Do you want to know how to view the Marvel films chronologically? You are in the proper location. The Marvel Cinematic World (MCU) has grown from a small collection of films to a vast cinematic world containing more than 40 Marvel films, television series, and specials. It’s challenging enough to figure out how to watch them all in chronological order from beginning to end.

In response, we are here. We’ve got a simple guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in release date sequence, from beginning to end, starting with Robert Downey Jr.’s humble beginnings in a cave in Iron Man and continuing through cosmic threequels and spy adventures in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and Secret Invasion. Basically, you should start here if you’re not too familiar with the MCU or want a stress-free review of the broad picture before picking and choosing whatever films and television episodes you want to see.

There is always the option to watch the Marvel movies in order for the more tenacious MCU fans. Join us as we travel back to World War II in the 1940s with Captain America: The First Avenger, then take a Blockbuster-shaped detour in the 1990s with Captain Marvel and then travel all the way up to the MCU “present day” in 2026. For those looking to liven up their Marvel marathons, it’s a bizarre, beautiful, and must-watch experience.

We’ll also address one of the more problematic aspects of viewing the MCU in chronological sequence, namely how the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Netflix programs fit in. A preview of Marvel Phase 5 and beyond is also provided, beginning with our beloved God of Mischief from Loki season 2. Our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies chronologically has everything you need.

For additional information on what’s coming up, check out our breakdown of the finale of Guardians 3 as well as our complete list of upcoming Marvel films. Check out our recommendations on how to watch the Star Wars movies in sequence and how to watch the DC movies in order if you need more viewing orders.

How to see the Marvel films in chronological order – release order

Here’s how to watch the Marvel movies and TV programs in chronological sequence to start. We should point out that the MCU is divided into Phases, with each Phase’s conclusion often signifying the end of a plot arc. Thus, the introduction of fresh, significant characters occurs at the start of a Phase.

Phases 1 through 5 are shown below in release order. Yes, that includes WandaVision, Falcon, Loki, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, The Winter Soldier, and others. The Disney Plus programs are just as significant to the overall narrative even though they are not films.

Avengers: Phase One

1.  Initial Iron Man (2008)
2. The Amazing Hulk (2008)
3. 2010’s Iron Man 2
4. Thor (2011)
5. The 2011 film Captain America: The First Avenger
6. The Avengers (2012)

Second Marvel Phase

7. 2013’s Iron Man 3
8. (2013) Thor: The Dark World
9. The Winter Soldier, Captain America (2014)
10. The 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy
11. The 2015 film Avengers: Age of Ultron
12. Ant-Man from 2015

Phase Three of Marvel

13. The 2016 film Captain America: Civil War
14. (2014) Doctor Strange
15. The 2017 film Guardians of the Galaxy 2
16. The 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming
17. (2017) Thor: Ragnarok
18. 2017’s Black Panther
19. (2018) Avengers: Infinity War
20. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) 20
21. Captain Marvel (2019), 21
22. (2019) Avengers: Endgame
23. The 2019 film Spider-Man: Far From Home

Marvel Season 4

24. WandaVision (Disney Plus series, 2021)
25. Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney Plus series, 2021)
26. Loki season 1 (Disney Plus series)
27. Black Widow (2021)
28. What If…? (Disney Plus series, 2021)
29. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
30. Eternals (2021)
31. Hawkeye (Disney Plus series, 2021)
32. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
33. Moon Knight (Disney Plus series, 2022)
34. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
35. Ms. Marvel (Disney Plus series, 2022)
36. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
37. I Am Groot (Disney Plus series, 2022)
38. She-Hulk (Disney Plus series, 2022)
39. Werewolf By Night (Disney Plus special, 2022)
40. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
41. Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special (Disney Plus special, 2022)

Marvel Season 5

42. Quantumania, from Ant-Man and the Wasp, 2023
43. The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
44. Secret Invasion (2023)

Where to watch each Marvel film in sequence

Would you like to start now? Disney Plus has access to the majority of the Marvel flicks. Only two Spider-Man films, Far from Home and No Way Home, are not yet accessible in the US on Disney Plus. They are accessible on Starz. Visit our page on Disney Plus bundles to get the greatest offers for the Disney streaming service.

We also have a good understanding of what will happen in the future because to Marvel’s plans for Phase 5, which has just started, and beyond. Deadpool 3 is the only title on the current list that isn’t specifically associated with a Phase, but we feel confident pairing it with Blade for the time being because Fantastic Four will launch Marvel’s Phase 6.

Here is a preview of some of the upcoming Marvel films and television shows.

Avengers Phase 5:

• Season 2 of Loki premieres on October 9th, 2023 on Disney Plus.
• The Marvels – November 10, 2023 (also known as Captain Marvel 2).
• In January 2024, the Echo will air on Disney Plus.
• Agatha: Darkhold Diaries (Disney Plus series), Fall 2023
• 3 May 2024: Deadpool 3
• July 26, 2024: Captain America: Brave New World
• Blade: February 14, 2025 Thunderbolts: December 20, 2024
• Disney Plus series Daredevil: Born Again, premiere date TBD
• (Disney Plus series) Ironheart

Avengers Phase 6:

• Marvel Comics – May 2, 2025
• May 1, 2026: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
• Avengers: Secret Wars, which won’t be released until May 7, 2027:

TBA: Armor Wars

• (Disney Plus series) Marvel Zombies – TBA
• TBA Nova TBA Shang-Chi 2
• Spider-Man: A rookie (Disney Plus series) Year TBD
• (Disney Plus series) Spider-Man: Sophomore Year
• TBD (Disney Plus series) Wakanda/Okoye spin-off
• How about if? Christmas 2023, season 2 of the Disney Plus series
• How about if? season 3 (Disney Plus series): TBA
• TBD (Disney Plus series) Wonder Man
• Early 2024: X-Men ’97 (Disney Plus series)

The Marvel movies should be viewed in chronological order.

Looking for a slightly different perspective on the MCU? Then perhaps you’ll be interested in learning how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

In comparison to the list before, this one is a little more complicated. Fortunately, Marvel has made the majority of the precise years in which each movie is set public knowledge. That includes movies like Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which falls bang in the middle of Endgame, Far From Home, and movies like Hawkeye, which takes place around No Way Home.

The years 2025 and 2026 are now here. It appears that She-Hulk, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania all take place in that not-too-distant future year. In roughly 2026, Secret Invasion and Guardians 3 will be released.

But take note: On occasion, Marvel messes around with the chronological sequence of some of these entries. Our list follows Marvel’s own official Disney Plus order, although if you give it too much thought, some things might feel out of place. Werewolf by Night, you’re in our sights. For the completionists among you, I Am Groot’s “First Steps” short precedes Guardians 2 whereas the remaining shorts take place after the sequel. The most recent project on the timeline is currently Secret Invasion.

1.  In the years 1942–1943, Captain America: The First Avenger
2. The 1995 film Captain Marvel
3. Iron Man (2010)
4. The 2011 film Iron Man
5. 2011’s The Incredible Hulk
6. Thor (2011)
7. 2012’s The Avengers
8. 2012’s Iron Man 3
9. (2013) Thor: The Dark World
10. The Winter Soldier (2014), a Captain America film.
11. The 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy
12. The 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy 2.
13. (2013) I Am Groot
14. The 2015 film Avengers: Age of Ultron
15. Ant-Man from 2015
16. The 2016 film Captain America: Civil War
17. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016)
18. Doctor Strange (2016) and 2017
19. Black Widow (2017)
20. 2017’s Black Panther
21. The 2017 film Thor: Ragnarok
22. 2017’s Ant-Man and the Wasp
23. Avengers: Infinity War (2017)
24. (2018-2023) Avengers: Endgame
25. Loki (outside of time as we know it, but close by)
26. What If…? (and beyond our understanding of time!)
27. WandaVision (2023)
28. (2023-2024) Falcon and the Winter Soldier
29. The Legend of the Ten Rings and Shang-Chi (2023-2024)
30. The 2024 film Spider-Man: Far From Home
31. Spider-Man: No Way Home (released in 2024)
32. Eternals (2024)
33. The 2024 film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
34. (Christmas 2024) Hawkeye
35. Moon Knight (2025)
36. Wakanda Forever: Black Panther (2025)
37. She-Hulk (2025)
38. Ms. Marvel (2025)
39. 2025’s Thor: Love and Thunder
40. Werewolf By Night (2025)
41. Holiday Special from Guardians of the Galaxy (2025)
42. Quantumania in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2025)
43. The 2026 film Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
44. Secret Invasion (2026)

Does Spider-Man appear in any Marvel productions outside of the MCU?

We are now approaching the most difficult part: the multiverse. Various Spider-Man adversaries from around the multiverse have appeared in the MCU as a result of Spider-Man: No Way Home. You must have seen a good number of earlier Spider-Man films in order to properly comprehend everyone’s motivations and purposes in No Way Home.

These occur in three alternate histories where Tobey Maguire plays Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield plays Spider-Man, and Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) plays the bad guy Venom. Check out our guide on how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order for a thorough dive into watching these films.

Long story short, though, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is currently a part of the MCU, and the other Spider-Man films from Sony are (roughly) a part of the multiverse. However, don’t anticipate them returning to the regular Marvel universe any time soon.

Concerning Across the Spider-Verse, you might also have some questions. Although it technically belongs to the larger universe and was mentioned in the Spider-Verse sequel, that doesn’t require watching in any particular order outside of the confines of its own trilogy. For those who want to dive into one of Peter Parker’s most dramatic film journeys, Amazing Spider-Man 2 has recently been available on Disney Plus.

• 2002’s Spider-Man
• (2004) Spider-Man 2
• 2007’s Spider-Man 3
• (2012) The Amazing Spider-Man
• (2014) The Amazing Spider-Man
• Venom (2018)
• The 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
• 2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage
• 2022: Morbius
• The 2023 film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The Defenders are another group that somewhat of belongs to the MCU but also doesn’t. Since they were originally Netflix goods, they initially had a strong connection to the movies before progressively losing it. But now that they’re all on Disney Plus, you’ll need to know the watch order if you want to watch Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and The Punisher. Fortunately, we have the exact information you’re looking for on how to watch The Defenders Saga.

Loosely picking up where the Netflix series left off, Daredevil’s tale began in She-Hulk and will be continued in Born Again in 2024. The Defenders Saga’s three Netflix seasons haven’t been recognized as canon, but Charlie Cox’s reappearance and an intriguing tie to Secret Invasion are as close as we’ll get to proof that it existed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

While the MCU is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the X-Men are a part of the (formerly Fox) X-Men cinematic universe. But with Hugh Jackman’s appearance as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, that might be about to change. According to rumors, the threequel may center on the Merc with a Mouth wiping out the Fox universe. Before completely eliminating them, that will (confusingly) make those X-Men films canon in the MCU. When we reach the bridge, we will cross it. For the time being, you can watch them separately using our guide to watching the X-Men films in chronological order.

The Spider-Verse movies and the older Spider-Man movies are definitely recommended for a deeper grasp of the universe and a deeper appreciation of No Way Home. However, if you’re only interested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, everything here is theoretically skippable if you’re short on time (and interest).

How to orderly watch the Marvel films on Disney Plus

Streaming has changed as a result of Disney Plus. Disney’s foray into the online content battles, a major rival to Netflix and Amazon Prime, has had a significant influence by consolidating all of the Mouse’s iconic films in one location. In addition to the majority of the Marvel movies, there are also original shows.

Find a list of every Marvel movie currently playing or upcoming on Disney Plus below. Notably, Disney Plus does not include The Incredible Hulk or all of the Spider-Man flicks. This is due to the fact that Universal owns the Hulk’s rights and Sony owns Spider-Man’s rights, despite the fact that Far From Home is already available in the UK and Homecoming only recently made its way onto the service. In the US, both The Amazing Spider-Man films are accessible.

After their 2023 theatrical premieres, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 are both now accessible on Disney Plus.

• Iron Man
• Iron Man 2 and Thor
• First Avenger Captain America
• Infinity War
• Iron Man 3
• The Winter Soldier, a Captain America film
• The Dark World of Thor
• The Galaxy’s Guardians
• Homecoming of Spider-Man
• Infinity War: Age of Ultron
• Ant-Man
• Civil War, Captain America
• Doctor Strange
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
• In Thor: Ragnarok
• White Panther
• Infinity War for the Avengers
• Captain Fantastic
• The Wasp and Ant-Man
• Thor: The Dark World
• Spider-Man: Far From Home [US version unavailable]
• WandaVision
• Winter Soldier and the Falcon
• Black Widow Loki
• How about if?
• The Legend of the Ten Rings with Shang-Chi
• Eternals
• Hawkeye
• Lunar Knight
• In the Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Strange
• Lady Marvel
• She-Hulk
• Thor: Thunder and Love
• Ourselves by Night
• Wakanda Forever, from Black Panther
• Quantumania Secret Invasion in Ant-Man and the Wasp
• three Guardians of the Galaxy