How to watch Marvel movies in order

Despite its occasional ups and downs, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a globally successful media franchise. The films made by MCU have won the hearts of many audiences across the world due to their impeccable storytelling, brilliant characterization, and dazzling visual effects, among others.

As is the case with many other movie or television franchise, such as the Star Wars movies, many people find it difficult to follow a set order to watch the movies. Moreover, there are even a few who have watched the series or movies but are looking for new ways to rewatch them.

If someone belongs to any of those categories then this article is for them. It will take the viewers through the different ways they can begin their MCU marathon or one movie/episode a day journey.

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First time watching Marvel movies (or not)?

Marvel heroes from Phases 1 to 3 in a poster for Marvel Studios: 10 Year Celebration (Image via Marvel Studios)

Marvel Studios always releases movies, shows, or specials in parts called "Phases." Each phase is comprised of a single story arc that begins with the first Marvel movie/show and culminates with the final movie of that phase. Moreover, each phase also has subplots and story arcs resolved either in one film or carried over in multiple movies.

The first three phases are collectively called the Infinity Saga, which focuses primarily on the villain Thanos. Meanwhile, phases 4, 5, and 6 are called the Multiverse Saga, which will center around Kang the Conqueror.

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Release-order viewing (the best way for beginners)

The cast and crew of MCU movies at a group photo celebrating ten years of the franchise (Image via Marvel Studios)

The best way to watch all Marvel movies would be in their repective release orders. This is encouraged because of the studios' implementation of mid-credit and post-credit scenes in each of their films. These scenes tease either the following installment or feature an overarching narrative.

This is a fun treat for those fans who have the patience to sit through the credits and view the names of all the people who worked hard to deliver a particular movie or show, whether it be the writing team or the VFX team.

The viewing order will thus be:

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. WandaVision (2021; Disney+ series)
2. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021; Disney+ series)
3. Loki (2021; Disney+ series)
4. Black Widow (2021)
5. What If...? (2021; Disney+ series)
6. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
7. Eternals (2021)
8. Hawkeye (2021; Disney+ series)
9. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
10. Moon Knight (2022; Disney+ series)
11. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
12. Ms. Marvel (2022; Disney+ series)
13. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
14. I Am Groot (2022; Disney+ series)
15. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022; Disney+ series)
16. Werewolf by Night (2022; Disney+ special)
17. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
18. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022; Disney+ special)

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Chronological order (for fans who want a new way to watch)

For fans who have already seen the films in order of release and are looking for a new way to watch them all over again, then watching them in chronological or timeline order, as per the film's setting with regards to time, is an excellent way to go.

Hence, the chronological order would be:

1. Captain America: The First Avenger (1940-42)
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. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
9. Iron Man 3 (2013)
10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
11. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2014)
13. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
14. Ant-Man (2015)
15. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
16. Black Widow (2016)
17. Black Panther (2016)
18. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016)
19. Doctor Strange (2016-17)
20. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
21. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2017)
22. Avengers: Infinity War (2017)
23. Avengers: Endgame (2017-2023)
24. Loki (alternate 2012; the show goes into different points in time)
25. What If...? (2012; different episodes at different points in time)
26. WandaVision (2023)
27. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2024)
28. Eternals (2024)
29. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2024)
30. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2024)
31. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2024)
32. Hawkeye (Christmas 2024)
33. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2024-25)
34. Moon Knight (2025)
35. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2025)
36. Ms. Marvel (2025)
37. Thor: Love and Thunder (2025)
38. Werewolf by Night (2025)
39. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2025)
40. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Christmas 2025)

Note: I Am Groot's timeline placement is unclear or has not yet been revealed. Hence, it is not part of this list.

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Those with a Disney+ subscription (new and old viewers alike)

MCU Content in Disney+ Hotstar (Image via Disney+ Hotstar)

This is a tricky way of viewing almost all movies and shows as some projects are absent. A few example of this would be 2008's The Incredible Hulk, as the movie's distribution rights belong to Universal, and the MCU Spider-Man flicks, although Homecoming and Far From Home are available in certain regions of the world (India, UK, Japan, and Latin America).

However, the viewing order is entirely up to the people, whether it be chronological or release-date wise. This order is in terms of release date:

Phase One-Three:

1. Iron Man (2008)
2. Iron Man 2 (2010)
3. Thor (2011)
4. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
5. The Avengers (2012)
6. Iron Man 3 (2013)
7. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
9. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
11. Ant-Man (2015)
12. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
13. Doctor Strange (2016)
14. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
15. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017; UK, India)
16. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
17. Black Panther (2018)
18. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
19. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
20. Captain Marvel (2019)
21. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
22. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019; Japan and Latin America)

Captain America in Avengers: Endgame (Image via Marvel Studios)

Phase Four:

1. WandaVision (2021)
2. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
3. Loki (2021)
4. Black Widow (2021)
5. What If...? (2021)
6. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
7. Eternals (2021)
8. Hawkeye (2021)
9. Moon Knight (2022)
10. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
11. Ms. Marvel (2022)
12. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
13. I Am Groot (2022)
14. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
15. Werewolf by Night (2022)
16. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
17. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)

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The Spider-Man: No Way Home viewing guide

Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and Electro in promotional posters for Spider-Man: No Way Home (Images via Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios)

Spider-Man: No Way Home is where the viewing gets interesting. It explores the multiverse (or Spider-Verse) in depth and incorporates Spider-Man characters from non-MCU franchises. This includes Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Mans from the Sam Raimi trilogy and Marc Webb duology, respectively, with specific foes like Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Sandman, Electro, and the Lizard.

To fully appreciate No Way Home, which is a 20-year celebration of Spider-Man's cinematic history, one must watch the following movies to understand in depth both Tobey and Andrew's Spider-Mans and their respective foes:

1. Spider-Man (2002)
2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
3. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
4. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

To understand Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock/Venom from No Way Home's mid-credit scene, one must also watch both his movies:

1. Venom (2018)
2. Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

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The Marvel Netflix shows

Danny Rand (Iron Fist), Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Matt Murdock (Daredevil) in a poster for The Defenders (Image via Marvel/Netflix))

The Netflix shows started with some connection to the MCU via easter eggs and minor references but ultimately lost all connection. Hence, it is harder to place them in chronological order and to figure out where they fit in the overall MCU.

As of now, only two characters have made it from the Netflix series to projects produced by Marvel Studios: Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin. To understand them, fans must watch all three seasons of Daredevil, now streaming on Disney+ (Disney+ Hotstar), and also prepare for the revival of Daredevil: Born Again.

As an optional viewing to understand more about Charlie Cox's Daredevil, fans can also watch the miniseries The Defenders, streaming on Disney+ (Disney+ Hotstar).

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This is a comprehensive guide to watching all the Marvel movies in any particular order. Do you have any other suggestions for how to watch them? Let us know in the comments down below.