The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown far beyond a single, easy to follow storyline. What started with one origin story in 2008 has expanded into more than 30 interconnected films, plus a growing slate of Disney+ series that fill in the gaps. If you are trying to figure out the right order to watch Marvel movies, you have two solid paths forward: release order or chronological order. Below is a full breakdown of both, along with where the MCU shows and specials fit into the timeline.
How It All Started
Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man” introduced audiences to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark in 2008, planting the seed for a shared cinematic universe that no one had really attempted before at this scale. Every film since has added to that foundation, some moving the central story forward in a straight line, others branching off to introduce new characters, planets, and timelines that only occasionally intersect with the main plot. Two movies, “Captain Marvel” and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” actually rewind the clock significantly, taking place in the 1990s and 1940s respectively, which is exactly why chronological viewing works as its own experience without breaking the story.
Watch the MCU in Chronological Order
Several MCU films unfold at roughly the same moment rather than one after another. “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” for example, happen around the same window of time, with both eventually funneling into “Avengers: Infinity War.”
The original 23 film arc, known as the Infinity Saga, spans three phases running from “Iron Man” through “Avengers: Endgame.” Phase Four then picked up with the series “WandaVision” and closed out with “Wakanda Forever,” while Phase Five opened with “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” “Deadpool & Wolverine” sits at a somewhat loose point on the timeline, though it clearly follows “Loki” Season 2. Meanwhile, “Thunderbolts*” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” set up the next chapter of the franchise through their post-credit scenes.
Here is the full chronological viewing order:
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Captain Marvel
- Iron Man
- The Incredible Hulk
- Iron Man 2
- Thor
- Marvel’s The Avengers
- Iron Man 3
- Thor: The Dark World
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Ant-Man
- Captain America: Civil War
- Black Widow
- Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Black Panther
- Doctor Strange
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers: Endgame
- Spider-Man: Far From Home
- Eternals
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Thor: Love and Thunder
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- The Marvels
- Deadpool & Wolverine
- Captain America: Brave New World
- Thunderbolts*
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Watch the MCU in Release Order
Marvel Studios produced its films independently starting with “Iron Man,” and those early entries were distributed by Paramount Pictures, with Universal handling “The Incredible Hulk.” Once Disney acquired Marvel, it took over distribution beginning with “Captain America: The First Avenger.” The one lasting exception is the “Spider-Man” series, which remains under Sony Pictures despite being fully part of MCU canon.
Here is the complete release order, with years:
- Iron Man (2008)
- The Incredible Hulk (2008)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- Thor (2011)
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)
- Iron Man 3 (2013)
- Thor: The Dark World (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. 2 (2017)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Black Panther (2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
- Captain Marvel (2019)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
- Black Widow (2021)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
- Eternals (2021)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
- The Marvels (2023)
- Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
- Thunderbolts* (2025)
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
Chronological or Release Order: Which Should You Pick?
If this is your introduction to the MCU, release order is generally the smarter starting point. It follows the path Marvel Studios actually took while developing its storytelling style, letting you watch the franchise mature from a scrappy origin story into a massive, coordinated universe.
For longtime fans who have already seen most or all of the films, watching in chronological order offers a different kind of payoff. It does not alter the plot, though it does create some odd pacing, like watching “Captain Marvel” early on and then not seeing her mentioned again for roughly twenty movies. Still, it is a rewarding way to see how neatly Marvel wove its prequel entries into the existing timeline.
Where the Disney+ Shows Fit in the MCU Timeline
When Marvel Studios launched its Disney+ programming, Kevin Feige framed the shows as a way to deepen the franchise’s mythology. Early series like “WandaVision,” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” and “Loki” stayed tightly linked to the film timeline, but that connection loosened as more shows arrived.
By 2024, Marvel shifted its approach, announcing that shows released under the Marvel Television banner, including “Agatha All Along” and “Daredevil: Born Again,” would function more like standalone television and less like direct film tie-ins. The “Marvel Spotlight” label goes a step further, signaling that a series like “Echo” requires no MCU background knowledge at all.
Here is how the shows line up chronologically:
- WandaVision: Set three weeks after “Avengers: Endgame,” landing before “Spider-Man: Far From Home.”
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Takes place about six months after “Endgame,” still ahead of “Far From Home.”
- Loki: Opens right after “Endgame.” Season 2 continues directly from the Season 1 finale, keeping the whole series clustered around the same timeframe.
- Hawkeye: Set during the 2024 holiday season, roughly a year after “Endgame,” running alongside “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
- Moon Knight: Confirmed to happen after “Endgame,” though no exact date has been given.
- Ms. Marvel: Takes place well after “Endgame,” with a noticeable time jump.
- She-Hulk: Set an unspecified stretch of time after “Endgame.”
- Secret Invasion: Follows “She-Hulk” and precedes “The Marvels.”
- Echo: A Marvel Spotlight release that follows the events of “Hawkeye.”
- What If…?: Exists outside the main continuity entirely, living within the multiverse.
- Agatha All Along: Set three years after “WandaVision” concludes.
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: An animated multiverse branch set around the time of “Captain America: Civil War.”
- Daredevil: Born Again: Picks up after the events of “Echo.”
- Ironheart: Set after “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Where the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Fits
Not quite a movie, not quite a series, James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” runs about 44 minutes and slots in after “Thor: Love and Thunder,” when the Guardians drop Thor off following “Endgame,” and before “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” Gunn filmed the special during production on “Vol. 3.”
What’s Coming Next for the MCU
Marvel has several confirmed films on the horizon:
- Avengers: Doomsday – December 18, 2026
- Avengers: Secret Wars – December 17, 2027
- Black Panther 3 – December 15, 2028
- Ghost Rider – 2028
New television projects are also on the way, even if they carry a looser connection to the core MCU story:
- VisionQuest – October 14, 2026
- Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 – 2026
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 – 2026
- X-Men ’97 – 2026
Streaming the MCU on Disney+
Every Marvel Studios film currently streams on Disney+, giving fans a single home base to work through either viewing order without hunting across multiple platforms. Whether you start from “Iron Man” and move forward in release order or begin with “Captain America: The First Avenger” for the full chronological experience, the entire library is available in one place.