Marvel Movies in Order: Chronological & Release Date
Marvel Cinematic Universe (or the MCU) brings superheroes to real life and out of the pages of comic books, and over a long period of time, Marvel has released several superhero movies. While some of us have watched every single one of these movies, a significant population is unaware of how to watch Marvel movies in order.
So, to solve that problem, in this article, I am going to tell the new Marvel fans or those who are confused regarding the chronology of the MCU, all they need to know about the best order to watch the Marvel movies and TV shows – in chronological and release date order. That being said, let’s dive right into it and start your journey through the fantastical world of MCU!
Marvel Movies in Release Date Order
1. Iron Man (2008)
Giving the MCU an explosive kickstart, Robert Downey Jr. made his debut in the role of Tony Stark aka Iron Man. From his very first appearance, Iron Man became a fan favorite. In this movie, Tony Stark gets abducted by a terrorist group, and when he sees that the weapons he manufactured are being used for mass destruction, he builds himself a suit to escape from the terrorists and later takes up the mantle of Iron Man to protect the people from harm.
2. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The second film in this MCU chronology is The Incredible Hulk, a classic movie introducing us to one of the characters who grew to be a fan favorite eventually in the MCU. Edward Norton did a commendable job portraying the green monster on the big screen. This one briefly talks about the origin of The Hulk.
The most part then shows Bruce’s attempt to cure himself while on the run. Meanwhile, General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross wants him to weaponize the monster. He experiments on Blonsky and turns him into the Abomination, making him the movie’s main villain.
3. Iron Man 2 (2010)
Iron Man’s outstanding success and positive reviews resulted in the MCU creating a sequel in almost no time. The story picks up six months after the events of Iron Man. The world is now totally aware of the dual life of playboy billionaire Tony Stark as Iron Man.
While the government is constantly trying to make Tony Stark surrender the Iron Man armor, the palladium in the arc reactor is leaking into his bloodstream slowly killing him. He must find a way to survive while some new enemies come to light. This movie also introduces new recurring characters like Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a Black Widow, in the MCU.
4. Thor (2011)
There is no origin story for Thor since he was born a god. However, there is a change of attitude and character, shown amazingly in this movie. Thor is banished by Odin for being arrogant and now has to live with humans as human beings. He found the meaning of love with Jane Foster, an astrophysicist on Earth. Meanwhile, Loki is playing his trickery to keep Thor away from Asgard.
A series of events leads Thor to sacrifice for his friends, making him worthy of wielding the Mjölnir again. Chris Hemsworth, as one of themost powerful Avengers, didn’t fail to leave his impression in people’s minds. The way he portrayed the young and arrogant prince of Asgard is both impressive and inspirational.
5. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Captain America: The First Avenger, is the story of how a skinny boy from Brooklyn became the most influential and respected superhero. The story begins in 1942 when the world is going through WWII. Steve Rogers is a patriot at heart and wants to contribute to his country.
However, he is continually rejected from joining the military because of his sensitive health and child-like physique. Dr. Erskine, head of scientific research for the U.S. military, finds Steve’s enthusiasm impressive. Thus, he offers for Steve to take part in the “Super-Soldier” program. The movie also shows us the young version of Tony Stark’s father, Howard Stark, who happens to be a founding member of S.H.I.E.L.D.
6. The Avengers (2012)
The Avengers brings back Loki as the main villain who tries to invade and rule Earth. He starts by stealing the Tesseract from the S.H.I.E.L.D. ‘s base. Later, he mind-controls some of the agents to work for him. A series of events happen, and all the known and available superheroes are brought together under the Avengers Initiative to stop Loki.
It is the second time the power of the Tesseract is explored. However, its origin and history are yet to be discussed. The movie created some iconic scenes in superhero movies, and the MCU likes to come back to this movie whenever possible. This movie also marks the end ofMCUPhase 1.
7. Iron Man 3 (2013)
Iron Man proved to be one of the most influential and loved characters in the MCU ever since Robert Downey Jr. picked up the suit on the big screen. However, this movie is controversial when it comes to discussing its success. The movie made some huge profits financially. Still, it left fans in arguments about whether it stands up to the bar Avengers has created.
The movie explores issues associated with Tony’s mental health while a new villain rises to wreak havoc on the world. He later discovers the villain is the repercussion of his past sins that have come back to bite him. The events also lead him to reconsider his actions and take a new course in his life.
8. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013)
Even though not a part of the MCU, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is one of the best web series to come out of Marvel Studios to date, and if you enjoyed the character of Agent Coulson in The Avengers(2012), this series will give you a deeper insight into the character.
Other than that, this series also gives you an insight into what has been happening inside SHIELD behind the movies that revolve around the major events in the MCU. Watching this series will also help you understand the events happening in the movies more thoroughly.
9. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Thor: The Dark World picks up after the events of Avengers. Loki is in Asgard’s prison, paying for his deeds. At the same time, Thor is busy settling conflicts among various realms ruled under Asgard. Meanwhile, Jane Foster, the astrophysicist, finds something unnatural on Earth with gravity in some places. While investigating, she is exposed to the Aether and becomes ill. When Thor comes to know about this, he brings Jane to Asgard for treatment.
On the other side, dark forces are arising due to the release of the Aether and are ready to cause chaos in all nine realms. The movie also reveals to us the second infinity stone, i.e., the Reality Stone, and a lot of new characters.
10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
A long-gone character and Steve’s old friend, Bucky Barnes, makes a comeback in this movie. Bucky Barnes after falling to his apparent death in Captain America(2011). He did not die but was captured by HYDRA who brainwashed him and enhanced him to be The Winter Soldier who turns out to be a HYDRA weapon to execute killing missions over the last decades.
Steve finds out that Hydra is still active inside S.H.I.E.L.D. because of Arnim Zola’s A.I. Besides, they have a plan in action to kill any potential threat to HYDRA using S.H.I.E.L.D. ‘s Triskelion. After devising a plan with the help of Maria Hill, Steve manages to bring the weapons down and reveal to the world what Hydra is up to.
The movie talks about friendship, trust, betrayal, and a few darker emotions. It is one of the most emotional movies Marvel has ever launched.
11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.1 (2014)
Peter Quill, a.k.a the Star-Lord, is a smart kid from Earth who was kidnapped as a child by a group called Ravagers. He grew up to become a thief like the rest of the Ravagers who were essentially space pirates. However, Peter gets one step ahead and steals a powerful orb from an ancient temple but what he doesn’t know is, that other galactic villains are searching for the orb as well.
A series of events leads Peter to land in jail with Rocket, Groot, Drax, and Gamora. As their common interest meets, they become a team of misfits and save the universe from a threat of unimaginable power. The movie introduces us to the third infinity stone, i.e., the Power stone. It is also a pivotal movie to expand the MCU out of the Earth and include the whole universe.
12. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Avengers: Age of Ultron begins with our heroes destroying all known Hydra bases. They find Loki’s scepter from the previous Avenger movie and bring it back. Tony thinks it might be a great opportunity to create an A.I. to build an army of robots to protect humanity.
However, the scepter, which we later get to know holds another infinity stone, i.e., The Mind stone, unleashes Ultron, who poses a serious threat to humanity with the Avengers being the last line of defense against him.
13. Ant-Man (2015)
Ant-Man shows us a smart burglar, Scott Lang, who was trusted by Hank Pym, the creator of the Pym Particle, a technology used in the Ant-Man suit that allows the wielder to shrink. It’s the first time Marvel went directly to the second generation of heroes holding the mantle. It also happens to be an entertaining origin story. This movie is about professional rivalry, a father-daughter relationship, and coming out of a bad life for a good one.
14. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The movie talks about internal conflicts among the superheroes over the Sokovia Accords. The set of legal rules require any enhanced individual to register under the government which would ultimately cost them their free will, and they will be bound to answer when called upon by the U.N. or the U.S. government.
The movie begins with Captain America on a mission with Falcon, Black Widow, and Scarlet Witch. Things go south, and innocent people die. Meanwhile, Helmut Zemo finds a way to control the Winter Soldier and use him to attack the U.N. conference, killing T’Chaka in the process adding further ground to the conflict among the superheroes.
15. Doctor Strange (2016)
The plot of Doctor Strange follows a genius neurosurgeon who meets with an accident that damages his hands to an unrepairable extent. He pours in all his money on treatments, but nothing works. So, he decides to go with the lesser-known methods and ends up in Nepal.
Here, he finds out that contrary to his beliefs, magic is real, and the universe holds secrets beyond our imagination. Dr. Strange is one of the most important characters in the Marvel comics. This movie is about finding yourself in chaos, and it also happens to introduce us to the new infinity stone, the Time Stone.
16. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 (2017)
After the success of his first movie, director James Gunn was bought back to create another installment in the franchise. The movie explores Peter Quill’s backstory and fills out his missing father figure. The team of misfits, Guardians of the Galaxy is now well recognized by galactic authorities and now works on a hire basis or where they can find profit by helping people.
After a deal goes wrong, Sovereigns attacks the team but they are saved by a mysterious figure. Their mysterious savior reveals himself as Peter’s father, Ego. As we move forward, new revelations explain that Ego is a celestial being and is not to be trusted.
17. Spiderman: Homecoming (2017)
After his role as Spiderman in Captain America: Civil War, Tom Holland reappears for the role of the wall-crawling friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Under Tony’s mentorship, he is expected to learn responsibility and help people. He is strictly prohibited from interfering in what the MCU refers to as Avengers-level threats, which, being a teenager, he does not listen to, and gets in trouble.
The movie is about a teenager who believes he should help others because he can. Meanwhile, it also explores the relationship dynamic of Tony and Peter filling in the void of a father and son for each other respectively.
18. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
The movie begins with Thor on a mission to find other infinity stones. In the middle of his quest, he finds out Odin isn’t looking over Asgard while the nine realms are in chaos. It turns out that Loki was playing Odin on Asgard and is tricking everyone.
Thor’s long-lost sister Hella comes back posing an apocalyptic threat to Asgard, we see Hulk after Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Loki finally turns out to be on the good side. Thor: Ragnarok is a roller coaster ride with a lot of fun going around.
19. Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther was last seen in Captain America: Civil War, after that, we see him again in his solo movie, which shows us the depth of Wakanda and its technology. It is revealed that Wakanda has been the place hosting Vibranium for centuries, the same metal used to make Captain America’s shield.
In the Movie, T’Challa becomes the king after the death of his father in the events of Captain America: Civil War and decides to open the doors of Wakanda to the world. Meanwhile, he finds a competitor in his long-lost cousin, Killmonger. A fight takes place for the throne, and T’Challa loses.
Killmonger became the king as a result and ordered to creation of weapons for worldwide shipment. The movie then shows how good will always overcome evil with an epic climax.
20. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War shows us Thanos’ journey while collecting all the infinity stones. This movie is set up all across the galaxy, but the final stand against Thanos occurs on Earth. We are also introduced to the last and most mysterious infinity stone, i.e., the Soul stone.
Some new characters as well as some old characters make their appearance in the movie. Unfortunately, some of the most loved characters are killed while some are turned to dust by Thanos’s Snap.
21. Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)
The movie picks up right after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Scott is put under house arrest for helping Steve Rogers with his stand against Tony Stark. Meanwhile, the government is looking for Hank Pym to uncover his technology since he is also blamed for Scott’s actions.
All the characters in the movie work together to create an action-packed situational comedy. The movie also shows the lengths people can go to for their loved ones.
22. Captain Marvel (2019)
Captain Marvel introduces us to the conflict between theSkrullsand the Kree empire which plays an important role in the Marvel comics. If we talk about the plot, while on a case, Carol Danvers finds herself on a strange planet that happens to be the Earth. However, it turns out she was fighting all this time for the wrong side.
She was always a human from Earth with powers she got from the Tesseract. We also get to see the beginning of Nick Fury and Agent Coulson’s careers in this movie and the reasonwhy Fury lost his eyeand wears an eyepatch.
23. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
The movie picks up five years after the events of Infinity War when the whole world is devastated by the loss of so many people in a matter of seconds, and everyone is trying to cope with what happened.
Scott Lang, who was trapped in the quantum world, comes back and thinks that only five minutes have passed, which provides proof of the idea that there might still be a chance for our heroes to bring everyone back. Avengers: Endgame created one of the largest hype in the movie industry marking the end of the Infinity saga.
24. Spiderman: Far From Home (2019)
The movie picks up six to eight months after the events of Endgame. Spider-Man decides to take a break from his crime-fighting life and focus on his life as a high schooler but destiny has different plans. He ends up in London fighting some evil Tony Stark has created unknowingly.
Mysterio appears for the first time on the screen as the main villain behind all the entities Spiderman has been encountering. He tricks Peter into giving up EDITH, Stark’s technology to control hundreds of strike drones. You’ll want to wait for the end credits on this one, trust me.
25. WandaVision (2021)
In this Marvel series, Wanda, being unable to cope with the death of Vision, uses her magic to create an alternate reality where she and Vision are together and are leading a happy life. Even though WandaVision is a little confusing and sometimes too slow, it does pack some quite intense fight sequences.
This series also introduces us to the director of S.W.O.R.D. Monica Rambeau, who will play a major role in the upcoming The Marvels movie.
26. Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
In this series, we see Sam Wilson aka the Falcon, who has just been restored from the Blip taking up the mantle of Captain America. Even though he tries his best to live up to the role of Captain America, he is overwhelmed by the new responsibilities handed to him and eventually surrenders his shield to Rhodey.
The U.S. government appoints Captain John Walker as the new Captain America but he eventually turns out to be the complete opposite of what Captain America stood for.
27. Loki – Season 1 (2021)
This series is an excellent watch if you wish to explore the depths of Loki as a character. In this show, Loki is arrested by the TVA, Time Variance Authority for causing a disorientation in the timeline. However, a much greater threat is faced by the TVA, and Mobius M. Mobius had to recruit Loki himself to investigate the threat and capture it.
This series is a fresh take on the character of Loki and a must-watch for every Marvel fan since it introduces us to Kang the Conquerer and the threat he poses to the universe. In fact, Loki season 2 is set to release on October 6, 2023.
28. Black Widow (2021)
This movie is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War where Natasha is a fugitive and finds shelter in Norway. She gets attacked by the Taskmaster and realizes she has a mysterious package in her car from Budapest. The movie digs into Natasha’s history and introduces us to her training in the red room under the Black Widow Program. We also get an insight into some of the important characters from her life.
29. What…If? (2021)
What…If? is a standalone animated series by Marvel that takes a look at the alternate timelines throughout the MCU. This series answers one of the greatest what-if questions you might have for the MCU. Some episodes are quite disturbing as well as some being a fun watch. I don’t want to ruin the series for you so all I can tell you is, go through it with an open mind.
30. Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings (2021)
Shang Chi is a trained martial artist, and as per claims, the best in the MCU. As a young man, who was trained to be a warrior and an assassin by his father after a failed mission, he ran away from his father and tried his best to leave his past behind him for good.
He and his friend Katy enjoy their time in the city but his past comes back to haunt him when one day he gets attacked by his father’s associates, barely saving himself. Considering they will go for his sister Xialing next, he goes to Macau. We meet some old characters there like Wong and Abomination from the Hulk movie.
Xialing runs a fighting pit in Macau where The Ten Rings attack them. Their father, Xu Wenwu, brings them home to tell them he knows how to bring their dead mother back. Shang Chi, along with his group, finds out about the secret village of Ta Lo and reaches their first. They give Xu Wenwu a tough fight in which he dies saving the world.
31. Eternals (2021)
Eternals brought a diverse cast from different countries throughout the planet. It talks about the beginning of civilization and how they help it bloom. Also, we get answers to some important questions like why they didn’t interfere in the fight with Thanos.
Lastly, we finally get to see celestials in the MCU. Before now, the only character close to it was either Ego or the dead skull hosting Knowhere. Eternals is set after the events of Endgame but goes throughout history.
32. Hawkeye (2021)
In his first-ever standalone performance, Hawkeye explores the life of Clint Barton after the events of Avengers Endgame where he is back to his family to celebrate Christmas. He plans to spend the holiday season away from being Hawkeye but that’s not really possible, is it? He bumps into a young archer named Kate Bishop and gets involved in a murder mystery along with Kate.
33. Spiderman: No Way Home (2021)
Probably the most awaited Marvel movie since Endgame, No Way Home saw the beginnings of the multiverse crashing into the MCU. We also got to see some of the most iconic Spidey villains in the movie, including the Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, Electro, and others.
The action-packed movie was a huge box-office success, and if you haven’t watched it, you really need to. If you have watched it, there’s really no harm in watching it all over again. It’s just that good.
34. Moon Knight (2022)
This series revolves around the life of a disintegrated museum gift shop employee, Steven Grant, who is haunted by unexplainable blackouts and flashbacks from a life he remembers nothing about. He later discovers that he has Disassociative Personality Disorder and shares his body with a mercenary named Marc Spector who is also an avatar of Konshu, the Egyptian god of Moon.
This series explores Egyptian myths and is an absolute package of jaw-dropping action sequences.
35. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Exploring the concepts of the Multiverse even further after Spiderman: No Way Home, Multiverse of Madness revolves around the chaos caused by Wanda to cope with her grief. She lost Vision and through her dreams, figures out that in an alternate timeline, she has children. After this discovery, she brings hell down on the multiverse going on a killing spree across timelines. America Chaves is also introduced in this movie as a central character.
36. Ms. Marvel (2022)
Miss Marvel is a web series revolving around Kamala Khan, a teenager who discovers a bangle belonging to her ancestor. As she puts it on, she is granted the power to materialize light. Being a die-hard fan of Captain Marvel, when she decides to try and be a superhero, takes up the name of Ms. Marvel. This series has a very prominent Gen-Z vibe to it but not to the extent that it seems overdone.
37. Thor Love and Thunder (2022)
This movie has a concept you would not expect to come out of a Thor movie. As usual, Thor is out on a quest but he is not on a quest to hunt down a monster or save the universe but on a quest to find inner peace. This quest of his is jeopardized by Gorr the God Butcher who is out for the blood of every single God. With the help of Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster who now wields the Mojonir, Thor embarks on a journey to take down Gorr.
38. I am Groot (2022)
This mini-series revolving around baby Groot is one of those shows you would watch after having a bad day because of its adorable and heartwarming representation of Groot. In this show, Groot goes on different adventures which is an absolute delight to watch, and trust me, The script writer deserves an Oscar for this one, especially for Groot’s dialogues.
39. She-Hulk (2022)
She-Hulk is a web series that revolves around the life of Jeniffer Walters, a thirty-year-old, single attorney who also has the powers of the Hulk. This series shows us the struggles of her managing the Hulk side of hers, the attorney as well as a woman who is trying to figure out her life. We get to see certain well-known characters in the series as well, like The Hulk, Daredevil, and Abomination.
40. Werewolf by Night (2022)
Werewolf by Night is a Marvel Special that is totally worth a watch for its old-school black-and-white noir atmosphere. It revolves around a group of monster hunters who have gathered after the death of their leader and are made to be a participant in the search for a powerful relic competing against each other in a deadly competition. But what they don’t know is the fact that a monster lurks among them.
41. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
After the death of Black Panther, Queen Ramonda is trying her level best to keep order in Wakanda and to protect it from outside forces. Meanwhile, Shuri is trying to replicate the heart-shaped herb to consume it herself to be the next Black Panther. A new adversary named Namor, which threatens Wakanda, rises and Shuri along with some new allies makes an attempt to fight off this new enemy and save Wakanda.
42. Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)
This movie is also a part of the Marvel Specials series and revolves around Mantis and Drax trying to make Peter Quill happy as he had been severely depressed since Gamora’s death. They figure out that it’s the Christmas season on Earth and embark on an adventure to get Peter a gift for Christmas. This is a really heartwarming movie and is totally worth a watch for a few laughs.
43. Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania (2023)
This movie revolves around the family of Scott Lang. In this movie, we see that Hope’s mom has returned from the Quantum realm but is hiding something from everyone. Cassie, Scott’s daughter builds a device that sends a signal down to the Quantum realm but due to a malfunction, Scott, Hope, Hank, Cassie and Hope’s mother get sucked back into the Quantum realm.
We see them face Kang the Conqueror who is trying to get out of there to attack different multiverses. Scott’s whole family embarks on a mission to stop Kang and get back home.
44. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 (2023)
This movie might just be one of the best to come out of James Gunn’s direction. This movie follows the Guardians of the Galaxy after the events of Avengers: Endgame where Peter is still grieving the loss of Gamora as the alternate version of her is poles apart from the Gamora he knew. Guardians of Galaxy Volume 3 is, at heart, about Rocket the Racoon and tells us the story of how he turned out to be the way he is.
45. Marvel’s Secret Invasion (2023)
Marvel’sSecret Invasionis a series revolving around the invasion of Skrulls into our world using their shapeshifting skills. In the series, Gravik, a rogue Skrull is trying to take over the earth for Skrulls to rule by causing events that can lead to World War 3. Nothing is standing in Gravik’s way except Talos and Nick Fury, who had been on theSABERbattle station for a long time and have returned to Earth after being informed about the Skrull Invasion underway on Earth.
Marvel Movies in Chronological Order
It’s one thing to watch Marvel movies in order of release date but to understand the series of events, you’d need to watch Marvel movies in chronological order. Below, we have enlisted Marvel movies according to chronology to help you delve better into the MCU and understand the sequence of events.
Upcoming Marvel Movies in Release Date Order
So, by the end of this article, choosing the order of how you watch these movies, whether release date-wise or in a timeline order, is totally up to you. But I would like to say that since all these major Marvel movies are already released, and you can watch them in order, why miss out on them? Whether you choose the release date or the chronological order, it will be equally exciting and fun to watch! Happy binging!
Beebom Staff
Bringing the latest in technology, gaming, and entertainment is our superhero team of staff writers. They have a keen eye for latest stories, happenings, and even memes for tech enthusiasts.
Add new comment
Name
Email ID
Δ
01
02
03
04
05
