Marvel movie timeline: what order to watch the MCU in 2026

The Marvel movie timeline isn’t about mechanically working through every comic book adaptation back to back. Marvel has the MCU, the shared cinematic universe of Marvel Studios, and it also has separate versions of Spider-Man, the X-Men, Venom and other heroes. The order below is for the MCU specifically: Marvel Studios has released 38 films as of September 2026, and the next one, Avengers: Doomsday, comes out on December 18, 2026.

If you’re starting from scratch, go with release order: it does a better job with the twists, post-credits scenes and character arcs. Chronological order comes in handy for a rewatch, when you want to see the events of the Marvel world in the order they happen.

The short answer: what order to watch Marvel in

If you want	Choose	What you get
To watch the MCU for the first time	Release order	The fewest accidental spoilers and a logical introduction to the heroes.
To rewatch the story after Avengers: Endgame	Chronological order	A coherent timeline from World War II to the multiverse.
Just the main Avengers story	The 23 films of the Infinity Saga	Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the road to Endgame.
To keep going after Endgame	Phase 4–6 films and key series	Context for the multiverse, the new teams and Avengers: Doomsday.

Marvel movies in release order: the best option for a first watch

This is the default route. The MCU is split into two sagas: the Infinity Saga — Phases 1–3, 23 films from 2008 to 2019 about the Infinity Stones and Thanos — and the Multiverse Saga, Phases 4–6, which began in 2021. The numbering below runs straight through, from the first film to the 38th.

Phase 1 (2008–2012): meeting the heroes

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)

By the first Avengers movie, you can already see why release order works: the heroes only come together after you’ve gotten to know their personalities, powers and personal conflicts.

Phase 2 (2013–2015): the world gets bigger

7. Iron Man 3 (2013)
8. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
10. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
11. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
12. Ant-Man (2015)

This is where the cosmic storylines and the Infinity Stones come in, and the team runs into its first serious internal conflicts. Don’t skip Guardians of the Galaxy: it looks like a standalone story, but it becomes important later on.

Phase 3 (2016–2019): the road to Infinity War and Endgame

13. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
14. Doctor Strange (2016)
15. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
16. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
17. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
18. Black Panther (2018)
19. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
20. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
21. Captain Marvel (2019)
22. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
23. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

This is the heart of the big story. Ideally, watch every film in this phase before Infinity War: that way the heroes’ meetings, the stakes and the consequences of their decisions hit much harder. Ant-Man and the Wasp has an important post-credits scene, and Far From Home closes out the Infinity Saga.

Phase 4 (2021–2022): life after Endgame

24. Black Widow (2021)
25. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
26. Eternals (2021)
27. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
28. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
29. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
30. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Starting with Phase Four, Marvel also releases series on Disney+: some storylines begin there and continue in the movies. The ones you actually need are listed below.

Phase 5 (2023–2025): new teams

31. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
32. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
33. The Marvels (2023)
34. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
35. Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
36. Thunderbolts* (2025)

Phase 6 (2025–2027): building to Secret Wars

37. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
38. Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

Next up in Phase Six are Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (December 17, 2027). Secret Wars will close out the Multiverse Saga.

Marvel in chronological order: when the events take place

The order below follows Marvel’s official list on Disney+, published in June 2026, and covers films only. The years are based on dates within the films themselves; Marvel’s official 2023 timeline book gives different years in places — for example, it sets Iron Man in 2008.

1. Captain America: The First Avenger — 1943–1945
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 — 2016–2017
20. Thor: Ragnarok — 2017
21. Ant-Man and the Wasp — 2018
22. Avengers: Infinity War — 2018
23. Avengers: Endgame — 2023, after the five-year time jump
24. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings — 2024
25. Spider-Man: Far From Home — 2024
26. Eternals — 2024
27. Spider-Man: No Way Home — 2024
28. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — 2024
29. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — 2025
30. Thor: Love and Thunder — 2025
31. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania — 2026
32. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — 2026
33. The Marvels — 2026
34. Deadpool & Wolverine — 2024, outside the main timeline
35. Captain America: Brave New World — 2027
36. Thunderbolts* — 2027
37. The Fantastic Four: First Steps — 1964, in an alternate universe
38. Spider-Man: Brand New Day — 2028

Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn’t on the Disney+ list: it’s a Sony film, and it came out after the list was published. According to producer Amy Pascal, it takes place four years after No Way Home, while Kevin Feige has said the film’s events come before Doomsday.

Which Marvel series you need for the movies

The complete Disney+ list has 80 entries: films, series seasons, shorts and specials. You don’t have to watch everything; here are the series that have a noticeable impact on the films.

• WandaVision (2021) — leads directly into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and kicks off a trilogy continued by Agatha All Along (2024) and VisionQuest (premiering October 14, 2026).
• The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) — Captain America: Brave New World was conceived as a continuation of this series.
• Loki (2021, 2023) — the main multiverse series: this is where the Time Variance Authority (TVA) and He Who Remains, a variant of Kang from Quantumania, first appear. The TVA is back in the plot of Deadpool & Wolverine.
• Hawkeye (2021) — introduces Kate Bishop, and Yelena Belova, Black Widow’s sister, carries over from here into Thunderbolts*. The show’s spin-off is Echo (2024).
• Ms. Marvel (2022) — sets up the events of The Marvels.
• Daredevil: Born Again (2025–2026) — a continuation of the Daredevil series that ran on Netflix from 2015 to 2018. The third season is expected in March 2027.
• Ironheart (2025) — a direct sequel to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Moon Knight, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, What If…? and most of the other series can wait if your goal is to get through the main Marvel movies quickly.

What’s coming next: Marvel in 2026–2027

Dates are US premieres; in other countries, releases may start a few days earlier or later.

1. July 31, 2026

   Spider-Man: Brand New Day

   the 38th MCU film, already released

2. September 25, 2026

   Avengers: Endgame back in theaters

   re-release with exclusive footage from Doomsday

3. October 14, 2026

   VisionQuest

   Disney+ series, the final chapter of the WandaVision and Agatha All Along trilogy

4. December 18, 2026

   Avengers: Doomsday

   the 39th film

5. January 2027

   Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, season 2

   Disney+ animated series

6. March 2027

   Daredevil: Born Again, season 3

   eight episodes

7. December 17, 2027

   Avengers: Secret Wars

   the 40th film, the finale of Phase Six and the Multiverse Saga

8. 2028

   New X-Men, Ghost Rider and Black Panther films

   scheduled for May 5, July 28 and December 15, 2028

Marvel removed Blade from its release calendar in October 2024.

Three ready-made viewing routes

The minimal route: 10 films

For an introduction that won’t take dozens of hours, start with Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Age of Ultron, Civil War, Ragnarok, Black Panther, Infinity War and Endgame. Then decide which hero interests you most and go back to their standalone films.

The full route: 38 films in release order

The best way to catch every emotional turn and see how the scale of the MCU changed. After Endgame, alternate the films with the key series from the list above.

For a rewatch: chronological order

A good fit if you’ve already seen the main films and want to trace the path of the Infinity Stones, the evolution of the Avengers and the aftermath of the Blip without jumping around between release years.

Sources and methodology

Analysis of public sourcesChecked 19 September 2026

1. Marvel.com: MCU Timeline on Disney+ marvel.com
2. Marvel.com: D23 2026 marvel.com
3. Wikipedia: List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films en.wikipedia.org
4. Wikipedia: Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline en.wikipedia.org
5. Marvel.com: Avengers: Doomsday marvel.com

FAQ

How many Marvel movies are there?

As of September 2026, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has 38 released films: 23 in the Infinity Saga and 15 in the Multiverse Saga. The 39th, Avengers: Doomsday, comes out on December 18, 2026.

Which Marvel movie should you start with?

In release order, start with Iron Man (2008). If you’d rather go chronologically, the first film is Captain America: The First Avenger, which is set during World War II.

Do you need to watch every Marvel movie before the Avengers films?

No. For the first Avengers movie, the five solo films of Phase One are enough. But before Infinity War, it’s best to get through almost all of Phase Three: otherwise some of the heroes and their motivations will feel random.

Do you have to watch the Marvel series?

No. For the films, the most important ones are WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye and Ms. Marvel; the rest are optional.

Do you need to watch the X-Men and Venom movies?

Not for the main MCU timeline. But before Deadpool & Wolverine, it helps to revisit at least the solo Deadpool and Wolverine movies, and before No Way Home, the earlier Spider-Man films.

Where should a kid, or someone who doesn’t like superhero movies, start with Marvel?

Try Guardians of the Galaxy as a space adventure, Spider-Man: Homecoming as a teen story or Black Panther as a standalone drama. You don’t have to start with the full list.