MCU Release Order: Every Marvel Movie and Series in the Order They Came Out

Release order is the way audiences first experienced the story, and it is the order we recommend for a first watch. Surprises land where the filmmakers intended, and callbacks make sense because you have already seen what they refer to.

1. 1watch

   Phase 1 · 2008

   Iron Man

   The film that started everything. A brilliant, arrogant engineer is forced to rethink what his work is for, and builds a suit to do something about it. It is a self-contained origin story, so it is the friendliest door into the franchise.

   ○Seen it?
2. 2watch

   Phase 1 · 2008

   The Incredible Hulk

   A scientist on the run tries to control the thing his body becomes. It is the odd one out of the early films, and the lead actor changed afterward, so it feels disconnected from the rest.

   ○Seen it?
3. 3watch

   Phase 1 · 2010

   Iron Man 2

   Fame, a failing power source and a rival with a grudge. It spends a lot of time setting up the larger team-up, which makes it feel busier than the first film.

   ○Seen it?
4. 4watch

   Phase 1 · 2011

   Thor

   A proud prince is cast out of his realm and has to earn his way back. This is where the franchise opens up from a tech thriller into myth and space.

   ○Seen it?
5. 5watch

   Phase 1 · 2011

   Captain America: The First Avenger

   A small, determined volunteer becomes the symbol of a war effort. It is a period adventure with a sincere heart, and it sets the moral center that later films keep coming back to.

   ○Seen it?
6. 6watch

   Phase 1 · 2012

   The Avengers

   Separate heroes are forced into the same room and have to figure out how to fight as one team. The payoff of years of setup, and still one of the most rewatchable entries.

   ○Seen it?
7. 7watch

   Phase 2 · 2013

   Iron Man 3

   A hero shaken by what he went through in New York has to rebuild without his usual gear. A more personal, thriller-flavored take that plays with expectations.

   ○Seen it?
8. 8watch

   Phase 2 · 2013

   Thor: The Dark World

   An ancient threat returns and drags the god of thunder back into trouble. It plants an important object that matters later.

   ○Seen it?
10. 9watch

    Phase 2 · 2014

    Captain America: The Winter Soldier

    A man out of his time finds that the institutions he trusted are not what they seem. A paranoid political thriller, and one of the strongest films in the whole run.

    ○Seen it?
11. 10watch

    Phase 2 · 2014

    Guardians of the Galaxy

    A group of misfits with nothing in common get dragged into a fight over something far bigger than any of them. Loud, funny and full of heart, with a soundtrack that is half the personality.

    ○Seen it?
12. 11watch

    Phase 2 · 2015

    Avengers: Age of Ultron

    A plan to protect the world goes wrong in a very human way. A crowded sequel that introduces new faces and plants the seeds of the team's later split.

    ○Seen it?
13. 12watch

    Phase 2 · 2015

    Ant-Man

    A reformed thief is given a second chance and a very small suit. A light heist comedy that works on its own.

    ○Seen it?
14. 13watch

    Phase 3 · 2016

    Captain America: Civil War

    Public pressure forces the team to choose between oversight and independence, and friendships break over it. Effectively an Avengers film in all but name.

    ○Seen it?
15. 14watch

    Phase 3 · 2016

    Doctor Strange

    A gifted surgeon loses his career and goes looking for a cure in an unexpected place. It opens up the magical side of the universe with some of the best visuals in the series.

    ○Seen it?
16. 15watch

    Phase 3 · 2017

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

    The found family deals with the question of where each of them really comes from. Warmer and more personal than the first.

    ○Seen it?
17. 16watch

    Phase 3 · 2017

    Spider-Man: Homecoming

    A teenager with big ambitions tries to prove he is ready for more than neighborhood problems. A school-movie spin on the hero formula.

    ○Seen it?
18. 17watch

    Phase 3 · 2017

    Thor: Ragnarok

    Stranded far from home, a god has to deal with a family secret and a looming catastrophe. A bright, comedic reinvention of the character.

    ○Seen it?
19. 18watch

    Phase 3 · 2018

    Black Panther

    A new king inherits a hidden, technologically advanced nation and a decision about what it owes the rest of the world. Strong on world-building, design and a memorable antagonist.

    ○Seen it?
20. 19watch

    Phase 3 · 2018

    Avengers: Infinity War

    Every storyline converges as a single threat moves across the universe. A large, bold film with a famously bleak ending.

    ○Seen it?
21. 20watch

    Phase 3 · 2018

    Ant-Man and the Wasp

    A lighter caper that runs in parallel with the bigger events of the period. Charming, and it introduces ideas about the quantum realm that matter later.

    ○Seen it?
22. 21watch

    Phase 3 · 2019

    Captain Marvel

    A pilot with missing memories pieces together who she was, set in the mid-1990s. It sets up a key figure for the finale.

    ○Seen it?
23. 22watch

    Phase 3 · 2019

    Avengers: Endgame

    The survivors try to deal with loss and undo it. A long, emotional conclusion to more than a decade of storytelling.

    ○Seen it?
24. 23watch

    Phase 3 · 2019

    Spider-Man: Far From Home

    A school trip turns into a mess when the hero is pulled into a global problem. A lighter epilogue to the Infinity Saga.

    ○Seen it?
25. 24watch

    Series · Phase 4 · 2021

    WandaVision

    A grieving hero seems to be living inside a string of classic sitcoms, but something about the picture-perfect suburban life is off. A playful, mystery-box series that changes shape as it goes.

    ○Seen it?
26. 25watch

    Series · Phase 4 · 2021

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

    Two former allies who never got along are forced to work together after a famous legacy is handed down. Part buddy comedy, part political thriller.

    ○Seen it?
27. 26watch

    Series · Phase 4 · 2021

    Loki

    A trickster is pulled out of time by a mysterious agency and made to help fix problems he helped cause. It covers two seasons and sets up the multiverse idea that drives the later films.

    ○Seen it?
28. 27watch

    Phase 4 · 2021

    Black Widow

    A spy confronts the past she thought she had left behind. It takes place between earlier films, so it feels like a flashback chapter.

    ○Seen it?
29. 28watch

    Series · Phase 4 · 2021

    What If...?

    An animated anthology that asks how familiar events would play out if one thing had gone differently. Each episode is its own self-contained alternate story.

    ○Seen it?
30. 29watch

    Phase 4 · 2021

    Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

    A man who walked away from his family's legacy has to face it. A martial-arts-driven story with a fresh cast.

    ○Seen it?
31. 30watch

    Phase 4 · 2021

    Eternals

    An ancient group watched over humanity from the shadows and now must decide what to do. Large in scope and ambition, with a more polarizing reception.

    ○Seen it?
32. 31watch

    Series · Phase 4 · 2021

    Hawkeye

    A veteran archer just wants to get home for the holidays, but an old identity catches up with him and he reluctantly takes a young admirer under his wing. Light, festive and action-packed.

    ○Seen it?
33. 32watch

    Phase 4 · 2021

    Spider-Man: No Way Home

    A spell goes wrong and old problems arrive from unexpected places. A celebration of the character's history that also kicks the multiverse into gear.

    ○Seen it?
34. 33watch

    Series · Phase 4 · 2022

    Moon Knight

    A man with gaps in his memory and a second voice in his head is dragged into an ancient conflict that starts in Egypt. Darker and stranger than most of the franchise.

    ○Seen it?
35. 34watch

    Phase 4 · 2022

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

    A hero crosses realities to protect someone who is being hunted. A horror-tinged adventure and the most direct follow-up to No Way Home.

    ○Seen it?
36. 35watch

    Series · Phase 4 · 2022

    Ms. Marvel

    A teenager who loves superheroes discovers an unexpected power and tries to balance it with family, school and friends. Bright, funny and full of heart.

    ○Seen it?
37. 36watch

    Phase 4 · 2022

    Thor: Love and Thunder

    A god in search of purpose meets someone from his past and a threat to gods everywhere. Colorful and broad in tone.

    ○Seen it?
38. 37watch

    Series · Phase 4 · 2022

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

    A lawyer who gains sudden powers has to balance courtroom cases with a very public life as a green-skinned hero. A self-aware workplace comedy with superhero moments.

    ○Seen it?
39. 38watch

    Special · Phase 4 · 2022

    Werewolf by Night

    A group of monster hunters gathers for a deadly contest over a powerful artifact, and something dangerous is lurking nearby. A short throwback to classic monster movies, originally released in black and white.

    ○Seen it?
40. 39watch

    Phase 4 · 2022

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

    A nation grieves a loss and has to defend itself from a new rival. Serious, emotional and tied closely to the real-world loss behind the film.

    ○Seen it?
41. 40watch

    Special · Phase 4 · 2022

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

    The team goes looking for the perfect gift for their leader and ends up bringing back a very surprised guest. A light, festive stocking-filler that sits between the second and third films.

    ○Seen it?
42. 41watch

    Phase 5 · 2023

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

    A family is pulled into a hidden realm and meets a threat on a very different scale. It introduces the main antagonist of the saga.

    ○Seen it?
43. 42watch

    Phase 5 · 2023

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

    The team rallies around one of their own while facing the person responsible for his past. An emotional send-off for this group.

    ○Seen it?
44. 43watch

    Series · Phase 5 · 2023

    Secret Invasion

    A veteran spy races to stop a covert plot by shape-shifting infiltrators already hiding among ordinary people. A slow-burn espionage thriller.

    ○Seen it?
45. 44watch

    Phase 5 · 2023

    The Marvels

    Three heroes with linked powers keep trading places whenever they use them, and have to work out why before it becomes a bigger problem. A fast, short, lighter-toned team-up.

    ○Seen it?
46. 45watch

    Series · Phase 5 · 2024

    Echo

    A woman returns to her hometown to face her past and her family ties. A grounded, more mature-toned crime drama.

    ○Seen it?
47. 46watch

    Phase 5 · 2024

    Deadpool & Wolverine

    A talkative mercenary who knows he is in a movie is recruited for a mission to save his world, and ends up paired with a very reluctant partner. Rated R, packed with jokes and fan-service surprises.

    ○Seen it?
48. 47watch

    Series · Phase 5 · 2024

    Agatha All Along

    A witch who lost her powers is pulled onto a dangerous path with an unlikely coven. A darkly comic follow-up with a spooky streak.

    ○Seen it?
49. 48watch

    Series · Phase 5 · 2025

    Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

    An animated take on Peter Parker's early days as Spider-Man, in a separate version of the universe where an unexpected mentor guides him. Bright and family-friendly.

    ○Seen it?
50. 49watch

    Phase 5 · 2025

    Captain America: Brave New World

    A new Captain America has to deal with a conspiracy that threatens a fragile peace between nations. A political thriller in the spirit of the franchise's earlier Captain America films.

    ○Seen it?
51. 50watch

    Series · Phase 5 · 2025

    Daredevil: Born Again

    A blind lawyer and a crime boss turned politician renew their rivalry on the streets of New York. A tough, street-level crime drama with a mature tone.

    ○Seen it?
52. 51watch

    Phase 5 · 2025

    Thunderbolts*

    A mismatched group of antiheroes gets pulled into a job together and has to decide whether they can trust each other. Darker and more character-driven than most of the franchise.

    ○Seen it?
53. 52watch

    Series · Phase 5 · 2025

    Ironheart

    A brilliant young inventor returns home with a plan, and then makes a risky deal with a mysterious figure. Tech, family and a touch of the supernatural.

    ○Seen it?
54. 53watch

    Phase 6 · 2025

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps

    A family of explorers gains unusual abilities and has to protect their city from a threat from space, in a retro-futuristic take on the 1960s. It is set in a different world from the main films.

    ○Seen it?
55. 54watch

    Series · Phase 6 · 2025

    Eyes of Wakanda

    An animated series about Wakandan warriors who travel across history on risky missions to recover stolen treasures made from their nation's special metal. Short, brisk and focused on world-building.

    ○Seen it?
56. 55watch

    Series · Phase 6 · 2025

    Marvel Zombies

    In an alternate world overrun by superpowered zombies, a band of survivors crosses a ruined landscape looking for a way to end the outbreak. An adult-oriented animated horror spin-off.

    ○Seen it?
57. 56watch

    Series · Phase 6 · 2026

    Wonder Man

    A struggling actor with a secret chases a big role in a superhero remake, and strikes up an unlikely friendship with a fellow out-of-work performer. A grounded comedy about show business.

    ○Seen it?
58. 57watch

    Special · Phase 6 · 2026

    The Punisher: One Last Kill

    A hardened vigilante tries to leave violence behind, until a crime boss's bounty drags him back in. A single-sitting, gritty special that sits alongside Daredevil: Born Again.

    ○Seen it?
59. 58watch

    Phase 6 · 2026

    Spider-Man: Brand New Day

    Set four years after No Way Home, Peter Parker is on his own, patrolling New York as Spider-Man while his abilities keep changing. A fresh-start Spider-Man story for the next stretch of the franchise.

    ○Seen it?
60. 59watch

    Series · Phase 6 · 2026

    VisionQuest

    A synthetic being searches for who he is while on the run from bounty hunters, alongside a teenager who may be connected to him. It continues the story from WandaVision and Agatha All Along.

    ○Seen it?