his help against enemies known as Elementals.
This film is set about six months after "The Blip" aka when The Avengers brought back everyone who had been snapped.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021 movie)
Stream on Disney+ from 12 November 2021
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings takes place around November 2024 (MCU present time), which puts it after Spider-Man: Far From Home but before the forthcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home. It stars Simu Liu as the titular character who must face off against The Mandarin - played by Hong Kong cinema superstar, Tony Leung Chiu-wai.
Hardcore Marvel fans will recognise the return of Ben Kingsley, too, who played the role of the fake Mandarin in Iron Man 3. This time we get to meet the real deal plus quite a few friendly faces along the way.
Loki (2021 - Disney+ series)
Trying to figure out where Loki stands in the MCU is a brain-breaking activity. The show has bounced between the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD and an apocalyptic hurricane hitting Alabama in 2050. The show seems to take place outside of the timeline itself, as we see the inner workings of the TVA.
We're placing it at the end of the watchlist, mainly because the show is about the entire MCU timeline, whether it's Loki dealing with events from every phase of the MCU (like his defeat in New York, the death of his mother, and his own death at the hands of Thanos) or subtle references to other Marvel films (like Guardians of the Galaxy Volume II's villain being a target of the Variant's time bombing).
The show's ending also reveals the breaking of the timeline and the introduction of Kang the Conqueror, which are the two biggest unanswered questions going on in the MCU right now.
Spoiler-free version: The complete MCU timeline at a glance
MCU in chronological order
OK, so here is the at-a-glance version of the guide above, which features the Marvel Studios films in the MCU as well as the new Disney+ TV shows:
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- Captain Marvel (2019)
- Iron Man (2008)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- The Incredible Hulk (2008)
- Thor (2011)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Iron Man 3 (2013)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Ant-Man (2015)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- Doctor Strange (2016)
- Black Panther (2018)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)
- Black Widow (2021)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- WandaVision (2021 - Disney+ series)
- The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021 - Disney+ series)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
- Loki (2021 - Disney+ series)
Every Marvel film and show in chronological order
Once Marvel became hugely successful with its films, it began creating more Marvel content for the small screen. Its Marvel Television shows take place in the same universe as the films and usually focus on the fallout caused by the films. They're not necessary to watch, but if you're like us and trying to consume every last drop of Marvel before Endgame, then check them out.
However, if you're trying to watch them in the correct chronological order, it gets a little tricky. With that in mind, here's an expanded at-a-glance list that includes where the Marvel Television shows fit in with the Marvel Studios films. The TV shows appear below in bold.
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- Marvel's Agent Carter Season 1 (2015)
- Marvel's Agent Carter Season 2 (2016)
- Captain Marvel (2019)
- Iron Man (2008)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- The Incredible Hulk (2008)
- Thor (2011)
- The Avengers (2012
- Iron Man 3 (2013)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Season 1 (2013)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
- Daredevil Season 1 (2015)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Season 2 (2014)
- Ant-Man (2015)
- Jessica Jones Season 1 (2015)
- Daredevil Season 2 (2016)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Season 3 (2015)
- Luke Cage Season 1 (2016)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- Doctor Strange (2016)
- Black Panther (2018)
- Iron Fist Season 1 (2017)
- Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Season 4 (2016)
- The Defenders Season 1 (2017)
- The Inhumans Season 1 (2017)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- The Punisher Season 1 (2017)
- Jessica Jones Season 2 (2018)
- Luke Cage Season 2 (2018)
- Cloak and Dagger Season 1 (2018)
- The Runaways Season 1 (2017)
- Daredevil Season 3 (2018)
- The Punisher Season 2 (2019)
- Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Season 5 (2017)
- Iron Fist Season 2 (2018)
- Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)
- Black Widow (2021)
- Avengers Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- WandaVision (2021)
- The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
- Loki (2021)
The must-watch Marvel films before Endgame
So, if you want to quickly get up to speed before watching Avengers: Endgame, and you don't have the time to hammer out 21 films let alone numerous Marvel TV shows, you're in luck. You can simply watch the important films, skip the unnecessary ones (*cough* The Incredible Hulk *cough*), and you'll still know what's going on when you finally do watch Endgame.
We've compiled another at-a-glance list with all the Marvel Studios films that are crucial to understanding the plot and events in Endgame.
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- Iron Man (2008)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Marvel films in order of release (theatrical release)
Here's a viewing order that lists when the Marvel movies hit theatres, starting with the first Marvel film all the way up until the most recent.
- Iron Man (2008)
- The Incredible Hulk (2008)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- Thor (2011)
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Thor 2 (2013)
- Iron Man 3 (2013
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Ant-Man (2015)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Doctor Strange (2016)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. II (2017)
- Spiderman: Homecoming (2017)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Black Panther (2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
- Captain Marvel (2019)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Spiderman: Far From Home (2019)
- Black Widow (2021)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
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