How To Watch Marvel Movies And TV Shows In Order

EntertainmentHow To Watch Marvel Movies And TV Shows In Order

In entertainment, the concept of a “shared universe” is nothing new. Although it has been around for a while in comic books, it wasn’t classified as such until the 1970s. Moreover, the MCU has grown into a cinematic giant and is now the most successful film franchise in history. With so many films and television shows, it has smashed records. It has further redefined the modern blockbuster and grown incredibly difficult to follow. Further with the release of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and the finale of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Phase Four came to an official close. Phase Four had so much activity that the timeline became further confusing.

Besides, to avoid getting confused and help you decide which approach you should prefer, we’ll look at the main distinctions between seeing the MCU in release order vs chronological order in the article below. Most of the MCU is available on Disney+, which is where you can watch these television series and movies.

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Watch MCU in Release Order

The best way for new fans to follow the events of the MCU is to see the movies in the order in which they were released. This is large because post-credit scenes, regardless of where they fall in the timeline, frequently hint at subsequent films. Of course, you could just skip the post-credit scenes, but they frequently contain significant information connected to the upcoming appearances of your favorite characters.

Further, for maximum experience, watch the MCU films and Disney+ shows in the release order listed below for each phase.

Note: Keep in mind that these phases include movies, series, and One-Shots (a series of direct-to-video short films) as well.

The Infinity Saga (Phase 1-3)

#1. MCU – Phase One

MCU - Phase One, How to Watch Marvel Movies and TV Shows in Order, Marvel One Shot: The Consultant
  1. Iron Man
    Release: 2008
  2. The Incredible Hulk
    Release: 2008
  3. Iron Man 2
    Release: 2010
  4. Thor
    Release: 2011
  5. Marvel One Shot: The Consultant
    Release: 2011
  6. Captain America: The First Avenger
    Release: 2011
  7. Marvel One Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer
    Release: 2011
  8. The Avengers
    Release: 2012
  9. Marvel One Shot: Item 47
    Release: 2012

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#2. MCU – Phase Two

MCU - Phase Two, Iron Man 3, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
IMDb
  1. Iron Man 3
    Release: 2013
  2. Marvel One Shot: Agent Carter
    Release: 2013
  3. Agents Of Shield Season 1, episodes 1-7
    Release: 2013
  4. Thor: The Dark World
    Release: 2013
  5. Marvel One Shot: All Hail the King
    Release: 2013
  6. Agents Of Shield Season 1, episodes 8-16
    Release: 2014
  7. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
    Release: 2014
  8. Agents Of Shield Season 1, episodes 17-22
    Release: 2014
  9. Guardians of the Galaxy
    Release: 2014
  10. Agent Carter Season 1
    Release: 2015
  11. Daredevil Season 1
    Release: 2015
  12. Agents Of Shield Season 2, episodes 1-19
    Release: 2015
  13. Avengers: Age of Ultron
    Release: 2015
  14. Agents Of Shield Season 2, episodes 20-22
    Release: 2015
  15. Ant-Man
    Release: 2015
  16. Jessica Jones Season 1
    Release: 2015
  17. Agent Carter Season 2
    Release: 2016

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#3. MCU – Phase Three

MCU - Phase Three, Agents Of Shield Season 3 episodes 1-19, Daredevil Season 2
USA Today
  1. Daredevil Season 2
    Release: 2016
  2. Agents Of Shield Season 3 episodes 1-19
    Release: 2016
  3. Captain America: Civil War
    Release: 2016
  4. Team Thor Part 1
    Release: 2016
  5. Agents Of Shield Season 3 episodes 20-22
    Release: 2016
  6. Luke Cage Season 1
    Release: 2016
  7. Doctor Strange
    Release: 2016
  8. Team Thor Part 2
    Release: 2016
  9. Agents Of Shield: Slingshot web series
    Release: 2016
  10. Agents Of Shield Season 4
    Release: 2017
  11. Iron Fist Season 1
    Release: 2017
  12. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2
    Release: 2017
  13. Spider-Man: Homecoming
    Release: 2017
  14. The Defenders
    Release: 2017
  15. Inhumans
    Release: 2017
  16. Thor: Ragnarok
    Release: 2017
  17. Team Darryl
    Release: 2017
  18. The Punisher Season 1
    Release: 2017
  19. Runaways Season 1
    Release: 2017-2018
  20. Agents Of Shield Season 5
    Release: 2018
  21. Black Panther
    Release: 2018
  22. Jessica Jones Season 2
    Release: 2018
  23. Avengers: Infinity War
    Release: 2018
  24. Cloak and Dagger Season 1
    Release: 2018
  25. Luke Cage Season 2
    Release: 2018
  26. Ant-Man and the Wasp
    Release: 2018
  27. Iron Fist Season 2
    Release: 2018
  28. Daredevil Season 3
    Release: 2018
  29. Runaways Season 2
    Release: 2018
  30. The Punisher Season 2
    Release: 2019
  31. Captain Marvel
    Release: 2019
  32. Avengers: Endgame
    Release: 2019
  33. Cloak and Dagger Season 2
    Release: 2019
  34. Agents Of Shield Season 6
    Release: 2019
  35. Jessica Jones Season 3
    Release: 2019
  36. Spider-Man: Far From Home
    Release: 2019
  37. Runaways Season 3
    Release: 2019
  38. Agents Of Shield Season 7
    Release: 2020

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The Multiverse Saga (Phase 4-6)

#4. MCU – Phase Four

MCU - Phase Four, Wandavision , The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
  1. Wandavision
    Release: 2021
  2. Falcon and the Winter Soldier
    Release: 2021
  3. Loki
    Release: 2021
  4. Black Widow
    Release: 2021
  5. What If…?
    Release: 2021
  6. Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Ring
    Release: 2021
  7. Eternals
    Release: 2021
  8. Hawkeye
    Release: 2021
  9. Spider-Man: No Way Home
    Release: 2021
  10. Moon Knight
    Release: 2022
  11. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
    Release: 2022
  12. Ms Marvel
    Release: 2022
  13. Thor: Love and Thunder
    Release: 2022
  14. She-Hulk
    Release: 2022
  15. Werewolf By Night
    Release: 2022
  16. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
    Release: 2022
  17. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
    Release: 2022

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#4. MCU – Phase Five

  1. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
    Release: February 17, 2023
  2. Secret Invasion (Disney Plus series)
    Release: 2023
  3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
    Release: May 5, 2023
  4. The Marvels (AKA Captain Marvel 2)
    Release: July 28, 2023
  5. Echo (Disney Plus series)
    Release: Summer 2023
  6. Loki season 2 (Disney Plus series)
    Release: Summer 2023
  7. Ironheart (Disney Plus series)
    Release: Fall 2023
  8. Agatha: Coven of Chaos (Disney Plus series)
    Release: Winter 2023/2024
  9. Daredevil: Born Again (Disney Plus series)
    Release: Spring 2024
  10. Captain America: New World Order
    Release: May 3, 2024
  11. Thunderbolts
    Release: July 26, 2024
  12. Blade
    Release: September 6, 2024
  13. Deadpool 3
    Release: November 8, 2024

#4. MCU – Phase Six

  1. Fantastic Four
    Release: February 14, 2025
  2. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
    Release: May 2, 2025
  3. Avengers: Secret Wars
    Release: May 1, 2026

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Watch MCU in Chronological Order

Compared to the list above, this one requires a little more thought. The majority of the official years in which each movie is set to have fortunately been disclosed by Marvel. That extends up to Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which falls right in the middle of Endgame, Far From Home, and films like Hawkeye, which takes place around No Way Home. The year 2025 has arrived, and it appears that She-Hulk, Thor: Love and Thunder, and other similar titled films will also take place in the relatively near future.

But beware, sometimes Marvel messes around with the chronological order of some of these titles. Our list follows Marvel’s own official Disney Plus order, although if you give it too much thought, some things might feel out of place.

MCU Timeline: 1931 – 1995

For the moment, things are relatively precise. The post-credits scene from The First Avenger helps to position the story of Steve Rogers in part in 2011. Nevertheless, the essence of the plot takes place between 1943 and 1945, during World War 2, so we’ve placed it here for clarification. Further, this will become a consistent theme.

Watch MCU in Chronological Order, 20th Century Release, Captain America: The First Avenger
  1. Agents of Shield season 7
    Timeline: 1931-2019
  2. Captain America: The First Avenger
    Timeline: 1943-1945
  3. One Shot: Agent Carter
    Timeline: 1944
  4. Agent Carter Season 1
    Timeline: 1946
  5. Agent Carter Season 2
    Timeline: 1947
  6. Captain Marvel
    Timeline: 1995

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2010-2012

The Incredible Hulk, Marvel One Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer
Radio Times
  1. Iron Man
    Timeline: 2010
  2. Iron Man 2
    Timeline: 2011
  3. The Incredible Hulk
    Timeline: 2011
  4. One Shot: The Consultant
    Timeline: 2011
  5. One Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer
    Timeline: 2011
  6. Thor
    Release: 2011
  7. Avengers
    Timeline: 2012
  8. One Shot: Item 47
    Timeline: 2012
  9. Iron Man 3
    Timeline: 2012

In the Marvel timeline, things start to pick up a little steam at this point. According to Marvel’s 10 Years of Marvel Studios book, Iron Man appeared in 2010 rather than in 2008. A year passes before Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor, both of which miraculously appear in the same week.

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2013-2015

  1. One Shot: All Hail the King
    Timeline: 2013
  2. Agents Of Shield Season 1, episodes 1-7
    Timeline: 2013
  3. Thor: The Dark World
    Timeline: 2013
  4. Agents Of Shield Season 1, episodes 8-16
    Timeline: 2014
  5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
    Timeline: 2014
  6. Agents Of Shield Season 1, episodes 17-22
    Timeline: 2014
  7. Daredevil Season 1
    Timeline: 2014
  8. Guardians of the Galaxy
    Timeline: 2014
  9. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2
    Timeline: 2014
  10. Agents Of Shield Season 2, episodes 1-19
    Timeline: 2015
  11. Avengers: Age of Ultron
    Timeline: 2015
  12. Agents Of Shield Season 2, episodes 20-22
    Timeline: 2015
  13. Ant-Man
    Timeline: 2015
  14. Jessica Jones Season 1
    Timeline: 2015
  15. Daredevil Season 2
    Timeline: 2015
  16. Luke Cage Season 1
    Timeline: 2015
  17. Agents Of Shield Season 3 episodes 1-19
    Timeline: 2015

The Iron Man 3 events take place some months before the All Hail the King One Shot, solidly establishing it in 2013. In the meantime, after the eighth episode of the inaugural season of Agents of Shield, Thor: The Dark World is specifically acknowledged. The same problem occurs when using The Winter Soldier (this was when Marvel TV was trying to tie their series into the movie events, something they later stopped doing). Everything that happens in episodes 17 through the final episode of the first season happens after Hydra’s scheme is revealed in Winter Soldier.

2014 is the year in which Guardians of the Galaxy and its follow-up, Vol. 2 took place. Daredevil season 1 also begins during that year.

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2016

  1. Agents of Shield season 3, episodes 11-19
    Timeline: 2016
  2. Captain America: Civil War
    Timeline: 2016
  3. Agents of Shield: season 3, episodes 20-22
    Timeline: 2016
  4. Agents Of Shield Season 4, episodes 1-8
    Timeline: 2016
  5. Agents of Shield: Slingshot
    Timeline: 2016
  6. Black Widow
    Timeline: 2016
  7. Agents of Shield season 4, episodes 9-22
    Timeline: 2016
  8. Iron Fist Season 1
    Timeline: 2016
  9. The Defenders
    Timeline: 2016
  10. Spider-Man: Homecoming
    Timeline: 2016
  11. The Punisher Season 1
    Timeline: 2016
  12. Doctor Strange
    Timeline: 2016

As you can see, the Marvel universe had a very exciting year in 2016. The Marvel timeline is, nevertheless, quite simple to follow. The eleventh episode of Agents of Shield season 3 contains a slight leap, and Civil War is handled at the beginning of episode 20 onwards. The Slingshot web series is the only thing that breaks up Agents of Shield season 4 (which is not important).

2017-2018

Jessica Jones Season 2 , Cloak and Dagger Season 1
Forbes
  1. Agents of Shield season 5, episodes 1-19
    Timeline: 2017
  2. Black Panther
    Timeline: 2017
  3. Black Widow
    Timeline: 2017
  4. Jessica Jones Season 2
    Timeline: 2017
  5. Inhumans season 1
    Timeline: 2017
  6. Luke Cage Season 2
    Timeline: 2017
  7. Iron Fist Season 2
    Timeline: 2017
  8. Daredevil Season 3
    Timeline: 2017
  9. The Punisher Season 2
    Timeline: 2017
  10. Jessica Jones Season 3
    Timeline: 2017
  11. Runaways season 1 and 2
    Timeline: 2017
  12. Cloak and Dagger Season 1 & 2
    Timeline: 2017-2018
  13. Runaways season 3
    Timeline: 2018
  14. Thor: Ragnarok
    Timeline: 2017-2018
  15. Agents Of Shield Season 5 episodes 19-22
    Timeline: 2018
  16. Ant-Man and the Wasp
    Timeline: 2018
  17. Avengers: Infinity War
    Timeline: 2018
  18. Agents Of Shield Season 6-7 (Although, these Seasons don’t relate to the events of Infinity War and appear to put a serious impact on Agents of Shield’s dubious standing as canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.)
    Timeline: 2018

Though Luke Cage season 2 obviously comes before Iron Fist season 3, and Daredevil season 3 being a little later on the chronology makes a little more sense conceptually, the Marvel Netflix shows are now very similar to one another. Then there are the Freeform shows Cloak and Dagger and Runaways, both of which are set before Snap. The third season of Runaways got complicated by adding a time skip that should have happened during the Snap but is never addressed.  A time skip in the third season finale moves the action up to around 2021.

The Future (2018-2026)

  1. Avengers: Endgame
    Timeline: 2018-2023
  2. Agents of Shield season 7 finale
    Timeline: 2019
  3. WandaVision
    Timeline: 2023
  4. Loki
    Timeline: 2023/2012
  5. Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings (Movie)
    Timeline: 2023
  6. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
    Timeline: 2023/2024
  7. Spider-Man: Far from Home
    Timeline: 2024
  8. Spider-Man: No Way Home
    Timeline: 2024
  9. Eternals
    Timeline: 2024
  10. Hawkeye
    Timeline: 24 December
  11. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
    Timeline: 2025
  12. Moon Knight
    Timeline: 2025
  13. Thor: Love and Thunder
    Timeline: 2025
  14. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
    Timeline: 2025
  15. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
    Timeline: 2025
  16. Werewolf By Night
    Timeline: 2025
  17. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
    Timeline: 2025

Ms. Marvel takes place unquestionably after Endgame, but details beyond that are difficult to pin down, even since Disney Plus places it after Moon Knight. While Jessica Gao, the head writer of She-Hulk, originally stated that the courtroom comedy takes place immediately after Shang-Chi, placing it in 2023, the show subsequently references No Way Home, putting it later than that. We’ll stay with the official Disney Plus timeline for the time being, which places it after Moon Knight but before Ms. Marvel.

About Agents of Shield, which is extremely vague as to how it departs from the Marvel timeline, they pretty much gave up on the idea of continuity with the MCU films. Moreover, season 7 takes viewers on a wild time-travel adventure, going back to the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The team then flashes back to 2018, and it appears that the sixth season climax takes place in 2019 (a period they eventually will return to). All of this appears to take place in a different timeline, one in which Thanos never totally conquered Earth.

Final Thoughts

Last but not least, keep in mind that it’s probably not the greatest idea for new fans to view the MCU in chronological order. Moreover, the post-credits sequence is a common feature of movies, and it frequently gives away information that would have been revealed later. For instance, the post-credit scene in Captain Marvel, which is set in 1995, references Avengers: Endgame and offers significant Infinity War spoilers. Chronological watches can help keep track of the events, but if you haven’t already seen through the MCU, get ready for some puzzling spoilers.

Tarim Zia
Tarim Zia
Tarim Zia is a technical writer with a unique ability to express complex technological concepts in an engaging manner. Graduating with a degree in business studies and holding a diploma in computer science, Tarim brings a diverse set of skills to her writing. Her strong background in business allows her to provide valuable insights into the impact of technology on various industries, while her technical knowledge enables her to delve into the intricacies of emerging technologies.
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