What Order to Watch Marvel Movies in Order

There are plenty of movie franchises that we all love, and for the most part, there are three movies in each franchise. Then there is the Marvel movie franchise. There are a bunch of movies in the franchise and more to come. No matter what, there is a way to watch all of the Marvel movies in order to push the story forward.

Updated 12/7/2021

Each movie serves multiple functions; the biggest is to push the overall story arc of the Marvel cinematic universe forward. Sometimes, they serve to give us a detailed history of a superhero. Ready to sit down and start watching the Marvel movies in order?

Get your popcorn ready, because when you want to know what order to watch the Marvel movies in, we have the answer. There is a way to watch the Marvel movies in order so they are more enjoyable and make more sense.

In fact, not to get too complicated, but there are television series that integrate into the overall arch of the Marvel Universe. Factoring those in, you need plenty of time, but you can watch all the Marvel movies in order with the television series.

What Order to Watch Marvel Movies in Order

Captain America: The First Avenger

No one said these would be in actual chronological order. Here, you’ll be introduced to the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization as well as Cap, which is right where you want to be, at the start of it all. (Yes, this early we need a side note.)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has both movies and television shows that follow the overall arch. You don’t HAVE to include the television series, but if television is already a part of your evening wind-down routine, you might as well toss them in there.)

Agent Carter, Season 1 (optional TV series)

You will be very familiar with Agent Carter after watching Captain America. You may even be intrigued to see where she went and what happened to here in between the years. Well, here you can find out.

Captain Marvel

We take a huge jump forward in time after both the events of Captain America and Agent Carter season 1. Welcome to the 90s! With this movie, we learn about Captain Marvel herself and get some hints towards the start of the Avenger Initiative.

Iron Man

This is the movie that launched the cinematic universe but fits perfectly in either the second or third slot. Here, you’ll be introduced to the man himself, Mr.Stark.  

Iron Man 2

Here we get more into the character of Iron Man and the abilities he has with his inventions. We also get introduced to a very important character in this movie.

The Incredible Hulk

The only reason we’re watching this one is to not be weirded out when a giant green…thing appears on the screen later on. Is it going to be the best couple hours of your life, maybe not, but at the very least, you’ll know how he fits into the universe.

Thor

The Avengers wouldn’t be a complete team without Thor. Here we see how Thor came to earth and why.

Marvel’s The Avengers

Here we go, the first time we get multiple characters in one movie all hidden behind a mask or with superpowers. From here on out, we know that heroes can work together and will all be called upon if needed.

Iron Man 3

This is the first time we catch up with one of the Avengers after the events of New York City in the Avengers. We get to see how being a hero can affect someone along with the characteristics and events that make a hero.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 Episode 1-7

This is totally optional but again, the television series is a fun way to see some behind the Avengers details. Be careful not to watch past episode 7 at this point because it may contain spoilers for the next Marvel movie.

Thor: The Dark World

We can’t keep going without watching this one. Well, you can, and some do. But it’s a Marvel cinematic movie, which to us, makes it part of the list.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 Episode 8-15

Now you can watch the rest of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1, things will make sense better after watching Thor and nothing’s spoiled. Just don’t go past episode 15 until after watching the next movie on the list.

Captain America: Winter Soldier

Wow, this movie is an awesome one and reminds us why we love the Marvel cinematic universe. After Thor: The Dark World, we needed this.  For kids that love the movie, we have 26 great activity pages for Captain America: Winter Soldier.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 Episode 16-22

Finish off the season of Agents and rest assured you’re ready for the next Avengers movie when it comes up.

Guardians of The Galaxy

Curveball! Yes, even deep in another galaxy, the Marvel Universe is at work. Meet a handful of new superheroes, and then just wait, because they won’t show back up for a long time. The key here is seeing the power of some of the elements in outer space.

Guardians of The Galaxy Vol 2

This is one of the only times when we watch a sequel right after the original. The sequel picks up a few months after the events of the first Guardians of The Galaxy.

This movie is about the relationship between the guardians, and we learn even more about Thanos and the Infinity Stones.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Episode 1-19

Come back down to earth and see what’s going on with Hydra, experiments and other evil things lurking in the shadows.

DareDevil Season 1

This one is super optional and only available on Netflix. This gives us a look at Hell’s Kitchen and how they’re dealing with the events of the first Avengers movie. Also, we meet DareDevil.

Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron

The Avengers are back and ready to defend earth, well a piece of earth, that isn’t exactly on earth…you’ll see. We also get the groundwork for the inner relationships between the Avengers and their team; if you have seen this movie be sure to see if you found all of the Avengers Age of Ultron Easter Eggs.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 episode 20-22

After watching Age of Ultron, you may have some questions, and some will get answered here while others will be ignored.

Ant-Man

The Marvel cinematic universe is definitely not over introducing new heroes and this movie is a prime example of that. Shrink down to the size of an ant and even visit Cap’s Avengers training headquarters.

Jessica Jones Season 1

Another super optional watch for the same reasons. Netflix is building almost their own Marvel Universe, but it still deals with the fall outs from the mainstream movies as well.

Agents of Shield (season 3, episodes 1-10)

Agents of the Shield are slowly pulling away from the Marvel cinematic universe, and for a good reason; that might become clearer in future movies. However, some ties to Captain America Civil War will need to be avoided AFTER episode 10 of the third season, which brings me to the next movie in the lineup.

Marvel’s Daredevil Season 2 (Netflix)

Another show that isn’t directly tied to the cinematic universe is Daredevil. If you watch season 2 of Daredevil in this spot of the Marvel movies in order, then you will get more of the jokes and easter eggs that pop up throughout the show.

Just remember, Daredevil’s Hell’s Kitchen relies on the cinematic universe, not the other way around.

Luke Cage (Netflix)

It seems like the marriage between Netflix and Marvel is one made in heaven because they just can’t seem to mess up. Luke Cage isn’t mandatory to the lineup, but it is a must-see season. The beautiful thing about this list is that you can very well just follow the Netflix side of things if you wish.

The order is the same as presented so far and will work perfectly.

Agent Carter Season 2

Season 2 of the hit show Agent Carter got mixed reviews. Part of the reason for that was due to timing and the ties to the cinematic universe. Overall, the story didn’t seem to matter to anything else in the Marvel world and was just to keep the hits coming from Marvel and ABC. We’re going to mark this one as optional as well.

Agents of Shield Season 3 Episode 11-19

It is kind of sad that these fit so well in this order, but nothing is mandatory. Feel free to skip this one if you wish. You won’t lose any information or wonder what is going on anywhere else.

Iron Fist (Season 1)

Iron Fist is a Netflix series that doesn’t really affect the storyline of the Marvel cinematic universe. Still, this is where it will make the most sense and is entirely worth watching. There will be a few small references to the cinematic universe but it will take eagle-eye viewers to notice.

Captain America Civil War

We’ve finally made it back to a mandatory watch, a must-see, and a great ride. Here is where we get a lot of set-up for future movies, hints at what’s to come, and introductions that can get a little sticky. Sticky like a spider web, hopefully, you get that joke.

Black Widow

Yes, Black Widow came out in 2021, however, the story takes place right here, after Civil War. That is a perfect example of why the MCU timeline is better than the chronological release. The movie gives us a deeper insight into Black Widow and into Nat herself.

There is a big warning, though, for first-time viewers: Skip the end credit scenes. They won’t make sense to you and will spoil later things. So, turn it off as soon as the credits roll. Then, return to it after watching Falcon and the Winter Soldier. 

Agents of SHIELD Season 3 Episode 20-22

Now is when you’ll get more references to the cinematic universe particularly what just transpired in Civil War. Sure, the episodes aren’t mandatory, but they get back to the fun again, and we start to see a SHIELD we can love like we did before.

The Defenders (Season 1)

Introducing the Defenders! The Defenders is a Netflix series that brings the heroes from the “Marvel Netflix Universe” together in an Avengers-esque fashion.

Again, there is no big impact on the cinematic universe, but it is still a great watch, and timeline-wise, this is where it fits into the world.

Agents of Shield (Season 4 Episodes 1-6)

Now, even further from the cinematic universe, Shield is still chugging along. In fact, this season takes our heroes to new heights, and small references to the world outside of them will be present.

Spiderman Homecoming

Spiderman Homecoming picks up right where Civil War ends, sort of. Actually, if you’re watching all of the Marvel movies in order, this movie opens with scenes of Civil War, but as seen through the eyes of Peter Parker.

As the movie continues, we see bits and pieces that prepare us for things to come in Infinity War.

Doctor Strange

Welcome Benedict Cumberbatch into the Marvel cinematic universe in a very strange way. What’s important in this movie is the introduction of magic to the Marvel universe, but there’s so much more.

We also get introduced to multiple dimensions, which will come in handy later in the universe. This is why it’s currently here on the list of Marvel movies in order.

Black Panther

We first met Black Panther in Captain America Civil War and now we get to see what he was doing immediately after the war. This Marvel movie has made waves in the world of cinema, and for good reason.

The story introduces a new level of villain and a bunch of new tech that is very important to the Marvel cinematic universe. This is a must see and fits in perfectly right here.

Agents of Shield ( Season 4 episode 7-22)

It’s time to wrap up another season of Agents of Shield and move on from this side of the universe. We will be returning but there will be plenty to get to know about in between.

Don’t throw in the towel just yet with Sheild; they are far from over.

Thor: Ragnarok

Thor is back in a “solo” adventure, and it is a thousand times better than his last solo venture. Thor Ragnarok will not only bring Thor back into the good graces of many fans, but it is a vital story to the overall arch of the Avengers.

This is a must-watch if you plan on following the entire story.

The Punisher (Season 1)

Alright, here is an issue: we have skipped over something that, in terms of timeline, fits before The Punisher. However, The Punisher is a much better story, and we can leave the Inhumans behind.

Agents of Shield (Season 5 Episodes 1-10)

This is the beginning of the end of the Agents of Shield, as this is the final season. This season brings back a lot of the things we loved about Agents of Shield, although the tie-ins are still gone.

If you want to finish the Agents of Shield, this is when you’ll watch the first set of episodes.

Luke Cage (Season 2)

Luke Cage season 2 shows us that heroes do keep each other’s phone numbers in this universe. It is an excellent watch, and continuing in the Netflix universe, we push the story further.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Alright, here is where some controversy comes into the timeline of the Marvel Cinematic universe. If you’re a true fan, you’ve probably watched all of the end-credit scenes of every Marvel movie ever made.

However, the end credit scene here has a spoiler for the next movie in the lineup, a huge spoiler! However, time-wise, this is where Ant-Man and The Wasp fit into everything.

You could, however, swap this one with the next one and just travel back in time slightly and then meet concurrently with the next movie’s time.

Avengers: Infinity War

We’ve made it! We’re here at the movie that has been over a decade in the making, Avengers Infinity War. This movie has a big payoff for everyone who has been following every single movie and television series from Marvel.

If you’ve made it this far, you probably will laugh louder, cry harder, and stand instead of being on the edge of your seat throughout this film.

Avengers Endgame

We’ve made it to the end. It has been a long ride from 2008 until 2019. The Marvel cinematic universe has been an impressive feat, even if you aren’t a fan of the movies. Though you’re here, you are probably a fan.

Maybe not exactly from the beginning, but from early on, the Marvel movies have been laying the groundwork for something bigger, and Endgame is it. There are so many more movies and shows sure to come out of the Marvel Universe.

This is a list to get you ready and help you make the most sense of how to watch Marvel movies in order. Like our Star Wars Movies in order post, this is truly optional and in no way the way you must watch them.

It is, however, the coolest way to enjoy the films.

Loki

Loki is a show on Disney+ that could be argued that it should be watched after the first Avengers movie. That argument would be wrong but understandable. It should only be watched after Endgame, but it could be after Wandavision as well.

In fact, it can almost be watched just about anywhere after Avengers. But to be sure we get the most from this series, it is best to hold off until Endgame and then watch this show.

But you definitely can watch it anywhere after Endgame. We are placing it here because we are uncertain of things to come. There may be something that comes out later that will give us a better understanding of where this show fits in Marvel movies in order.

WandaVision

We are diving back into the MCU with the world’s weirdest couple, Wanda and Vision. You surely remember what happened to Vision back in Infinity War. The question is, why is he here?

Why is it a sitcom traveling through the decades? And what does Darcey Lewis have to do with it? We will be finding out in this new Disney+ series which will be tied into the next phase of Marvel movies.

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

This movie is definitely a must-watch in the MCU timeline order. We can tell from things happening in the movie that this takes place after Endgame. The season also seems to be around spring, maybe early summer.

That means this one also takes place months after Endgame. It is safe to say that this could even be happening alongside the events of Falcon Winter Soldier.

So maybe spring or early summer of 2023 in the MCU timeline order. Realistically, Shang Chi and Falcon Winter Soldier could be watched in any order. Just make sure you start with Wandavision after Endgame. 

The Falcon Winter Soldier

Things are going to get a bit specific here, but that just means we have a better understanding of the timeline. For example, we know that the events of Endgame took place in the MCU during 2023.

Wandavision happens just weeks after Endgame ends. There are no real identifiers in Falcon Winter Soldier for when it takes place. But we can be certain that it was a little after Wandavision and before the end of the year (more on that later).

So Falcon Winter Soldier fits perfectly right here. Given the season in the show, we can tell it happens months after Endgame.  

Eternals

Eternals start at the beginning of time. However, the story does mention the events of Endgame. That means it fits nicely right here after Shang Chi and before the next lineup.

In fact, we can rest assured that this movie takes place in late 2023 or early 2024, given the seasons in the movie. It seems to be pretty cold outside, which puts us in winter.

But no show or movie has expressed 2024 vibes just yet. So, it is safe to say this happens in the winter of 2023/2024. This is another great watch, as pretty much everything from Wandavision out is clearly setting up things to come. 

Spiderman Far From Home/No Way Home

Spiderman No Way Home has not come out as of writing this (literally one week away). However, We know that Far From Home happens in 2024, thanks to talking about how long it has been since Endgame in the movie.

But we also already know that No Way Home is basically going to pick up right where Far From Home left off. That means timeline-wise, these two will go together.

No spoilers for anything as No Way Home has not come out as of writing this, this will age well, but maybe add Venom: Let There be Carnage into the mix. Technically, it’s not part of the MCU, but you will see why we suggest this. 

Hawkeye

Hawkeye is one of the only Marvel properties that has gone full seasonal. Most movies and shows will mention seasons, but there won’t be major plot points. Is Halloween WandaVision episode, anyone?

But Hawkeye takes it to another level by using Christmas as a marketing tool. That means Hawkeye takes place literally the week of Christmas in 2024. That puts it right here in the lineup, technically after No Way Home, but I am still not entirely sure since we mentioned above that No Way Home has not been released as of writing this.