The Marvel Cinematic Universe: A Chronological Guide to Watching
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling and interconnected universe of superheroes, villains, and epic battles. With numerous movies and TV series, it can be overwhelming for both newcomers and long-time fans to keep track of the chronological order of events. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down the MCU in chronological order, helping you navigate the intricate web of stories that make up this superhero saga.
The MCU Phases: A Quick Overview
Before we dive into the chronological order, let’s take a quick look at the phases that have shaped the MCU:
Phase One (2008-2012)
Movie
Release Date
Iron Man
May 2, 2008
The Incredible Hulk
June 13, 2008
Iron Man 2
May 7, 2010
Thor
May 6, 2011
Captain America: The First Avenger
July 22, 2011
The Avengers
May 4, 2012
Phase Two (2013-2015)
Movie
Release Date
Iron Man 3
May 3, 2013
Thor: The Dark World
November 8, 2013
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
April 4, 2014
Guardians of the Galaxy
August 1, 2014
Avengers: Age of Ultron
May 1, 2015
Ant-Man
July 17, 2015
Phase Three (2016-2019)
Movie
Release Date
Captain America: Civil War
May 6, 2016
Doctor Strange
November 4, 2016
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
May 5, 2017
Spider-Man: Homecoming
July 7, 2017
Thor: Ragnarok
November 3, 2017
Black Panther
February 16, 2018
Avengers: Infinity War
April 27, 2018
Ant-Man and the Wasp
July 6, 2018
Captain Marvel
March 8, 2019
Avengers: Endgame
April 26, 2019
Spider-Man: Far From Home
July 2, 2019
The Multiverse Saga: Phase Four (2021-2022)
Movie
Release Date
Black Widow
July 9, 2021
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
September 3, 2021
Eternals
November 5, 2021
Spider-Man: No Way Home
December 17, 2021
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
May 6, 2022
Thor: Love and Thunder
July 8, 2022
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
November 11, 2022
Phase Five (2023-2024)
Movie
Release Date
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
February 17, 2023
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
May 5, 2023
The Marvels
November 11, 2023
Captain America: New World Order
May 3, 2024
Thunderbolts
July 26, 2024
Blade
September 6, 2024
Phase Six (2024-2026)
Movie
Release Date
Deadpool 3
November 8, 2024
Fantastic Four
February 14, 2025
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
May 2, 2025
Avengers: Secret Wars
May 1, 2026
Now that you have an overview of the phases, let’s dive into the chronological order of the MCU.
The Chronological Order
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Release Date: 2011
Synopsis: Set in 1942, this film follows Steve Rogers, who becomes Captain America during World War II. It introduces the Tesseract, a key element in the MCU.
Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter (2013)
Release Date: 2013
Synopsis: This short film features Peggy Carter’s adventures as a British operative and her involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D.
Captain Marvel (2019)
Release Date: 2019
Synopsis: Set in 1995, this movie introduces Carol Danvers, a Kree warrior caught in an intergalactic battle.
Iron Man (2008)
Release Date: 2008
Synopsis: Tony Stark, a billionaire inventor, becomes Iron Man after being kidnapped by terrorists.
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Release Date: 2010
Synopsis: Tony Stark, now known as Iron Man, faces new challenges, including the rise of a rival.
Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer (2011)
Release Date: 2011
Synopsis: Agent Coulson deals with a robbery while on his way to Thor’s hammer.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Release Date: 2008
Synopsis: Scientist Bruce Banner transforms into the Hulk after a gamma radiation accident.
Thor (2011)
Release Date: 2011
Synopsis: Thor, the Norse god, is sent to Earth and must prove himself worthy to wield his hammer, Mjölnir.
Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant (2011)
Release Date: 2011
Synopsis: Agents Coulson and Sitwell plan to derail General Ross from interfering with S.H.I.E.L.D. affairs.
Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)
Release Date: 2012
Synopsis: Loki, Thor’s brother, gains access to the Tesseract and threatens the world. The Avengers assemble to stop him.
Item 47 (2012)
Release Date: 2012
Synopsis: SHIELD agents deal with a couple using Chitauri technology for criminal activities.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Release Date: 2013
Synopsis: Thor battles an ancient evil force known as the Dark Elves.
Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King (2014)
Release Date: 2014
Synopsis: Trevor Slattery, the fake Mandarin, is interviewed in prison.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Release Date: 2014
Synopsis: Captain America and Black Widow uncover a conspiracy within S.H.I.E.L.D.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Release Date: 2014
Synopsis: A group of misfits comes together to save the galaxy from a cosmic threat.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Release Date: 2017
Synopsis: The Guardians’ adventures continue as they discover the truth about Peter Quill’s father.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Release Date: 2015
Synopsis: The Avengers face a new AI threat, Ultron, created by Tony Stark.
Ant-Man (2015)
Release Date: 2015
Synopsis: Scott Lang becomes Ant-Man and must stop a heist that could have devastating consequences.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Release Date: 2016
Synopsis: The Avengers are divided over government oversight, leading to a clash between Iron Man and Captain America.
Black Widow (2021)
Release Date: 2021
Synopsis: Natasha Romanoff confronts her past and a dangerous conspiracy.
Black Widow Post-Credits Scene
Synopsis: This scene sets up the events of “Hawkeye” and introduces Yelena Belova.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season 1 – Episodes 1-7)
Synopsis: The early episodes of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” take place concurrently with the events of “Thor: The Dark World” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”
Hawkeye (2021 – Episode 1)
Synopsis: The series begins shortly after the events of “Avengers: Endgame” and introduces Kate Bishop.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021 – Episode 1)
Synopsis: The series starts after “Avengers: Endgame” and explores the legacy of Captain America.
Loki (2021 – Episode 1)
Synopsis: Loki’s series picks up right after the events of “Avengers: Endgame” when Loki escapes with the Tesseract.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Release Date: 2017
Synopsis: Peter Parker balances life as a high school student and a superhero.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Release Date: 2019
Synopsis: Peter Parker’s school trip is interrupted by the emergence of the Elementals.
WandaVision (2021)
Synopsis: Wanda’s reality-warping powers create a sitcom-inspired alternate reality.
Doctor Strange (2016)
Release Date: 2016
Synopsis: Dr. Stephen Strange becomes the Sorcerer Supreme and protects the Earth from mystical threats.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Release Date: 2022
Synopsis: Doctor Strange faces a multiverse-threatening adversary.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Release Date: 2018
Synopsis: Scott Lang teams up with Hope van Dyne to rescue Janet van Dyne from the quantum realm.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Release Date: 2021
Synopsis: Shang-Chi confronts his past and the Ten Rings organization.
Eternals (2021)
Release Date: 2021
Synopsis: The Eternals reunite to protect Earth from the Deviants.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Release Date: 2021
Synopsis: Peter Parker’s world collides with the multiverse as past villains return.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Release Date: 2017
Synopsis: Thor battles his sister, Hela, and finds himself on the planet Sakaar.
Black Panther (2018)
Release Date: 2018
Synopsis: T’Challa becomes the Black Panther and faces challenges to his throne.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Release Date: 2018
Synopsis: Thanos collects the Infinity Stones, and the Avengers must stop him.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Release Date: 2019
Synopsis: The Avengers attempt to reverse Thanos’ snap and save the universe.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Release Date: 2023
Synopsis: Scott Lang faces new challenges with the Quantum Realm and a powerful adversary.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Release Date: 2023
Synopsis: The Guardians continue their cosmic adventures.
The Marvels (2023)
Release Date: 2023
Synopsis: The sequel to “Captain Marvel” explores Carol Danvers’ further adventures.
Captain America: New World Order (2024)
Release Date: 2024
Synopsis: The new Captain America takes on challenges in a changing world.
Thunderbolts (2024)
Release Date: 2024
Synopsis: The Thunderbolts, a team of antiheroes, emerges in the MCU.
Blade (2024)
Release Date: 2024
Synopsis: Blade, a vampire hunter, enters the MCU.
Deadpool 3 (2024)
Release Date: 2024
Synopsis: Deadpool joins the MCU with his signature humor.
Fantastic Four (2025)
Release Date: 2025
Synopsis: Marvel’s First Family, the Fantastic Four, gets a reboot in the MCU.