Clear out your weekend, or maybe a week – we're about to go on an MCU movie marathon!
Avengers assemble! For every diehard Marvel fan, the question of the timeline is always sensitive one, getting more convoluted with the introduction of every multiverse. From the first Avengers film to Captain America: Brave New World, there is a wealth of information waiting to be uncovered throughout the whole galaxy, from our home planet Earth to Asgard, Knowhere, Hala, and every world in between. Disney+ now has every single episode of every single MCU film. Check out the Marvel movies in chronological order and on the Marvel brand site on Disney+. Whether you're a long-time fan or just getting into the MCU, you'll find something to suit your taste.
How does the latest Fantastic Four fall into the MCU timeline?
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now playing in theatres, and Disney+ has surprised fans with an early release of Eyes of Wakanda, so that's two Marvel Cinematic Universe features in the last month. Since the four episodes of Eyes of Wakanda took place in 1260 BC, 1200 BC, 1400 AD, and 1896 AD, except flashbacks in Eternals, which went all the way back to 5000 BC, it is technically the oldest Marvel Cinematic Universe excursion on the timeline.
In contrast, the chronology of The Fantastic Four: First Steps is utterly baffling. The reason is, Earth-828 is not part of the "main" MCU (Earth-616) but rather a parallel reality where the upcoming film is set. We have always been informed that The Fantastic Four takes place in the 1960s, but the specific year has never been disclosed. As far as Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances go, it ranks right up there with Captain Marvel and Agent Carter. The Fantastic Four may have crossed over into the main world in Thunderbolts*, but we also learnt that in the post-credit sequence.
How to approach Marvel movies in chronological order
A 'proper sequence' to watch every movie and TV programme produced to date could be something to think about before you begin your Marvel movies chronological order. You can choose how to approach the MCU, and there is no single correct sequence. However, if you want a little structure, there are a few key approaches to rewatching the MCU. Viewing them in chronological order will necessitate skipping across the different Marvel Phases, but you also have the option of watching them in the order they were released. Right now, on Disney+, you can watch almost every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie and TV programme, so if you're planning on doing an epic rewatch, you're in luck. Except for Thunderbolts, the Spider-Man trilogy, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and a few others, this rule does not apply.
Marvel Cinematic Universe watch order, explained!
First things first, you need to know exactly what the MCU is. Marvel Comics' characters and overarching plots are the basis for a linked film and television world known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The history section of the MCU describes an organisational scheme based on phases. The current structure comprises six phases, split into two three-phase sagas. The Infinity Saga consists of the first three chapters, while The Multiverse Saga consists of the fourth, fifth, and sixth. To enjoy the films and TV series in the correct sequence of release, the Phase system is a great resource.
A number of unofficial and pattern-based classifications exist for television series and films. Movies or TV programmes that illustrate how a superhero receives their abilities are called origin tales. Ms Marvel (2022), Captain Marvel (2019), Black Panther (2018), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2018) are all instances of MCU origin tales.
What you should know before watching all Marvel movies in order
A key similarity between Star Wars and the MCU is that the release chronology of material doesn't always correspond to the chronological order of events in the universe. Because there is so much information in the MCU world, the chronology is complicated. If you're interested in chronological order, however, several fantastic internet tools may assist you. The Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline on the Disney+ interface is the official and best source. The Multiverse, a concept in the MCU, adds complexity to determining the chronological placement of specific films and television series. The multiverse is just all the realities that have ever existed, no matter what you call it. Each possible event outcome has its reality on a separate timeline.
The wait is over! Here’s the definitive list you need to watch all Marvel movies in chronological order.
All Marvel movies in order
- Captain America: The First Avenger (1942)
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps (1964*)
- Captain Marvel (1995)
- Iron Man (2008)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- The Incredible Hulk (2010)
- Thor (2010)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Iron Man 3 (2013)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2014)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Ant-Man (2015)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Black Widow (2016)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016)
- Black Panther (2016)
- Doctor Strange (2016)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2023)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2024)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2024)
- Eternals (2024)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2024)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2024)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2025)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2025)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2025)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2026)
- The Marvels (2026)
- Deadpool & Wolverine (2026)
- Captain America: Brave New World (2026-2027)
- Thunderbolts* (2027)