While the MCU officially started in 2008, with the release of Iron Man, it’s not the first film you should watch.
Why you can trust Pocket-lint (Pocket-lint) – The next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, aka Phase Four, is well underway, thanks to new Disney+ series such as WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye, and Moon Knight, as well as, movies like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the later of which arrives in cinemas in May. Marvel has several shows and feature films slated to premiere over the next couple years. But if you are wondering where the recently aired Moon Knight Disney+ series fits in or which films you’re supposed to watch before seeing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness we’ve got you covered. If you want to freshen up your memory now as Marvel expands into the Multiverse, here is your go-to watch guide. We’ve arranged everything chronologically below, but there are additional viewing orders at the end of this guide for those who want to spice things up. Sorry, Marvel comic book nerds, this guide is just for people who want to watch the Marvel films and TV shows in the correct order. squirrel_widget_187869 Marvel movies in order: Best viewing orders Chronological order (spoilers) Chronological order (spoiler-free) Chronological + Marvel TV shows (spoiler-free) Theater release date order (spoiler-free) Marvel movies in chronological order If you want to follow the events of the MCU, you can’t watch the Marvel films and shows in the order they released. They’re not chronological. So, we’re showing you a different order – arranged by when the events happen. The MCU officially started in 2008 with Iron Man, but it’s not the first Marvel film you should watch. Start with Captain America: The First Avenger. It released in 2011 and is the fifth film from Marvel Studios. It begins in 1942 – decades before Iron Man. We’re only featuring the Marvel feature films and the new Disney+ shows in this main chronological order. There will be a few spoilers. If you want to avoid that, go to the bottom of this guide for a list of every Marvel movie and TV show. Along with that list, we’ve compiled others. NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW. Disney Captain America: The First Avenger (2011 – movie) Captain America is the fifth Marvel Studios film, with Iron Man, The Hulk, and Thor all having films before Cap. But it’s the first film on our list because the events take place first – during World War II. We see the creation of the super-soldier portrayed by Chris Evans, as well as his first battle with Hydra and its leader Red Skull. The film also introduces the Tesseract, which we later discover is the first Infinity Stone, one of the powerful gems that control reality. Disney Captain Marvel (2019 – movie) The second film on our list hit theatres in 2019. In Captain Marvel, which is set in 1995, we see the titular hero Carol Danvers, played by Brie Larson, fall to Earth and begin a hunt for the shape-shifting Skrull aliens. There’s as much action here as there is nostalgia, especially if you’re a 90s kid, thanks to scenes with Blockbuster stores and even dial-up internet. Disney Iron Man (2008 – movie) According to the official Marvel timeline, Iron Man takes place in 2010. It’s all about genius/inventor/philanthropist/playboy Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr. He is captured by a terrorist organization, the leader of which wants the latest weapons system designed by Stark. However, Stark designs something even more powerful to help himself escape: The first Iron Man suit. Disney Iron Man 2 (2010 – movie) The second Iron Man picks up where the first left off: Tony Stark grappling with his Iron Man identity being revealed. The government wants the technology behind his suit, and when Stark refuses to hand it over, another weapons manufacturer shows he’s willing to do anything to get his hands on it. This film also introduces fellow Avengers the Black Widow and War Machine. Note: Technically, you could watch The Incredible Hulk before Iron Man 2. Marvel said The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, and Thor all happen around the same time – though The Incredible Hulk released a couple years before the others. Confusing, we know. We’ve followed Marvel’s official guidance, however, and recommend you watch Iron Man 2 first for consistency purposes. Disney The Incredible Hulk (2008 – movie) The Incredible Hulk follows Bruce Banner on the run from General Thunderbolt Ross and the US Military. Realising he can’t ever hope to control or contain the Hulk, Ross decides to create his own version of the Hulk using another soldier, but he quickly loses control. The Incredible Hulk stars Edward Norton, but Mark Ruffalo replaced him in 2012 and has been the big green man since. Disney Thor (2011 – movie) The God of lightning has been banished to Earth from Asgard by his father Odin, all thanks to the trickery of Loki. In order to earn his powers back and control his hammer, Thor, portrayed by Chris Hemsworth, must prove he’s worthy. Luckily, he meets a nice Earth scientist, played by Natalie Portman, who can help him set things right before Loki assumes total control of Asgard. Disney The Avengers (2012 – movie) The Avengers is the culmination of the so-called “Phase One” of the MCU. With all the main heroes introduced, the real challenge was finding something daunting enough to force them to work together. The combined power of Loki, the Tesseract, and an alien horde invading New York City proved to be the match that made these superheroes become friends in life and on the frontline. Disney Iron Man 3 (2013 – movie) The third and final standalone Iron Man film takes place six months after the giant fight in New York City. Tony Stark is dealing with the memories of the battle that took place (and nearly killed him). The memories lead him to build an army of Iron Man suits so he can always be prepared. Disney Thor: The Dark World (2013 – movie) The second Thor film sees its hero return to Asgard after the Loki-led invasion of New York City. He doesn’t have much time to rest, however, as the ancient Dark Elves return. They were once defeated by his grandfather and thought to be extinct. They’re back now and seeking the Aether, a powerful weapon that is later revealed to be an Infinity Stone, or one of six powerful gems in the MCU. Disney Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014 – movie) Captain America has been working for Shield, a special government agency, since the events of The Avengers, but he finds himself questioning the motives of the organization as he learns more about its plans. On top of that, his closest friend returns from the dead and becomes an adversary, the Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan. This film also introduces The Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie. Disney Guardians Of the Galaxy (2014 – movie) Guardians of the Galaxy stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, a rogue scavenger who stumbles across an Infinity Stone hidden in the ruins of an alien world. In a race against time, he forms a ragtag group of outcasts that includes a talking raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Groot the talking tree, and others. Together, they must stop Ronan the Accuser from wielding the Infinity Stone. Disney Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (2017 – movie) This sequel picks up a few months after the original. Peter Quill is falling deeper in love with Zoe Saldana’s Gamora. And he is forced to confront the mysteries of his past when he comes face to face with a godlike entity known as Ego, played by Kurt Russell. Part of the challenge of placing these Guardian of the Galaxy films in the MCU Timeline is that they seem separate and all take place in outer space. Disney Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015 – movie) The Avengers reunite to confront a mistake created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner: the AI known as Ultron, voiced by James Spader. If a single robotic version of Ultron is left standing, he can continue fighting the Avengers. This film also introduces new Avengers: The Scarlet Witch (played by Elizabeth Olson), Quicksilver (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and Vision (played by Paul Bettany). Disney Ant-Man (2015 – movie) Ant-Man stars Paul Rudd as a cat burglar recruited by Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym to dawn the Ant-Man suit in order to stop the technology from becoming weaponized. Pym’s former prodigy (played by Corey Stoll) has recreated the technology in the form of a yellow jacket suit, and Ant-Man must battle him and ultimately save the day on the smallest scale imaginable. Disney Captain America: Civil War (2016 – movie) Although it’s a Captain America film, Civil War features almost every single Avenger while adding two more heavy hitters to the lineup: Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Unfortunately, the Avengers are split into different factions due to Captain America wanting to save his friend Bucky Barnes, who appears to be responsible for the bombing of a UN session. Disney Spiderman: Homecoming (2017 – movie) The wall-crawling web-slinger makes his solo debut here, where he faces off with Michael Keaton’s Vulture, a construction foreman who’s become a black market weapons dealer after recovering technology from the New York City battle in the first Avengers film.
