How to watch the Marvel movies in order (release and chronological)

By Bradley Russell
Contributions from
Jack Shepherd
 published

Wondering how to watch the Marvel movies in order? You've come to the right place

Chris Evans in Avengers: Endgame, part of how to watch the Marvel movies in order
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

It feels like the perfect time to go back and watch the Marvel movies in order now that Phase 4 has come to a close. With over two months to go until the next MCU entry – Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters in February – there’s plenty of free real estate ahead if you want to do an MCU marathon or catch up on some of the Marvel movies and shows you’ve missed over the holidays.

But good luck trying to list the Marvel watch order off the top of your head. Even long-term MCU vets will have trouble going from A to B in a cinematic universe as sprawling as this one – and one that now encapsulates all the Disney Plus shows and one-off specials too.

That’s where we come in. Below, we’ve listed how to watch the Marvel movies in order of release. Starting from 2008’s Iron Man, we weave our way through every single Phase right up to The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. As a bonus, we’ve also got the far more complex (and interesting) MCU chronological order for you to dig through.

We’ve even gone a little deeper in our Marvel watch order guides, exploring which movies and shows are available on Disney Plus, as well as the thorny question of whether you should slide Netflix’s Defenders Saga into your Marvel marathons. Ready? Let’s hope you can do this all day. You’ll need as long as you can get.

How to watch the Marvel movies in order – release order

Best for: Newcomers to the Marvel movies.

First up, here's how to watch the Marvel movies in release order. Marvel films, we should note, are split into Phases, with the end of a Phase typically indicating a natural end to a story arc. The beginning of a Phase, therefore, signals the introduction of new, important characters. Below, we go through Phases 1 to 4 in release order. Yes, that includes WandaVision/Falcon and The Winter Soldier/Loki/Moon Knight. They're not movies, but the Disney Plus series are just as important to the overarching story.

Phase One:

Phase Two:

Phase Three:

Phase Four:

Want to dive in right now? The majority of the Marvel movies are available on Disney Plus. If you want to check out the best deals for the streaming service, head over to our Disney Plus bundles page.

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 (opens in new tab)As you've probably heard, Disney Plus houses the biggest collection of Marvel movies of any streaming service, and it's a super cheap way to watch without spending a small fortune on DVDs and Blu-rays. Prices start at $6.99 / £5.99 / AU$11.99 per month (or $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$119.99 per year).

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We also know a fair amount of what's coming up in the future, with Marvel having laid out plans for Phase 5 and beyond. Out of the current list, Deadpool 3 is the only one not explicitly tied to a Phase, though we're comfortable putting it alongside Blade for now as Fantastic Four is going to kick off Marvel's Phase 6.

Phase 4, meanwhile, has now come to a close. Phase 5 kicks off with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in February 2023.

Here's a taste of the Marvel movies coming out over the next few years – and for a full deep-dive, check out our explainer on all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows heading your way soon.

Phase 5:

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

Phase 6:

TBA (unreleased):

  • Shang-Chi 2 – TBA
  • Nova – TBA
  • Armor Wars – TBA 
  • Wakanda/Okoye spin-off – TBA (Disney Plus series)
  • Wonder Man – TBA (Disney Plus series)
  • What If...? season 2 – TBA (Disney Plus series)
  • What If...? season 3 – TBA (Disney Plus series)
  • Spider-Man: Freshman Year – TBA (Disney Plus series)
  • Spider-Man: Sophomore Year – TBA (Disney Plus series)
  • Marvel Zombies – TBA (Disney Plus series)

How to watch the Marvel movies in order – chronological order

Infinity War

(Image credit: Disney Plus)

Best for: MCU veterans looking for a new way to watch. 

Want to experience the MCU in a more complicated fashion? Then you'll perhaps want to know how to watch the Marvel movies in chronological order. 

This one's a little less straightforward than the above list. Luckily, Marvel has revealed most of the official years in which each movie takes place. That goes right up to Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which fits snugly in-between Endgame and Far From Home and the likes of Hawkeye, which takes place around No Way Home. We've now reached 2025, with She-Hulk and Thor: Love and Thunder seemingly all taking place in that not-so-far-flung future year. 

But be warned: Marvel occasionally takes creative liberties with the timeline order of some of these entries. Our list uses Marvel's own official order on Disney Plus as a guide, but some things might feel a little out of sorts if you think about it too hard. Looking at you, Werewolf by Night. And also for the completionists among you – the I Am Groot short 'First Steps' takes place before Guardians 2, while the rest of the shorts happen after that sequel.

  • 1. Captain America: The First Avenger (1942-1943)
  • 2. Captain Marvel (1995)
  • 3. Iron Man (2010)
  • 4. Iron Man 2 (2011)
  • 5. The Incredible Hulk (2011)
  • 6. Thor (2011)
  • 7. The Avengers (2012)
  • 8. Iron Man 3 (2012)
  • 9. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
  • 10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
  • 11. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
  • 12. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2014)
  • 13. I Am Groot (2014)
  • 14. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
  • 15. Ant-Man (2015)
  • 16. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
  • 17. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016)
  • 18. Doctor Strange (2016-2017)
  • 19. Black Widow (2017)
  • 20. Black Panther (2017)
  • 21. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
  • 22. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2017)
  • 23. Avengers: Infinity War (2017)
  • 24. Avengers: Endgame (2018-2023)
  • 25. Loki (outside of our conception of time, but around here!)
  • 26. What If...? (also outside of our conception of time!)
  • 27. WandaVision (2023)
  • 28. Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2023-2024)
  • 29. Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings (2023-2024)
  • 30. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2024)
  • 31. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2024)
  • 32. Eternals (2024)
  • 33. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2024)
  • 34. Hawkeye (Christmas 2024)
  • 35. Moon Knight (2025)
  • 36. She-Hulk (2025)
  • 37. Ms. Marvel (2025)
  • 38. Thor: Love and Thunder (2025)
  • 39. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2025)
  • 40. Werewolf By Night (2025)
  • 41. Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Christmas 2025)

Non-MCU Marvel movies and shows in the MCU

Alfred Molina in Spider-Man 2

(Image credit: Sony)

Best for: Anyone who wants to fully appreciate No Way Home

Now we're getting to the confusing bit: the multiverse. Thanks to Spider-Man: No Way Home, we have had various Spider-Man villains from through the multiverse in the MCU, and to fully understand everyone's motives and intentions in No Way Home, you need to have watched a fair few older Spider-Man movies. 

These take place on three alternative timelines: one where Tobey Maguire is Spider-Man, another where Andrew Garfield is Spidey, and a third where Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock becomes the villain Venom. For a full deep dive into watching these movies, then check out our guide to how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order.

Then there's The Defenders, which are sort of part of the MCU, but also sort of not. They start very much linked to the movies, and then gradually lose all connection – thanks mainly to originally being Netflix products. Now, though, they are all on Disney Plus, and if you want to tackle Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and The Punisher, then you're going to want to know the watch order. Luckily, we have exactly the piece you're after: how to watch The Defenders Saga in order. Daredevil's story, which started in She-Hulk and will continue in Born Again in 2024, loosely picks up where the Netflix series left off. Those three seasons on Netflix haven't been declared officially canon, but Charlie Cox's return is about as close as we'll get to confirmation that The Defenders Saga semi-existed in the MCU.

How to watch the Marvel movies on Disney Plus?

marvel movies order on Disney Plus

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Best for: People with a Disney Plus subscription

Disney Plus has changed the streaming game. A huge competitor to Netflix and Amazon Prime, Disney's entry into the online content wars has made a huge impact, bringing all of the Mouse's classic movies into one place. There are also original series, plus the majority of the Marvel movies. 

Below, find all the Marvel movies on and coming to Disney Plus. Note: You will not find The Incredible Hulk or most of the Spider-Man movies on Disney Plus. This is because the rights to Hulk belong to Universal, while the rights to Spider-Man are with Sony. Homecoming is available, however, in some regions, such as the UK. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is available on Disney Plus from June 22. She-Hulk is also now streaming on the service.

  • Iron Man
  • Thor
  • Iron Man 2
  • Captain America: The First Avenger
  • The Avengers
  • Iron Man 3
  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier
  • Thor: The Dark World
  • Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • Ant-Man
  • Captain America: Civil War
  • Spider-Man: Homecoming
  • Doctor Strange
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
  • Thor: Ragnarok
  • Black Panther
  • Avengers: Infinity War
  • Captain Marvel
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp
  • Avengers: Endgame
  • WandaVision
  • Falcon and the Winter Soldier
  • Loki
  • Black Widow
  • What If...?
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  • Eternals
  • Hawkeye
  • Moon Knight
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
  • Ms. Marvel
  • She-Hulk
  • Thor: Love and Thunder
  • Werewolf By Night

That's how to watch the Marvel movies in order. So, what are you waiting for? If you haven't got Disney Plus, then here are the latest Disney Plus sign-up deals around the world. Now that the Disney Plus free trial is no more, it's the best way of getting maximum value for money.

For more on movie watch orders, check out our expansive piece on how the watch the DC movies in order, how to watch the Star Wars movies in order, and how to watch the X-Men movies in order.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell

I'm the Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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