Marvel Films in Order: Cinematic Universe List
Today we are here with you with our Marvel Films in Order: List of Marvel Cinematic Universe Films article. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a unique fictional universe with millions of fans around the world. This universe continues to expand day by day with new productions. The unknown things, the relationships between content, and the increase in characters make it difficult to follow this universe, but also enrich it. So, what should be the order to watch Marvel movies? If you are new to MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), we have prepared a guide to make your job easier.
First of all, let’s state this; We do not recommend watching Marvel movies in the order of their release date. Because this order of release dates is not chronological to better understand the general story. But of course, we will present you with this chronological order.
For the order of watching Marvel movies, of course, we recommend that you follow the order prepared according to the story integrity. This list is based on the events in each film in a way that preserves the integrity of the story and does not break the timeline. For example, the first movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was Iron Man, which was released in 2008. However, according to the story integrity and chronological order, this is not the first movie you should watch. The first movie you should watch is Captain America: The First Avenger. And, first of all, in this article, we will quickly create a list according to the release dates of the movies. Then we will present you with a chronological order with small explanations about the films. Let’s take a closer look at Marvel Films in Order: List of Marvel Cinematic Universe Films.
Marvel Films in Order: Release Date Order
Although we don’t recommend it, you may want to watch Marvel movies according to their release date. The best part of this is witnessing how Marvel’s productions evolve as movie budgets increase. We’ve also included the release dates of future movies. The list by release date will start with Iron Man in 2008 and end in 2019 Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. These films, which have a certain storyline, have been published in phases. The final fourth phase has not yet begun. However, we have added the possible release dates of the fourth phase films for you. These release dates may, of course, vary due to coronavirus. Let’s take a quick look at our Marvel Films in Order: Release Date Order list:
Marvel Films in Order, Phase One
- Iron Man (May 2008)
- The Incredible Hulk (June 2008)
- Iron Man 2 (May 2010)
- Thor (May 2011)
- Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22, 2011)
- Avengers Assemble (May 4, 2012)
Marvel Films in Order, Phase Two
- Iron Man 3 (May 2013)
- Thor: The Dark World (November 2013)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April 2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (August 2014)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 2015)
- Ant-Man (July 2015)
Marvel Films in Order, Phase Three
- Captain America: Civil War (May 2016)
- Doctor Strange (November 2016)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 2017)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 2017)
- Thor: Ragnarok (November 2017)
- Black Panther (February 2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (April 2018)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 2018)
- Captain Marvel (March 2019)
- Avengers: Endgame (April 2019)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 2019)
Marvel Films in Order, Phase Four
- Black Widow (November 6, 2020)
- The Eternals (February 12, 2021)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (May 7, 2021)
- Untitled third Spider-Man movie (December 17, 2021)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (February 11, 2022)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (March 25, 2022)
The future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Black Panther 2 (May 6, 2022)
- Captain Marvel 2 (July 8, 2022)
- Untitled Marvel movie (likely Ant-Man 3, October 7, 2022)
- Blade (TBD)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (TBD)
- Untitled Fantastic Four film (TBD)
Marvel Films in Order: Chronological Order
The first movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the Iron Man movie, which was released in 2008. However, according to the story integrity and chronological order, this is not the first movie you should watch. The first movie you should watch is Captain America: The First Avenger. In our list of Marvel Films in Order: Release Date Order, we quickly created a list of movies according to their release date. Now, in our Marvel Films in Order: Chronological Order list, we will present you with a chronological order with small explanations about the movies. You can reference this list as a complete MCU Timeline. So let’s take a look at our Marvel Films in Order: Chronological Order list.
Captain America: The First Avenger (takes place during WWII)
Although the production year is 2011, it is the first movie to be in chronological order in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The starting point of the Marvel and S.H.I.E.L.D. the universe is this movie. The movie Captain America: The First Avenger, where we watched how Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), who wanted to join the war during World War II. But he was rejected because he was very weak, turned into Captain America when he voluntarily joined the US super-soldier creation program. While watching the appearance of the first superhero in this movie, we are also aware of the existence of the first infinity stone.
Captain Marvel (takes place in 1995)
We witness ex-fighter pilot Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) becoming Captain Marvel. And she defends the Earth against two alien races thanks to the superpowers she acquired. Our hero, who rediscovers her planet and herself, is very important in these Marvel films in order list. Because she will be at the forefront of the Avengers: Endgame movie.
Iron Man (takes place in 2010)
Billionaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), a genius who produced a state of the art weapons for his country. He was supposed to make a missile to the people he was captured while promoting a missile he made in Afghanistan. He made himself an armour as the use of a different method to rescue himself. And this armour revealed our new hero Iron Man. In this movie, Stark showed what a hero should be like with his quick wit as well as his engineering skills.
Iron Man 2 (takes place after Iron Man)
In Iron Man 2, where billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who is now known to be Iron Man. Deals with government pressures to share the secret of his power armour. While he also dealing with an old story of revenge. Pepper Potts, which we will see much later ( Gwyneth Paltrow), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Also, we see Tony Stark’s best friend James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) as War Machine.
The Incredible Hulk (time unspecified, pre-Avengers)
In The Incredible Hulk, scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) undergoes a cellular change due to exposure to gamma rays. And when Bruce gets angry he turns into a green giant. We watch him break away from his old life and habits and surrender himself completely to the superhero, the Hulk.
Thor (takes place six months before Avengers)
The powerful and arrogant mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), who with his thoughtless demeanour restarts an ancient war, is exiled to Earth and forced to live with humans. As we meet Norse mythology in the first movie of the Thor series, Thor learns what a true hero should be when he sends his first great enemy, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), to invade Earth.
The Avengers (takes place in 2012)
S.H.I.E.L.D. Describing the formation and struggle of the team formed by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of the international peacekeeping organization known as his name, The Avengers was the first film to incorporate Marvel’s most iconic heroes. The Avengers team, consisting of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), after this movie, they will fight together against their enemies.
Iron Man 3 (takes place six months after The Avengers)
In Iron Man 3, we will watch Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who has psychological problems after the events in the Avengers movie and who has a tough struggle within himself, is hit by the Mandarin, a terrible terrorist, and he takes on a new lease of life. Of course, besides being a superhero, it brings great responsibilities, loved ones and Earth always need Stark.
Thor: Dark World (post-Avengers, pre-Ultron)
In the movie Thor: The Dark World, where Thor (Chris Hemsworth), who regained his invincible hammer and the right to return to Asgard, will try to protect Earth and the 9 Realms from the forces of the Dark Elves after his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston). As we reunite with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), we will encounter another of the infinity stones.
Captain America: Winter Soldier (post-Avengers, pre-Ultron)
Following the horrifying events in New York City with Captain America (Chris Evans) from The Avengers. The member of S.H.I.E.L.D. of his friend is attacked. And, he is drawn into a web of intrigue. We meet Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie) as they fight professional killers and conspiracies sent for him. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the most important films in the Marvel films in order list, as some of the events in the movie shape the subsequent films.
Guardians of the Galaxy (sometime in 2014)
Adventurer Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), who nicknamed himself Star-Lord, steals the enigmatic orb Ronan wants and threatens the entire universe, and the Raccoon Rocket (Bradley Cooper), who carries weapons to get rid of the bad guys, is the tree-like humanoid Groot (Vin Diesel), the deadly and mysterious Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and the destroyer Drax (Dave Bautista) is revealed to be forming a misfit team. And of course, the name of this team is Guardians of the Galaxy. As we learn more about the Infinity Stones, we begin to get to know the toughest enemy, Thanos.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (after Guardians)
The team, now a family, travels to the far reaches of space, fighting enemies to protect the galaxy. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) is starting to unravel the secrets of his past. Guardians of the Galaxy 2, which includes Gamora’s (Zoe Saldana) brother Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Mantis (Pom Kleentieff). Although the release date of his first film in 3 years, the two films must be watched consecutively because the time between events is very short.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (takes place in 2015)
Man-made artificial intelligence is none other than Ultron, with things getting out of hand while trying to re-launch a peacekeeping program that is not actively used. Ultron gets the opportunity to realize his plans that will bring about the end of the human race. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, where the Avengers team has come together once again to save the world from chaos, the importance of the infinity stones is emphasized once again and new Avengers members join the team; Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) held by HYDRA with Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Vision (Paul Bettany), Vision takes his power from the mind stone.
Ant-Man (takes place in 2015)
Biochemist Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) discovers how to change the size of matter and, after managing to communicate with insects with the tools he created, he chooses Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) to fight the evil forces by wearing the special outfit that he created. And save the world with the help of the outfit’s extraordinary powers. The Ant-Man movie, where we will get a lot of information about the quantum dimension, is one of the movies that should not be watched in this order.
Captain America: Civil War (post-Ultron, pre-Infinity War)
After the Age of Ultron, the American Government has begun to take an intolerant attitude towards the invincible. The frigid winds blowing between Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who advocates the system where heroes will only emerge when needed, and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), who advocates protecting humanity freely without government pressure, with Captain America’s attempt to save the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) it will turn into a storm. Captain America: Civil War is one of the key points of this list, where this separation turns into a civil war with everyone choosing their side.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (post-Civil War, pre-Infinity War)
We see post-Civil War Peter Parker (Tom Holland) both trying to become a member of the Avengers team and continue his high school education under the supervision of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man, who has not yet gained the trust of Iron Man, understands what it is to be a superhero in the movie Spider-Man: Homecoming, which returns from the brink of disaster while the emerging evil Vulture (Michael Keaton) is stopped. Forget about the previous Spider-Man movies, because this is the first movie to be part of the Marvel cinematic universe.
Doctor Strange (takes place in 2016)
Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is an arrogant neurosurgeon who needs treatment both physically and mentally after his traffic accident. Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), which the arrogant doctor, who ended his professional life, encountered on his journey, will open the door to mystical worlds for him, and with the help of magic and parallel worlds, Doctor Strange will emerge. And we not only meet our hero, Doctor Strange but also learn another important infinity stone: the time stone.
Black Panther (takes place in 2017)
Returning to Wakanda after Civil War, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) prepares to lead his secluded and developed country after the death of his father, while internal chaos ensued and an old enemy reappeared. In addition to getting to know our hero in this movie, where we will watch Black Panther, who wants to keep his country together and prevent him from entering the war, we also see Wakanda, where a large part of Infinity War will pass. (R.I.P Chadwick Boseman)
Thor: Ragnarok (post-Ultron, pre-Infinity War)
Post-Civil War Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is a prisoner of the very powerful Hela (Cate Blanchett) on planet Sakaar, far from Asgard, and worse, the hammer is shattered. We can say that the Thor: Ragnarok movie, in which we will watch our hero stop Ragnarok, known as the death of the gods, which are the basis of their civilization, and the collapse of his country Asgard, can be said to be the most important film to watch before the great war.
Ant-Man and The Wasp (Before Infinity War)
Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) tries to balance your responsibilities as a father with the burden of being Ant-Man. With Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) asking for his help on an urgent mission, Ant-Man puts on his costume once again. And he sets out to work with Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) to unravel the secrets of his past. Ant-Man and The Wasp movie have intersections with Infinity War. The film has an important place in the Marvel films in order list in terms of the continuation of the war.
Avengers: Infinity War (takes place in 2017)
Our heroes will come together against Thanos (Josh Brolin), who wants to destroy half of the world’s population as the owner of the 6 Infinity Stones after confronting them in the Civil War. In Avengers: Infinity War, where we will watch the war against Thanos with all his powers to change the fate of humanity, we will face their unfortunate fates together with our heroes.
Avengers: Endgame (starts in 2017, finishes in 2022)
Half of the world, including the superheroes, turned to ashes due to Thanos (Josh Brolin) taking over the Infinity Gauntlet and establishing his Earth balance. The remaining and mourning Avengers’ ace roster came from the quantum realm to Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) will be a ray of hope. We will watch the struggle and sacrifices of the team that will gather their forces for revenge and fight for the last time in Avengers: Endgame.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (post-Endgame)
We will witness the recovery process of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) in Spider-Man: Far From Home, which has a critical place in the list as it is the first movie we will watch after the great war. On a field trip to Europe, our hero will try to defeat our new villain Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) with the help of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Of course, adventures are not missing here. We would also like to state as a footnote that, at the end of the movie, do not forget to watch the last scene after the credits. With that scene, the 4th stage of the Marvel Universe officially begins.
Marvel Films in Order: Conclusion
Today, we discussed in our Marvel Films in Order: List of Marvel Cinematic Universe Films article. We have listed movies that have been released so far, both by release date and chronologically. We reached this list thanks to Wikipedia. I hope you, our readers, enjoy reading this listing. Well, what is the best Marvel movie in your opinion? This is a difficult question to answer. You can discuss this as you wish in the comments. In my opinion, the important point in this movie series is the strong bond between Endgame and Infinity War. Stay tuned.