It's hard to believe that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around for 15 years. No one could have guessed when "Iron Man" was first released in May 2008 that a studio that didn't even have the rights to Marvel's most iconic characters (we're looking at you, Spider-Man) would build the biggest shared universe in modern pop culture. More than a decade later, we have a sprawling universe full of incredible characters, interweaving movies and TV shows, and the bonding experience of sharing wild theories across the internet.
There are numerous movies and TV shows in the Marvel family, with many more on the horizon as Marvel releases the movies and TV shows of Phase 5. And, of course, Phase 6 is waiting in the wings. With so many great stories, it can be tricky to keep track of all of them — especially the ones that involve time travel, flashbacks, and the multiverse (we're talking about you, "Loki"). Here's a handy list so you can decide on the "correct" watch order (either by release date or in-universe chronology) for your Marvel faves. While some movies and shows on this list involve significant scenes set in the past (e.g. prologues or interspersed flashbacks), we've organized each movie based on when the majority of the plot takes place.
With the Marvel universe continuing to grow, you definitely want to bookmark this list!
The MCU movies seem like they twist and turn throughout time, so we set them out in chronological order.
The MCU release-date order is pretty similar to its chronological one — with some key differences, especially in the early years.
The chronological order of MCU shows is a bit more complicated — especially with "Loki" in the mix.
The release-date order of MCU shows is even more complicated because the series have been released across networks and streaming services.
When all the movies and shows get put together, you have a full picture of the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The first MCU movie was released in 2008. Dozens of movies and TV shows later, here we are.
There have been four Avengers movies so far, with two more in the works.
The first four Avengers movies were released over the course of seven years.
The three Iron Man films served as the anchor for the MCU stories for years.
The Iron Man film trilogy ended in 2013.
Thor has headlined his own movie four times, telling a sprawling saga inspired by the comics and mythology.
The Thor movies have been released over the course of 11 years — and we could be getting more.
The Captain America movies cover the biggest stretch of years, from 1942 to 2016.
There have been three Captain America movies so far — with a fourth planned for Phase 5.
The Guardians of the Galaxy films are organized in a simple trilogy.
The Guardians trilogy wrapped up in 2023.
"Spider-Man: Homecoming" picks up after "Captain America: Civil War."
Tom Holland is rumored to return for a fourth Spider-Man film.
There have been three Ant-Man films so far.
"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" kicked off Phase 5 in 2023.
The two Doctor Strange movies feature a bit of time traveling and universe traversing.
Doctor Strange's two solo movies were released six years apart.