Where to Watch All 33 Marvel Movies In Order
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Transporting to a different universe where superheroes are real has never been more enticing than in 2020. Luckily, travel rates to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) are cheaper than ever: costing just about one Disney+ subscription and some change. (Looking at you, Sony-owned Spider-Man movies and Universal Pictures-owned Incredible Hulk.)
With a cinematic universe spanning decades and worlds, all intermingling with crossovers and easter eggs, it can be difficult to know where to start. For some, the only way to experience the MCU is by following its internal chronology, beginning in WWII with Captain America: The First Avenger. However, due to Marvel’s affinity for narratological lacing there’s all kinds of cliff-hangers, callbacks, and premonitious clues in its original release order. Watching in chronological order can sort of throw a wrench into this intended viewing experience, so we recommend watching in order of release date.
Beginning with Iron Man from 2008, and ending with the 2019 Spider-Man: Far from Home, we’ve got the full list of every Marvel release to date. Now is a great time to get yourself immersed, as the MCU is expected to expand in the next year with releases of Black Widow, The Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings.
Just remember to take some breaks from your marathon to dip back into the IRLU (In Real Life Universe) every once in a while.
It’s hard to recall a time before superheroes dominated our screens. In the early 2000s, also known as BMCU (Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe), we barely knew anything about the Hulk—let alone Smart Hulk, She-Hulk, or the recently introduced Hulk Jr. Now, 15 years and 33 films into the MCU, we’re educated about all the Hulks, the Spider-Men, and even the variants of the multiverse. We know Alligator Loki, we love Baby Groot, and we’re still questioning why no one has said a thing about the giant Eternals robot sticking halfway out of the planet.
But all this MCU mumbo-jumbo isn’t easy commit to memory. It takes dedicated watching and tons of hours in front of the TV. Often, it’s more than worth it. Spider-Man: Homecoming was a beloved retelling of a well-known hero, Black Panther was a cultural phenomenon that extended past the screen, and Avengers: Infinity War once threatened to dethrone Avatar as the highest-grossing film of all time. If you have the energy to immerse yourself into the MCU, we’ve crafted a guide to aid you on your journey. Beginning with 2008’s Iron Man and ending with 2023's The Marvels, below is the best way to watch every Marvel film in order.*
Every film is available on Disney+ unless otherwise indicated.
Iron Man (2008)
The one that started it all, where a rich guy builds a superhero suit and spawns likely decades of blockbuster franchise filmmaking.
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The Incredible Hulk (2008)*
In the MCU's second outing, the Hulk gets another telling of his origin story. Sure, The Incredible Hulk is a bit of a strange watch in the 2020s, with Mark Ruffalo having long replaced Ed Norton. But we'll see the Abomination again soon, so that's worth a throwback to Norton's take.
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Iron Man 2 (2010)
Iron Man 2 got a little too superhero for its own good, but the second outing from Tony Stark is still a fun one, Elon Musk cameo be damned.
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Thor (2011)
Thor refused to let us know how funny Chris Hemsworth could actually be under that golden-blonde wig, but it did give us a brilliantly Shakespearean intro to the God of Thunder.
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Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Captain America: The First Avenger gave America's ass a proper intro to the world—and a compelling look at WWI in the process.
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The Avengers (2012)
The Avengers did the unthinkable, bringing heroes from separate movies—wow!—all together for one adventure. We were so young.
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Iron Man 3 (2013)
The underrated Iron Man 3 bravely shows the effects of PTSD on Tony Stark, ending the Iron Man trilogy on a sweet note—and during the holidays, no less.
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Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Thor: The Dark World, where Thor battles the Dark Elves, is the subpar MCU entry we don't really talk about.
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Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
In what is one of the best MCU outings, Captain America: The Winter Soldier links Cap and Black Widow up for the espionage drama of our dreams.
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Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy somehow made a group of ragtag antiheroes into fan favorites. Guess that's the power of '80s music.
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Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Avengers: Age of Ultron made good on its title, pitting the Avengers against Mr. Robot for two and a half hours. That's how long the age of the titular Ultron lasted. And we're OK with that.
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Ant-Man (2015)
In Ant-Man, Paul Rudd plays a good-bad dude who gets his hands on a shrinking suit. Frankly, the relatively small stakes (ha!) in this romp are refreshing.
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Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: Civil War, gasp, turned our heroes against each other. Well, at least until they forgive each other so they can fight the bad guy.
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Doctor Strange (2016)
Doctor Strange shows the journey of surgeon Stephen Strange into one of the MCU's wisest heroes. We'll see how he fares when the multiverse explodes in the sequel.
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 wasn't quiet the good time romp its predecessor was, but more time with Rocket Raccoon and (teenage) Groot is never a bad thing.
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Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)*
At long last: Spider-Man: Homecoming gave us the baby-faced Peter Parker from the comics, offering a faithful and sweet tale of the Queens native's coming of age.
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Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Thor: Ragnarok enlisted the wild, weird, and wonderful Taika Waititi as its director. The result? A rock n' rollin, planet-hopping Thor adventure.
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Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther, which tells the story of a young king learning how to truly become a leader, was a landmark film for diversity in Hollywood.
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Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War marked the beginning of the most epic superhero team-up in the genre's history. Even if we knew Endgame would leave our heroes on top, you have to give Avengers: Infinity War credit for the gut-punch of letting Thanos win.
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Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
We'll never get tired of the visual gags in the Ant-Man and the Wasp series, even if the action doesn't always have an impact on the larger MCU.
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Captain Marvel (2019)
In Captain Marvel, Brie Larson goes full Maverick in a Top Gun-esque, fighter-pilot, '90s-as-hell superhero epic.
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Avengers: Endgame (2019)
The culmination of what Iron Man started, Avengers: Endgame lived up to all of the hype—and then some. RIP Tony. (And our bladders.)
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Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)*
Spider-Man: Far From Home follows our boy Peter as he goes on a Eurotrip with his classmates. Someday, we'll talk about Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio as one of the GOAT Marvel villains. The world just isn't ready for unhinged superhero villain JG. Yet.
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Black Widow (2021)
At long last, Black Widow serves up Scarlett Johansson's solo outing as the Russian warrior-spy-badass.
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Welcoming the first Asian superhero of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings sees actor Simu Liu in a breakout performance as martial arts master Shang-Chi. In a powerful origin story, the character must confront his past when he is called upon by his father, the leader of the ominous Ten Rings Organization.
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Eternals (2021)
With a star-studded cast traveling by starship, Eternals brings a new whimsical dimension to the MCU. Featuring Harry Styles (surprise!), Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjani, and Salma Hayek, the film follows the Eternals–an alien race once sent to defend Earth–who must once again return after the reemergence of the evil Deviant race.
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Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
No Way Home picks up after Far From Home, and sees a now-unmasked Peter Parker asking Dr. Strange to reverse his identity’s revelation. However, when the spell opens up the multiverse, chaos–and a meme-able reunion of Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire–ensues.
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the MCU's most tired-of-this shit hero learns that he not only sucks in his universe, but pretty much every single one in existence. The truth is hard, man! Especially when you have to face the council of inexplicable cameos. (Better luck next time, Mr. Krasinski.)
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Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Our heroes grow up so fast, don't they? In Thor: Love and Thunder, the titular manchild is looking to settle down. You know, after saving the mortal universe(s). Lucky for the God of Thunder, his old flame, Jane Foster, strolls into New Asgard. MCU antics ensue, which we highly encourage you relax, enjoy, try not to think too hard about.
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
A fitting tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman,Black Panther: Wakanda Forever laid one of its most popular characters to rest while also blazing a path forward. Legacy, respect, and a cool new villain with little wings on his ankles.
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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Kicking off the Multiverse Saga, Quantumania shrinks Ant-Man and his family back down to the tiny Quantum Realm. It's there that they meet a variant of Kang—the MCU's next Thanos-level villain and a conqueror of the multiverse with greater ambitions than the end of the Ant-Man trilogy.
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marked the end for the likes of Groot, Rocket Racoon, and Gamora in the MCU—at least under James Gunn's watch. We'll see you over in the DCEU, James. Thank you for the memories. (And the stellar tunes.)
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The Marvels (2023)
Wrapping up many character arcs throughout MCU's film and television world, the sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel features a team-up between Brie Larson's titular hero, Ms. Marvel's Kamala Khan, and WandaVision's Monica Rambeau. The all-female superhero film is also full of cameos, fun fights, and insane post-credits teases.
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