Your Guide To Watching The MCU In Order: Movies And Shows Explained
Figuring out how to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, can feel a bit like trying to put together a giant, sprawling puzzle. With so many films and television series now available, it's a common question for new fans and seasoned watchers alike: "How do I watch the mcu in order?" You know, getting all the stories to make sense, seeing how everything connects. Well, we've got you covered, because this is a pretty big universe, and getting it right just makes the whole experience so much better.
For a long time, people just watched these fantastic stories as they came out in theaters. That's one way, obviously. But as the stories grew, with characters crossing over and events building on each other, folks started wanting a more complete picture. We've heard people say, "Catch up with the MCU with our list of the Marvel movies in order," and that's exactly what this is for. It’s about making sense of all the heroic moments and dramatic turns.
Whether you're starting fresh or just looking to rewatch the entire MCU as well, we're here to help with the definitive guide of how to watch the entire MCU in order, including movies, TV shows, and even those connected alternate realities. This way, you can truly appreciate the grand story arc that Marvel has built over many, many years. It’s a long list, but it's totally worth it for the full experience, honestly.
Table of Contents
- Understanding the MCU Timeline: Two Main Paths
- Watching the MCU in Release Order
- Watching the MCU in Chronological Order
- The Disney+ Advantage
- FAQ About Watching the MCU
- Picking Your MCU Path
Understanding the MCU Timeline: Two Main Paths
When you set out to watch the mcu in order, you basically have two main choices. There are a couple of different ways to watch the Marvel movies in order, but below we run down how to watch the MCU in chronological and release date order. Each way offers a pretty unique experience, so it just depends on what you're looking for, you know?
The first way, which is often what people mean when they ask about "mcu in order," is the release order. This means watching everything exactly as it came out in theaters or on streaming services. It’s how the story originally unfolded for fans, with all the big reveals and connections happening just as the creators intended. This is, however, only the content released so. It's a very straightforward approach, actually.
Then there's the chronological order. This is where things get a bit more interesting, as it means putting the stories in the order they happen within the universe's timeline. So, for your timekeeping benefit, here's a list of every single MCU title, both movies and TV shows, in chronological order. This can sometimes mean jumping around between release dates, but it gives you a sense of a seamless, unfolding history. It’s like watching a really long, continuous story, you know?
Watching the MCU in Release Order
This approach is probably the simplest if you're just starting out or want to revisit the films the way everyone else did initially. It's the order in which the films and shows were presented to the public. This list includes all the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) arranged by their release dates. It’s how the narrative was originally built, with each new piece adding to what came before. You get to experience the surprises and character introductions just as they happened for the first time, basically.
Watching in release order also helps you see how the special effects and storytelling styles changed over time. It’s kind of a neat historical journey through the development of this huge franchise. You can really appreciate how far things have come since the first few films, which is pretty cool. So, let’s go through it, phase by phase, right?
Phase One: The First Steps
This is where it all began, honestly. The first Avenger, we’ve listed all the MCU movies and series. These films introduced us to the core heroes and set up the idea of a shared universe. It was a bold move, and it really paid off. You get to meet Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the rest of the gang for the first time here. It’s pretty exciting to see how they all came together.
- Iron Man (2008)
- The Incredible Hulk (2008)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- Thor (2011)
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- The Avengers (2012)
First steps has arrived, so here's when it fits in the Marvel timeline, and how to watch the entire MCU in chronological and release order. Captain America: The First Avenger, despite its title, was released later in Phase One, but its story happens much earlier chronologically. It’s a fun little twist, you know.
Phase Two: Building the World
After the big team-up in The Avengers, Phase Two expanded the universe, introducing new characters and deepening the stories of the existing ones. This is where things really started to get complex, with more interconnected plots and a wider scope. We saw more of the cosmic side of things, too, which was a nice change of pace. It's where the universe really started to feel vast, basically.
- Iron Man 3 (2013)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Ant-Man (2015)
These movies really pushed the boundaries of what the MCU could be. They brought in new tones and different types of stories, which kept things fresh. Guardians of the Galaxy, for instance, was a real surprise hit, you know?
Phase Three: The Infinity Saga Climax
This phase built towards the massive conclusion of the Infinity Saga, bringing together nearly every character introduced so far for an epic showdown. It’s a truly impressive feat of storytelling, honestly. You really feel the weight of all the previous films building up to these moments. The stakes get incredibly high here, and it’s a pretty emotional ride.
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Doctor Strange (2016)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Black Panther (2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
- Captain Marvel (2019)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Avengers: Endgame was a huge event, capping off years of stories. It was a moment that really brought fans together, you know? And Spider-Man: Far From Home served as a nice epilogue to this whole saga, setting up what was to come, pretty much.
Phase Four: A New Era Begins
Phase Four marked a significant shift, with a greater emphasis on Disney+ series alongside the theatrical films. This expanded the storytelling possibilities immensely, allowing for deeper character exploration. It’s where the MCU really started to branch out, in a way. There are now 37 Marvel movies to watch in order and countless Disney Plus series, including the recent Eyes of Wakanda, so there's a lot to catch up on, obviously.
- WandaVision (Disney+ Series, 2021)
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+ Series, 2021)
- Loki Season 1 (Disney+ Series, 2021)
- Black Widow (2021)
- What If...? Season 1 (Disney+ Series, 2021)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
- Eternals (2021)
- Hawkeye (Disney+ Series, 2021)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- Moon Knight (Disney+ Series, 2022)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
- Ms. Marvel (Disney+ Series, 2022)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
- She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Disney+ Series, 2022)
- Werewolf by Night (Disney+ Special, 2022)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
- The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Disney+ Special, 2022)
This phase really started exploring pivotal moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and turning them on their head, leading the audience into uncharted territory. The Disney+ shows added so much more context and character development, which was a welcome change, honestly. It’s a lot to keep track of, but it’s pretty rewarding.
Phase Five and Beyond: The Multiverse Saga
We are currently in Phase Five, with more films and series planned that continue to build towards the Multiverse Saga. While Marvel “multiverse” movies do not line up with MCU movies in terms of timelines and chronological release date orders, we’ve prepared the release date order for all. This new saga promises to be even bigger and more mind-bending than the last. It’s a really exciting time to be an MCU fan, you know?
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
- Secret Invasion (Disney+ Series, 2023)
- Loki Season 2 (Disney+ Series, 2023)
- The Marvels (2023)
- Echo (Disney+ Series, 2024)
- Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- Agatha All Along (Disney+ Series, 2024)
- Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
- Thunderbolts* (2025)
- Fantastic Four (2025)
- Blade (2025)
- Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026)
- Avengers: Secret Wars (2027)
As you can see, there’s a lot more coming down the pipeline. Watching these in release order keeps you right there with the ongoing story, just as it unfolds. It’s the easiest way to stay current with the MCU, really.
Watching the MCU in Chronological Order
For those who prefer to see the story unfold as it actually happens within the Marvel universe, chronological order is the way to go. This involves jumping around the release dates a bit, but it creates a seamless narrative flow from the earliest events to the latest. Here is the MCU timeline as per chronological order. It’s a truly immersive way to experience the saga, honestly, like watching one very long movie, you know?
This method can be a bit more involved, especially with the addition of all the Disney+ series. But for a comprehensive chronological timeline of all Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) canon movies and TV shows, including integrated Marvel Television series and connected alternate realities from, this is the list you want. It’s about putting every piece in its proper place, pretty much.
The Definitive Chronological Viewing Order
Here’s the definitive chronological viewing order for the MCU movies (as of October 26, 2023). This list attempts to place events as they would logically occur within the universe's history. It makes the overarching story feel very cohesive, in a way.
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Captain Marvel
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 2
- The Incredible Hulk
- Thor
- The Avengers
- Thor: The Dark World
- Iron Man 3
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Ant-Man
- Captain America: Civil War
- Black Widow
- Black Panther
- Doctor Strange
- Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers: Endgame
- Loki Season 1
- What If...? Season 1
- WandaVision
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
- Spider-Man: Far From Home
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Eternals
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Hawkeye
- Moon Knight
- She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
- Ms. Marvel
- Thor: Love and Thunder
- Werewolf by Night
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- Secret Invasion
- Loki Season 2
- The Marvels
- Echo
Below is a list of every MCU movie and show in chronological order. This list is always growing, so it’s good to check for updates, you know?
Integrating Marvel Television Series and Disney+ Shows
This list excludes MCU TV shows like “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and other series that were not explicitly part of the main cinematic timeline, though they exist in the broader Marvel universe. The Disney+ shows, however, are fully integrated and essential for the chronological experience. They really fill in a lot of gaps and develop characters further, which is pretty neat. Discover the definitive guide to watching MCU movies and shows in release and chronological order, including every Disney+ series and film. It’s a lot to take in, but it’s worth it, honestly.
For a truly complete chronological watch, you'd need to weave in shows like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. However, their connection to the main movie timeline has been debated. The newer Disney+ shows like WandaVision and Loki are definitely part of the core MCU story, so they are always included in chronological lists. They directly impact the movie plots, you know, which is why they are so important. It’s pretty cool how they all fit together.
The Disney+ Advantage
The full MCU catalog is available to stream via Disney+, and there’s even an entire section dedicated to watching every movie and show in chronological order. This is a huge help for anyone trying to watch the MCU in order. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of it, which is pretty convenient, really.
Having everything in one place makes it so much easier to follow along. You don't have to hunt for different movies or shows across various platforms. It’s all right there, ready to go. This service really makes catching up with the MCU a breeze, honestly. It’s a good deal for fans, basically.
FAQ About Watching the MCU
People often have questions about the best way to watch these stories. Here are a few common ones we hear, you know, from folks trying to get it all straight.
What is the best way to watch all Marvel movies?
Well, the "best" way really depends on what you want! If you're looking for the original experience, with all the surprises and reveals as they happened, then watching them in release order is probably your best bet. If you want the story to flow like one long, continuous narrative, then chronological order is the way to go. Both are perfectly good options, it just comes down to your preference, basically.
What is the correct order to watch the Marvel movies and shows?
There isn't just one "correct" order, actually. As we've shown, you can watch them by their release date or by the in-universe chronological timeline. Both are valid ways to experience the MCU. The chronological order tries to put events in the order they happen within the story, while release order is simply when they came out. So, it’s about choosing which kind of flow you like, you know?
Does Disney+ have the MCU in chronological order?
Yes, absolutely! The full MCU catalog is available to stream via Disney+, and there’s even an entire section dedicated to watching every movie and show in chronological order. This is a fantastic feature for fans who want to follow the story from its earliest points right up to the most recent events. It makes it very simple to keep track, which is a big help, honestly.
Picking Your MCU Path
Watching the MCU from start to finish has just gotten a lot easier with all the guides available. Whether you choose to follow the release order or the chronological timeline, the most important thing is to enjoy the incredible stories and characters that Marvel has created. There are now 37 Marvel movies to watch in order and countless Disney Plus series, so it’s a truly massive undertaking, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. Buckle up, it’s a long list, but it's a great adventure, honestly.
Each method offers a different perspective on this huge, interconnected world. You might even try one way for a first watch and then switch for a rewatch, just to see how it feels different. For more details on the comics that inspired these films, you could check out this official Marvel Comics site, which is pretty cool. It’s all about finding what works best for you, you know, to get the most out of this amazing universe.
So, get ready to explore the definitive guide to watching MCU movies and shows in release and chronological order, including every Disney+ series and film. It’s a fantastic journey, and we hope this guide helps you enjoy every moment. Learn more about Marvel's cinematic history on our site, and link to this page for a deeper look at the timeline.
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