How to Watch Marvel Movies and Shows in Order: A Complete MCU Guide

Marvel Studios has built an expansive universe that’s thrilling to explore, but keeping track of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) timeline can be a challenge, to say the least.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just getting started, we’re here to help you make sense of it all, one movie and show at a time.

You can watch the MCU in a couple of ways: by release order, just like the rest of us did when these stories first hit theaters, or in chronological order, which lets you follow the timeline as it unfolds within the universe itself.

Let’s break down the best ways to experience the MCU, from start to finish, and tackle its timeline twists along the way.

Marvel Movie Order: The Classic Way to Experience the MCU

If you’re someone who likes to experience a story just as everyone did when it first unfolded, the Marvel movie order is the way to go.

Essentially, this method lets you watch the MCU as it was rolled out in theaters and on Disney+, allowing you to enjoy each surprise and Easter egg just like the original audiences did.

Here’s how it all started:

Phase 1

1. Iron Man (May 2008)
2. The Incredible Hulk (June 2008)
3. Iron Man 2 (April 2010)
4. Thor (April 2011)
5. Captain America: The First Avenger (July 2011)
6. The Avengers (April 2012)

Phase 2

1. Iron Man 3 (April 2013)
2. Agents of SHIELD (Season 1, September 2013 – May 2014)
3. Thor: The Dark World (November 2013)
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (March 2014)
5. Agents of SHIELD (Season 2, September 2014 – May 2015)
6. Guardians of the Galaxy (July 2014)
7. Daredevil (Season 1, April 2015)
8. Avengers: Age of Ultron (April 2015)
9. Ant-Man (July 2015)
10. Jessica Jones (Season 1, November 2015)

Phase 3

1. Captain America: Civil War (April 2016)
2. Agents of SHIELD (Season 3, September 2015 – May 2016)
3. Daredevil (Season 2, March 2016)
4. Luke Cage (Season 1, September 2016)
5. Doctor Strange (October 2016)
6. Agents of SHIELD (Season 4, September 2016 – May 2017)
7. Iron Fist (Season 1, March 2017)
8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (April 2017)
9. Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 2017)
10. The Defenders (August 2017)
11. Inhumans (September 2017 – November 2017)
12. Thor: Ragnarok (October 2017)
13. The Punisher (Season 1, November 2017)
14. Runaways (Season 1, November 2017 – January 2018)
15. Agents of SHIELD (Season 5, December 2017 – May 2018)
16. Black Panther (February 2018)
17. Jessica Jones (Season 2, March 2018)
18. Cloak & Dagger (Season 1, June 2018 – August 2018)
19. Luke Cage (Season 2, June 2018)
20. Avengers: Infinity War (April 2018)
21. Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 2018)
22. Iron Fist (Season 2, September 2018)
23. Daredevil (Season 3, October 2018)
24. Runaways (Season 2, December 2018)
25. The Punisher (Season 2, January 2019)
26. Captain Marvel (March 2019)
27. Jessica Jones (Season 3, June 2019)
28. Avengers: Endgame (April 2019)
29. Agents of SHIELD (Season 6, May 2019 – August 2019)
30. Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 2019)
31. Runaways (Season 3, December 2019)
32. Agents of SHIELD (Season 7, May 2020 – August 2020)

Phase 4

1. WandaVision (January 2021 – March 2021)
2. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (March 2021 – April 2021)
3. Loki (June 2021 – July 2021)
4. Black Widow (July 2021)
5. What If…? (August 2021 – October 2021)
6. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (September 2021)
7. Eternals (November 2021)
8. Hawkeye (November 2021 – December 2021)
9. Spider-Man: No Way Home (December 2021)
10. Moon Knight (March 2022 – May 2022)
11. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 2022)
12. Ms. Marvel (June 2022 – July 2022)
13. Thor: Love and Thunder (July 2022)
14. I Am Groot (August 2022)
15. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (August 2022 – October 2022)
16. Werewolf by Night (October 2022)
17. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (November 2022)
18. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (November 2022)
19. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February 2023)
20. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 2023)
21. Secret Invasion (June 2023 – July 2023)
22. I Am Groot (Season 2, September 2023)
23. Loki (Season 2, October 2023 – November 2023)
24. The Marvels (November 2023)
25. Echo (January 2024)
26. Agatha: Coven of Chaos (September 2024 – October 2024)
27. Deadpool & Wolverine (July 2024)

MCU Chronological Order: A Deep Dive into the Marvel Universe Timeline

For those who want to follow the events as they unfold within the Marvel universe itself, watching it in chronological order is your best bet.

It’s, for sure, a fun way to see how each event lines up, as it gives you a clear look at how different storylines affect each other.

Here’s how to watch Marvel movies and shows in chronological order:

1. Captain America: The First Avenger (1943-1945)
2. Agent Carter (Season 1, 1946)
3. Agent Carter (Season 2, 1947)
4. Captain Marvel (1995)
5. Iron Man (2008)
6. Iron Man 2 (2010)
7. The Incredible Hulk (2010)
8. The Consultant (One-Shot, 2011)
9. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer (One-Shot, 2011)
10. Thor (2011)
11. The Avengers (2012)
12. Item 47 (One-Shot, 2012)
13. Iron Man 3 (2013)
14. All Hail the King (One-Shot, 2014)
15. Agents of SHIELD (Season 1, 2013-2014)
16. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
17. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
18. Agents of SHIELD (Season 2, 2014-2015)
19. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
20. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2014)
21. Daredevil (Season 1, 2015)
22. Jessica Jones (Season 1, 2015)
23. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
24. Ant-Man (2015)
25. Agents of SHIELD (Season 3, 2015-2016)
26. Luke Cage (Season 1, 2016)
27. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
28. Agents of SHIELD (Season 4, 2016-2017)
29. Black Widow (Takes place between Civil War and Infinity War, 2016-2017)
30. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016)
31. Doctor Strange (2016-2017)
32. Iron Fist (Season 1, 2017)
33. The Defenders (Season 1, 2017)
34. The Punisher (Season 1, 2017)
35. Runaways (Season 1, 2017-2018)
36. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
37. Agents of SHIELD (Season 5, 2017-2018)
38. Black Panther (2017-2018)
39. Jessica Jones (Season 2, 2018)
40. Cloak & Dagger (Season 1, 2018)
41. Luke Cage (Season 2, 2018)
42. Iron Fist (Season 2, 2018)
43. Daredevil (Season 3, 2018)
44. Runaways (Season 2, 2018)
45. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018, post-Infinity War)
46. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
47. Avengers: Endgame (2018-2023)
48. Agents of SHIELD (Season 6, 2019)
49. Jessica Jones (Season 3, 2019)
50. Runaways (Season 3, 2019)
51. Agents of SHIELD (Season 7, 1931-2019)
52. WandaVision (2023)
53. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2023)
54. Loki (2012/2023, Multiverse)
55. What If…? (Season 1, Multiverse)
56. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2024)
57. Eternals (2024)
58. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2024)
59. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2024)
60. Hawkeye (Christmas 2024)
61. Moon Knight (2025)
62. Ms. Marvel (2025)
63. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2025)
64. Thor: Love and Thunder (2025)
65. Werewolf by Night (2025)
66. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Christmas 2025)
67. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2025)
68. Secret Invasion (2025)
69. Echo (2025)
70. Ironheart (2025)
71. Loki (Season 2, 2025-2026)
72. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2026)
73. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2026)
74. Agatha: Coven of Chaos (2026)
75. What If…? (Season 2, Multiverse)
76. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024, Multiverse)

The Multiverse Explained: Shows and Movies that Cross Timelines

The multiverse storyline in the Marvel universe timeline has made things very complex, especially with Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Loki kickstarts it all by showing us how the TVA (Time Variance Authority) tries to maintain one sacred timeline. But as Loki and Sylvie break things apart, we get our first real look at what happens when timelines go rogue—it’s chaotic and only the beginning.

This is where the multiverse truly branches out, paving the way for what comes next.

What If…? then plays around with those branching realities, giving us a peek at how small changes can create vastly different stories.

Each episode is a new universe, a new possibility, and it helps us understand how diverse—and unpredictable—the multiverse can be.

Then, there’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

Peter Parker and Doctor Strange’s meddling show us just how fragile these universes are as characters from different realities collide.

No Way Home pulls in Spider-Men from other franchises. At the same time, Multiverse of Madness dives deep into the dangers of crossing universes, highlighting the risks of “incursions”—when two realities collide, often with catastrophic results.

These shows and movies are essential for understanding where the MCU is headed next. The multiverse is no longer just a fun concept—it’s a game-changer, setting up new conflicts, surprises, and plenty of crossover moments to come.

To get the full picture, start with Loki, explore the possibilities in What If…?, and follow the chaos in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Marvel in Order: A Journey Through the MCU

Whether you decide to watch the MCU in release order or chronological order, either approach will let you dive deep into a universe packed with heroes, villains, and unexpected twists.

As we’ve seen today, the Marvel Cinematic Universe connects its stories in fascinating ways—so grab some popcorn, settle in, and enjoy the ride as all the pieces of the MCU come together.

As a bonus for making it this far, here’s our take on the best TV shows of all time, according to fans.