Working out how to watch the Marvel movies in order isn't as difficult as it sounds. Okay, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has become more complicated since Avengers: Endgame and the arrival of the multiverse. Subsequently, the MCU timeline is messier than it was before. Show With our help, though, you'll be a Marvel timeline expert in no time. In short, there are two ways to watch every Marvel film and MCU Disney Plus show: in chronological order and by their release dates. Each method works slightly differently from the other, and the duo have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on whether you're a Marvel Studios newcomer or an MCU veteran. Below, we'll run you through both methods before explaining which one we think is the best. Our Marvel movies in order is packed with other fascinating content, too. We reveal how many MCU flicks have been released to date, and what other MCU Phase 4, Marvel Phase 5, and Phase 6 projects are on the way in 2022 and beyond. Oh, and we received plenty more news on most of those at D23 Expo 2022, so read our handy guide on what was revealed during Marvel's presentation. You'll also find information on where you can stream every Marvel Studios production – spoiler, most are on Disney Plus – and how your fellow MCU fans have ranked every Marvel movie and TV show to date. It's enough to make your head spin, but we'll break everything down for you into manageable chunks. Here, then, is how you can watch the MCU movies and TV series in order. (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)Purists will tell you release date order is the best way, while others will argue you should stream them chronologically. For us, watching the Marvel movies in order of release date is the best way to binge them if you're a first time viewer. Chronologically is a great choice, and one established fans should try if they want to mix things up. However, this method can feel slightly messy from an MCU timeline perspective. If you start with 2010's Captain America's story in WWII, its final scene plays out in the late 2000s when he wakes up in present-day New York. He meets Nick Fury not long after, but this isn't the first time we're supposed to see the ex-director of SHIELD – it's supposed to be in 2008's Iron Man, with events in that film preceding the end of Captain America. This makes it difficult to follow the story that the franchise is trying to tell. MCU fans will have their own ways of watching them but, in our view, the answer to watching the Marvel movies in order is a simple one: watch them in release date order. Marvel movies in order: how to watch chronologicallyBest for: Marvel fans who want to mix things up Watching the Marvel movies in order by chronology means streaming them in the order of the year they're set. So you'll start with Captain America's origin story in World War II and end with Thor: Love and Thunder, which apparently takes place in 2025. Without an exact breakdown from Marvel Studios, it's hard to pinpoint where each movie fit on the MCU timeline, so we've done our best with the knowledge available to us. The Marvel TV shows are also important MCU staples these days, so we've also included them in the list below: (Image credit: Marvel Studios)Best for: first-time MCU viewers Want to watch the Marvel movies in order of release date? Try this list instead. You'll start with Iron Man, which arrived in theaters in 2008 and end with MCU TV show She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – this series arriving on Disney Plus in 2022. It's a simpler blueprint to follow than streaming MCU projects chronologically, so Marvel newcomers will want to stick with this method.
All MCU Phase 4 movies and TV shows(Image credit: Marvel Studios)Marvel Phase 4 will end in December 2022 with The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney Plus. That means there are only three more projects – and only one major one – landing before this phase ends.
Here's a list of every film and TV series coming in 2023 and beyond: - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February 17, 2023) How many Marvel movies are there in the MCU?(Image credit: Walt Disney/Marvel Studios)29 MCU movies have been released so far. Iron Man kicked things off in 2008, while Thor: Love and Thunder is the latest to arrive in theaters. Add in the TV shows, though, and She-Hulk is the latest MCU project, which launched in August 2022. By the end of 2025, there'll be at least 39 movies (at least) to fit on the MCU timeline. If you're thinking about bingeing every Marvel film to date, you'll need to set aside 3,812 minutes – that's 63 and a half hours, or 2.6 total days. Add in the TV shows, though, and it'll take a whopping 5,957 minutes (99.2 hours or 4.1 days) to watch them all. How to watch the Marvel movies(Image credit: Disney Plus)You can stream the Marvel movies in order, as well as the TV shows, on Disney Plus, but there's a slight catch with some entries. Every MCU film is available on the streamer except for The Incredible Hulk and some Spider-Man movies. Universal and Sony own the distribution rights to them, so they aren't technically part of the Marvel Studios family, despite their ties to the MCU. The Incredible Hulk is on HBO Max in nations where the streamer is available. Meanwhile, a new deal between Marvel and Sony means that select Spidey flicks are now on Disney Plus. The first two Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films, plus the Andrew Garfield-led webslinger flicks, are available to stream. Spider-Man: Homecoming, as well as animated flick Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, are also available to stream on Disney Plus. The latter is only watchable on Disney's streamer in the UK, though. US fans can can it on Netflix instead. It's unclear if Sony's Spider-Man spin-off films, such as Venom and Morbius, will also come to Disney Plus. Stick with TechRadar for future updates. Marvel movies in order: all MCU films ranked(Image credit: Marvel Studios)For us, the Avengers movies are the best MCU films around, but the whole thing is subjective. You can check our ranking of the best Marvel movies for our full thoughts on the matter. We've also ranked the Marvel movies and shows based on their IMDb (opens in new tab) user scores. Be aware that some TV series, such as She-Hulk and Ms Marvel, have been review-bombed by some users for their supposedly feminine agendas and Marvel's apparent penchant to turn the MCU into the MSheU. Yeah, we think those claims are bizarre, frustrating, and not fully representative of the MCU's overall fanbase, too. Finally, we haven't included Sony's Spider-Man spin-off films or Netflix's Marvel TV shows. Until Marvel, Sony, and Netflix confirm they're all canon in the MCU, we've left them out.
For more Marvel-based content, check out our guide on how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order. Alternatively, read up on how to stream the X-Men movies in order, or find out how we've ranked every MCU villain to date. Today's best Marvel Studios Collector's Edition Box Set - Phase 1 [Blu-ray] deals (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)View Deal (opens in new tab) |