The prospect of figuring out how to watch the Marvel movies has gone from a simple list to something spanning across three decades. Gulp. Simply put, it’s not quite as easy to recall the release order from memory anymore, nor is the sprawling chronological order an easier proposition to sort.
But we’re here to help. Below, we’ve constructed the complete order for Marvel movies in two flavors, depending on how you’re currently binging the entire MCU.
First up is the basic, straightforward release order. From 2008’s Iron Man onwards, we’ll take you on a whirlwind tour of all the Marvel movies (and Disney Plus shows such as Loki, now they’re part of the series) in the order they reached cinemas. Nice and easy.
Then, for the completionists and diehards, there’s something a bit extra to sink your teeth into. Going from the 1940s to the MCU ‘present day’ of 2024, there’s a look at how to watch the Marvel movies in chronological order. It’s a long road, but ultimately a rewarding one – and will make you see the films in a whole new light. Ready? Let’s do this.
How to watch the Marvel movies in order – release order
First up, here’s how to watch the Marvel movies in release order. Marvel films, we should note, are split into Phases, with the end of a Phase typically indicating a natural end to a story arc. The beginning of a Phase, therefore, signals the introduction of new, important characters. Below, we go through Phases 1 to 4 in release order. Yes, that includes WandaVision/Falcon and The Winter Soldier/Loki. No, they’re not technically movies, but the MCU is changing so rapidly that the Disney Plus shows are now just as important.
Phase One:
- 1. Iron Man (2008)
- 2. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
- 3. Iron Man 2 (2010)
- 4. Thor (2011)
- 5. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- 6. The Avengers (2012)
Phase Two:
- 7. Iron Man 3 (2013)
- 8. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- 9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- 10. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- 11. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- 12. Ant-Man (2015)
Phase Three:
- 13. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- 14. Doctor Strange (2016)
- 15. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)
- 16. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- 17. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- 18. Black Panther (2017)
- 19. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- 20. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
- 21. Captain Marvel (2019)
- 22. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- 23. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Phase Four:
- 24. WandaVision (Disney Plus series)
- 25. Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney Plus series)
- 26. Loki (Disney Plus series)
- 27. Black Widow (2021)
- 28. What If…? (Disney Plus series)
Want to dive in right now? The majority of the Marvel movies are available on Disney Plus. If you want to check out the best deals for the streaming service, head over to our Disney Plus bundles page.
We also know a fair amount of what’s coming up in the future, with Marvel having laid out plans for Phase 4 and beyond. Here’s a taste of the Marvel movies coming our over the next few years – and you can find a comprehensive list of all the new Marvel TV shows through that link.
Phase Four (and beyond):
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – September 3, 2021
- Eternals – November 5, 2021
- Hawkeye – November 24, 2021 (Disney Plus series)
- Ms. Marvel – Late 2021 (Disney Plus series)
- Spider-Man 3: No Way Home – December 17, 2021
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – March 25, 2022
- Thor: Love and Thunder – May 6, 2022
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – July 8, 2022
- TBA Marvel movie – October 7, 2022
- The Marvels (AKA Captain Marvel 2) – November 11, 2022
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – February 17, 2023
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – May 5, 2023
- Blade (TBA)
- Captain America 4 (TBA)
- Fantastic Four (TBA)
- Untitled Mutants movie (TBA)
How to watch the Marvel movies in order – chronological order
Want to experience the MCU in a more complicated, yet still viable way? Then you’ll perhaps want to know how to watch the Marvel movies in chronological order.
This one’s a little more complicated than the above list. Luckily, Marvel has revealed the official year in which each movie takes place. That goes right up to Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which fits snugly in-between Endgame and Far From Home. Loki’s place on the timeline remains to be seen.
- 1. Captain America: The First Avenger (1942-1943)
- 2. Captain Marvel (1995)
- 3. Iron Man (2010)
- 4. Iron Man 2 (2011)
- 5. The Incredible Hulk (2011)
- 6. Thor (2011)
- 7. The Avengers (2012)
- 8. Iron Man 3 (2012)
- 9. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- 10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- 11. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- 12. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2014)
- 13. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- 14. Ant-Man (2015)
- 15. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- 16. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016)
- 17. Doctor Strange (2016-2017)
- 18. Black Widow (2017)
- 19. Black Panther (2017)
- 20. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- 21. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2017)
- 22. Avengers: Infinity War (2017)
- 23. Avengers: Endgame (2018-2023)
- 24. Loki (outside of our conception of time, but around here!)
- 25. WandaVision (2023)
- 26. Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2023)
- 27. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2024)
How to watch the Marvel movies on Disney Plus?
Disney Plus has changed the streaming game. A huge competitor to Netflix and Amazon Prime, Disney’s entry into the online content wars has made a huge impact, bringing all of the Mouse’s classic movies into one place. There are also original series, plus the majority of the Marvel movies.
Below, find all the Marvel movies on and coming to Disney Plus. Note: You will not find The Incredible Hulk or the Spider-Man movies on Disney Plus. This is because the rights to Hulk belong to Universal, while the rights to Spider-Man are with Sony, though the Spidey films should appear on Disney Plus sooner or later thanks to a new deal.
- Iron Man
- Thor
- Iron Man 2
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- The Avengers
- Iron Man 3
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Thor: The Dark World
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Ant-Man
- Captain America: Civil War
- Doctor Strange
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Black Panther
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Captain Marvel
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Avengers: Endgame
- WandaVision
- Falcon and the Winter Soldier
- Loki
- Black Widow (Premier Access)
That’s how to watch the Marvel movies in order. So, what are you waiting for? If you haven’t got Disney Plus, then here are the latest Disney Plus sign-up deals around the world. Now that the Disney Plus free trial is no more, it’s the best way of getting maximum value for money.
