Starting a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) marathon is a great way to dive into over a decade of amazing movies. When you watch them back-to-back, you get to see how the stories and characters grow. Each movie adds something to the story before it, weaving everything into a big, exciting tale.
The MCU mixes action, drama, and humour while exploring big ideas like heroism, sacrifice, and what it means to have power. Watching all the films doesn’t just entertain; it makes you feel closer to the characters and their journeys.
How to Watch Marvel Movies in Order
By Release Date
Watching Marvel movies in the order they came out is like watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe grow up. the story and characters develop just as audiences did then. You get to see how everything unfolds in the order the filmmakers planned.
This method isn’t just about watching the movies as they were released. It’s also about seeing how the stories and characters grow. Plus, you can spot all the changes in how the movies are made over the years.
| Release Date | Movie Title |
| May 2, 2008 | Iron Man |
| June 13, 2008 | The Incredible Hulk |
| May 7, 2010 | Iron Man 2 |
| May 6, 2011 | Thor |
| July 22, 2011 | Captain America: The First Avenger |
| May 4, 2012 | The Avengers |
| May 3, 2013 | Iron Man 3 |
| November 8, 2013 | Thor: The Dark World |
| April 4, 2014 | Captain America: The Winter Soldier |
| August 1, 2014 | Guardians of the Galaxy |
| May 1, 2015 | Avengers: Age of Ultron |
| July 17, 2015 | Ant-Man |
| May 6, 2016 | Captain America: Civil War |
| November 4, 2016 | Doctor Strange |
| May 5, 2017 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 |
| July 7, 2017 | Spider-Man: Homecoming |
| November 3, 2017 | Thor: Ragnarok |
| February 16, 2018 | Black Panther |
| April 27, 2018 | Avengers: Infinity War |
| July 6, 2018 | Ant-Man and the Wasp |
| March 8, 2019 | Captain Marvel |
| April 26, 2019 | Avengers: Endgame |
| July 2, 2019 | Spider-Man: Far From Home |
| May 7, 2021 | Black Widow |
| September 3, 2021 | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings |
| November 5, 2021 | Eternals |
| December 17, 2021 | Spider-Man: No Way Home |
| May 6, 2022 | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness |
| July 8, 2022 | Thor: Love and Thunder |
| November 11, 2022 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever |
| February 17, 2023 | Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania |
| May 5, 2023 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 |
| July 28, 2023 | The Marvels |
By Chronological Order
Watching Marvel movies chronologically allows you to see the story unfold sequentially. This way of watching the film makes it easier to understand how everything fits together over time. It shows how characters change and grow and how the plot builds up. This can make the whole Marvel universe feel more genuine and engaging as it gets bigger.
| Order | Movie Title | Year | Plot | Chronological Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Captain America: The First Avenger | 2011 | Steve Rogers becomes Captain America. He fights Red Skull in World War II. | Steve Rogers’ story during World War II. |
| 2 | Captain Marvel | 2019 | Carol Danvers becomes Captain Marvel. She fights Skrulls and learns her past. | Carol Danvers’ story in the 90s. |
| 3 | Iron Man | 2008 | Tony Stark builds a suit to escape. He becomes Iron Man. | Tony Stark becomes Iron Man. |
| 4 | Iron Man 2 | 2010 | Tony faces new enemies. He deals with health issues as Iron Man. | Tony Stark’s new challenges as Iron Man. |
| 5 | The Incredible Hulk | 2008 | Bruce Banner seeks a cure for his Hulk problem. He avoids capture. | Bruce Banner tries to control the Hulk. |
| 6 | Thor | 2011 | Thor is sent to Earth. He learns humility and fights his brother Loki. | Thor’s exile to Earth and growth as a hero. |
| 7 | The Avengers | 2012 | Heroes team up. They stop Loki and an alien attack on New York. | Formation of the Avengers to defend Earth. |
| 8 | Iron Man 3 | 2013 | Tony battles PTSD. He faces a terrorist called the Mandarin. | Tony Stark’s fight with trauma and a new enemy. |
| 9 | Thor: The Dark World | 2013 | Thor and Jane Foster stop Dark Elves from harming the universe. | Thor fights to save the universe from a dark force. |
| 10 | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | 2014 | Steve Rogers fights a new threat: his old friend, the Winter Soldier. | Steve Rogers faces a new enemy from his past. |
| 11 | Guardians of the Galaxy | 2014 | Misfits team up. They keep a powerful orb from evil hands. | The Guardians’ first mission. |
| 12 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | 2017 | The Guardians face family issues. They fight Ego the Living Planet. | The Guardians deal with personal conflicts. |
| 13 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | 2015 | The Avengers battle Ultron, an AI gone wrong. | The Avengers face a powerful AI threat. |
| 14 | Ant-Man | 2015 | Scott Lang becomes Ant-Man. He does a heist to save the world. | Scott Lang becomes Ant-Man and his first mission. |
| 15 | Captain America: Civil War | 2016 | The Avengers split over government control. | The Avengers face internal conflict and split. |
| 16 | Black Widow | 2021 | Natasha Romanoff faces her past. She fights to end the Red Room. | Natasha Romanoff’s fight against her past. |
| 17 | Black Panther | 2018 | T’Challa becomes king of Wakanda. He faces a challenger. | T’Challa’s rise as king and defense of Wakanda. |
| 18 | Spider-Man: Homecoming | 2017 | Peter Parker balances school and being Spider-Man. He fights the Vulture. | Peter Parker’s early days as Spider-Man. |
| 19 | Doctor Strange | 2016 | Stephen Strange learns magic to heal and protect the world. | Stephen Strange’s journey from surgeon to sorcerer. |
| 20 | Thor: Ragnarok | 2017 | Thor and Hulk team up. They try to save Asgard from Hela. | Thor and Hulk try to save Asgard. |
| 21 | Avengers: Infinity War | 2018 | Heroes unite to stop Thanos from getting the Infinity Stones. | The Avengers and allies fight to stop Thanos. |
| 22 | Ant-Man and the Wasp | 2018 | Scott and Hope save her mother from the quantum realm. | Scott Lang and Hope’s mission to rescue Janet. |
| 23 | Avengers: Endgame | 2019 | The Avengers try to undo Thanos’s actions. | The Avengers’ final battle to reverse Thanos’s damage. |
| 24 | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | 2021 | Shang-Chi fights his father’s Ten Rings group. | Shang-Chi fights against his father’s group. |
| 25 | Eternals | 2021 | Ancient aliens reunite to fight evil Deviants on Earth. | The Eternals protect Earth from an old threat. |
| 26 | Spider-Man: Far From Home | 2019 | Peter Parker goes to Europe. He battles Mysterio. | Peter Parker’s adventure in Europe. |
| 27 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | 2021 | Peter deals with his exposed identity. He faces villains from other worlds. | Peter Parker’s struggle with revealed identity. |
| 28 | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | 2022 | Doctor Strange travels the multiverse to stop a big threat. | Stephen Strange’s journey through the multiverse. |
| 29 | Thor: Love and Thunder | 2022 | Thor seeks peace but must fight Gorr the God Butcher. | Thor’s quest for peace and new battle. |
| 30 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | 2022 | Wakanda defends itself after King T’Challa’s death. | Wakanda’s fight to protect itself after T’Challa. |
| 31 | Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania | 2023 | Scott and allies explore the Quantum Realm. They face a new danger. | Scott Lang’s exploration of the Quantum Realm. |
| 32 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | 2023 | The Guardians go on a final mission to protect one of their own. | The Guardians’ final mission together. |
| 33 | The Marvels | 2023 | Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau fight a space threat. | Team-up to face a new cosmic threat. |
You may also like our article on DC Movies in Chronological & Release Order.
Conclusion
In conclusion, watching Marvel movies in a specific order helps you get the big picture. You can watch them chronologically or in the order in which they came out. Both ways have their perks. Watching them chronologically lets you see the story unfold like it does in the Marvel world. It’s like reading the chapters of a book in order.
On the other hand, watching them in release order lets you experience the movies the way fans did when they first hit theatres. You see how the storytelling and characters grow over time.
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Sara Sabrena is an experienced content writer and a passionate movie fan. She loves analyzing movies and writes engaging reviews and in-depth analyses of films, from independent ones to big blockbusters. With her background in literature and media studies, Sara adds depth and her own unique viewpoint to her writing.