How Do You Watch the Marvel Movies in Order?

By ReelVerse Editorial TeamPublished 6 min read

Abstract cinematic art of generic hero silhouettes standing on a glowing gold skyline timeline, with magenta and violet energy trails, film strips, and a vintage projector

Quick Answer

Watch the Marvel movies in release order the first time: start with Iron Man (2008) and end with Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), 38 films in all. For a rewatch, Marvel's official timeline order starts with Captain America: The First Avenger, then Captain Marvel, then Iron Man. Avengers: Doomsday arrives December 18, 2026.

On this page
  1. Should you watch the Marvel movies in release order or timeline order?
  2. What are all the Marvel movies in release order?
  3. What is the Marvel timeline order?
  4. Why is The Fantastic Four: First Steps last on the timeline?
  5. Do you need to watch every Marvel movie?
  6. How long does it take to watch every Marvel movie?
  7. What should you watch before Avengers: Doomsday?
  8. Frequently Asked Questions
  9. Our Take
  10. Sources

Key Takeaways

  • There are 38 released MCU movies as of November 2026; Avengers: Doomsday is due December 18, 2026.
  • Release order is best for a first viewing; Marvel's official timeline order works well for a rewatch.
  • Captain Marvel is the biggest jump in timeline order, moving from 21st to 2nd.
  • If you are short on time, a nine-film core path through the Infinity Saga covers the main story.

Should you watch the Marvel movies in release order or timeline order?

For a first viewing, watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in release order. We think release order works best the first time, because audiences met every reveal, cameo, and end-credits scene in that sequence. It also lets you watch the effects, tone, and casting evolve from 2008 onward.

Timeline order, also called chronological order, arranges the films by when their stories take place. Marvel publishes an official version of this list [1], and we think it is a good choice for a rewatch. The biggest change is Captain Marvel: released in 2019, it is set in the 1990s, so it jumps to second place behind Captain America: The First Avenger, which opens during World War II.

This guide covers both orders as of November 2026. We list only feature films, not the Disney+ series, and we avoid plot spoilers.

Which Marvel watch order should you choose? Flowchart: first-time viewers should watch in release order, people rewatching can try timeline order, and people short on time can watch the Avengers films plus the movies they care about. Have you seen the Marvel movies before? No, first time Watch in release order. Twists land as intended. Yes, rewatch Try timeline order. Captain Marvel moves to No. 2. Short on time Watch the Avengers films plus the movies you care about. Spider-Man films from Sony are part of the MCU but are not on the Disney+ list.
Pick an order based on how familiar you are with the MCU.

What are all the Marvel movies in release order?

There are 38 MCU films released so far, with Avengers: Doomsday due on December 18, 2026 [3]. Release years come from Wikidata [4]; phase groupings follow the Disney+ list [2].

Phase One

  1. Iron Man (2008)
  2. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
  3. Iron Man 2 (2010)
  4. Thor (2011)
  5. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
  6. The Avengers (2012)

Phase Two

  1. Iron Man 3 (2013)
  2. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
  3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
  4. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
  5. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
  6. Ant-Man (2015)

Phase Three

  1. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
  2. Doctor Strange (2016)
  3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
  4. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
  5. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
  6. Black Panther (2018)
  7. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
  8. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
  9. Captain Marvel (2019)
  10. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
  11. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Phase Four

  1. Black Widow (2021)
  2. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
  3. Eternals (2021)
  4. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
  5. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
  6. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
  7. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Phase Five

  1. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
  2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
  3. The Marvels (2023)
  4. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
  5. Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
  6. Thunderbolts* (2025)

Phase Six

  1. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Also released

  1. Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026, released by Sony Pictures)

The Disney+ list leaves out the four Spider-Man films, which Sony Pictures released. Marvel's official timeline includes the first three, so we place Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home by release date within their phases above and list Brand New Day separately. Our Spider-Man watch order guide covers every Spider-Man version, including the non-MCU films.

Marvel Cinematic Universe phases by release year Timeline bars for Phases 1 to 6. Phase 1 covers 2008 to 2012 with 6 films, Phase 2 2013 to 2015 with 6, Phase 3 2016 to 2019 with 9, Phase 4 2021 to 2022 with 6, Phase 5 2023 to 2025 with 6, and Phase 6 begins in 2025. MCU phases by release year Disney+ list, which excludes Spider-Man films Phase 1: 6 films Phase 2: 6 films Phase 3: 9 films Phase 4: 6 films Phase 5: 6 films Phase 6: 1 film 2008 2014 2020 2026
Counts follow the Disney+ list, which leaves out the four Sony-released Spider-Man films.

What is the Marvel timeline order?

This is the chronological order from Marvel's official timeline, published on Marvel.com in October 2026 [1]. We removed the TV series and short films from Marvel's list and kept the 37 feature films it includes.

  1. Captain America: The First Avenger
  2. Captain Marvel
  3. Iron Man
  4. Iron Man 2
  5. The Incredible Hulk
  6. Thor
  7. The Avengers
  8. Thor: The Dark World
  9. Iron Man 3
  10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
  11. Guardians of the Galaxy
  12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
  13. Avengers: Age of Ultron
  14. Ant-Man
  15. Captain America: Civil War
  16. Black Widow
  17. Black Panther
  18. Spider-Man: Homecoming
  19. Doctor Strange
  20. Thor: Ragnarok
  21. Ant-Man and the Wasp
  22. Avengers: Infinity War
  23. Avengers: Endgame
  24. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  25. Spider-Man: Far From Home
  26. Eternals
  27. Spider-Man: No Way Home
  28. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
  29. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
  30. Thor: Love and Thunder
  31. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
  32. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
  33. The Marvels
  34. Deadpool & Wolverine
  35. Captain America: Brave New World
  36. Thunderbolts*
  37. The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) is not on Marvel's official timeline yet. Its story follows Spider-Man: No Way Home, so if you are watching chronologically, watch it any time after No. 27.

Most of the timeline matches release order; the big moves happen early. Captain Marvel jumps 19 places, Black Widow moves back to sit right after Civil War, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is set only months after the first Guardians, so the two run back to back.

Infinity Saga movies in release order compared with official timeline order Slope chart linking each of the first 23 Marvel Cinematic Universe films from its release position to its position in Marvel official timeline. Captain Marvel moves from 21st to 2nd and Captain America: The First Avenger moves from 5th to 1st, among others. Infinity Saga: release vs. timeline order Release Timeline Iron Man The Incredible Hulk Iron Man 2 Thor The First Avenger The Avengers Iron Man 3 The Dark World The Winter Soldier Guardians Age of Ultron Ant-Man Civil War Doctor Strange Guardians Vol. 2 Homecoming Ragnarok Black Panther Infinity War Ant-Man and the Wasp Captain Marvel Endgame Far From Home The First Avenger Captain Marvel Iron Man Iron Man 2 The Incredible Hulk Thor The Avengers The Dark World Iron Man 3 The Winter Soldier Guardians Guardians Vol. 2 Age of Ultron Ant-Man Civil War Black Panther Homecoming Doctor Strange Ragnarok Ant-Man and the Wasp Infinity War Endgame Far From Home Magenta lines: moved 3+ places. Source: Marvel.com.
Positions are ranks among these 23 Infinity Saga films. Films that move three or more places are highlighted. Source: Marvel.com.

Why is The Fantastic Four: First Steps last on the timeline?

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in what Disney+ describes as a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world [2]. Marvel lists it after Thunderbolts* on its timeline [1], and it opens Phase Six on the Disney+ list [2]. You can watch it whenever you like, but watching it last keeps you aligned with Marvel's order heading into Avengers: Doomsday.

Deadpool & Wolverine is a similar case. Earlier Deadpool and X-Men films came from 20th Century Fox and sit outside the MCU, but this 2024 film is part of the MCU's Phase Five [2].

Do you need to watch every Marvel movie?

No. The Avengers team-up films carry the main story; most other films are optional if you only want the big picture. A shorter path through the Infinity Saga could look like this:

  1. Iron Man
  2. Captain America: The First Avenger
  3. The Avengers
  4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
  5. Guardians of the Galaxy
  6. Captain America: Civil War
  7. Black Panther
  8. Avengers: Infinity War
  9. Avengers: Endgame

That is nine films instead of 23. We skipped Avengers: Age of Ultron to keep the list short, so add it if you have time. You will miss character arcs and in-jokes, but the big turning points will make sense. Add the solo films of the characters you like most.

The newer phases are more spread out, and some stories continue in Disney+ series rather than films. If you are short on time, follow the characters you care about rather than trying to watch everything.

How long does it take to watch every Marvel movie?

The 38 released films add up to about 83 hours, based on Wikidata runtimes [4], so a full marathon is a project rather than a weekend. At two films a week, you could watch the whole MCU in release order in about four and a half months. The nine-film route above runs about 21 hours, which fits a long weekend.

What should you watch before Avengers: Doomsday?

Marvel's own countdown guide for Avengers: Doomsday mixes old and new titles [3]. From the MCU films, it highlights Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Captain America: Brave New World, Deadpool & Wolverine, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The same guide also includes the first two Fox X-Men films from the 2000s and the Loki series. If you only have time for a few, start with Endgame, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. That is our suggestion, not Marvel's.

After Doomsday, Disney+ lists Avengers: Secret Wars as the next Avengers film in Phase Six [2].

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Marvel movies are there?

As of November 2026 there are 38 released Marvel Cinematic Universe films, from Iron Man (2008) to Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026). Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for December 18, 2026.

What is the first Marvel movie in timeline order?

Captain America: The First Avenger. Its story starts during World War II, which puts it first on Marvel's official timeline, ahead of Captain Marvel (set in the 1990s).

Are the X-Men and old Spider-Man movies part of the MCU?

The Fox X-Men films and the Sam Raimi and Marc Webb Spider-Man films are not MCU films. The Tom Holland Spider-Man films and Deadpool & Wolverine are part of the MCU.

Do I need to watch the Disney+ series too?

Not to follow the films, but some stories continue in series such as Loki, and Marvel's own Doomsday guide includes Loki. Watch the series for the characters you care about.

Our Take

We recommend release order for almost everyone watching for the first time. Marvel built its surprises, cameos, and end-credits scenes around the order audiences saw the films, and timeline order gives some of them away early. Timeline order is a fun second pass, especially for seeing Captain Marvel and Black Widow in context. We also think nobody needs to watch every film: the Avengers movies plus the heroes you actually like will carry you to Doomsday. This is our editorial opinion; Marvel's official lists are linked in the sources.

Sources

  1. See the Complete MCU Timeline on Disney+. Marvel.
  2. How to Watch the Marvel Movies in Order. Disney+.
  3. Countdown to 'Avengers: Doomsday' with Marvel Movies and Shows on Disney+. Marvel.
  4. Wikidata film records (release dates). Wikimedia Foundation.

Release dates, runtimes and ratings come from Wikidata and official sources and can differ by country or edition. We do not track which service is streaming a film right now, because that changes often.Spotted an error? Tell us.