The Marvel Cinematic Universe now spans 18 years, six phases, and dozens of films and shows — which makes “where do I even start?” a completely fair question. Here’s the full MCU movie lineup in release order, phase by phase, updated for 2026.
Quick answer: If you’re new to the MCU, watch in release order. It’s how the story, character arcs, and surprise cameos were designed to land, and it mirrors how the franchise itself built its mythology one film at a time.
Phase 1: The Beginning (2008–2012)
- Iron Man (2008) — Billionaire engineer Tony Stark is captured by terrorists, builds a powered suit to escape, and becomes Iron Man — the film that started the entire MCU.
- The Incredible Hulk (2008) — Bruce Banner, on the run from the military, struggles to control the rage-fueled Hulk while searching for a cure.
- Iron Man 2 (2010) — Stark battles the effects of his own arc reactor while facing a vengeful new enemy, and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s presence in his life grows.
- Thor (2011) — The arrogant Asgardian prince is banished to Earth without his powers and must learn humility to become worthy of his hammer again.
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) — Scrawny Steve Rogers becomes a super-soldier to fight the Nazi-adjacent organization HYDRA during WWII.
- The Avengers (2012) — Loki leads an alien invasion of Earth, forcing Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye to unite for the first time.
Phase 2: Expanding the Universe (2013–2015)
- Iron Man 3 (2013) — Stark deals with PTSD after the Avengers battle while hunting a terrorist mastermind known as the Mandarin.
- Thor: The Dark World (2013) — Thor must save the Nine Realms from the ancient Dark Elf Malekith, who seeks to plunge the universe into darkness.
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) — Rogers uncovers a HYDRA conspiracy that has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. from within, and faces a mysterious assassin from his past.
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) — A ragtag group of misfits and criminals team up to stop a fanatic from acquiring a powerful orb, introducing the MCU’s cosmic side properly.
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) — Tony Stark’s AI-defense program goes rogue, creating the villainous Ultron and forcing the team to confront the consequences of their own ambitions.
- Ant-Man (2015) — Ex-con Scott Lang dons a size-shifting suit to pull off a heist that could save the world.
Phase 3: The Infinity Saga Concludes (2016–2019)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016) — A government mandate to regulate superheroes splits the Avengers into two opposing factions led by Cap and Iron Man.
- Doctor Strange (2016) — A brilliant but arrogant surgeon loses the use of his hands and turns to mysticism, becoming the Sorcerer Supreme.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) — Peter Quill discovers the identity of his father while the Guardians face new cosmic threats.
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) — Peter Parker balances high school life with superheroics while mentored (and monitored) by Tony Stark.
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017) — Thor is stripped of his hammer and forced into gladiatorial combat while his sister Hela threatens to destroy Asgard.
- Black Panther (2018) — T’Challa returns home to the technologically advanced, hidden nation of Wakanda to claim the throne and defend it from a challenger.
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018) — Thanos hunts down all six Infinity Stones, and the combined might of the Avengers and Guardians isn’t enough to stop him.
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) — Scott Lang teams up with Hope van Dyne to rescue her mother from the Quantum Realm.
- Captain Marvel (2019) — Carol Danvers, a former Air Force pilot turned Kree warrior, uncovers her past and the truth about an intergalactic war.
- Avengers: Endgame (2019) — The surviving Avengers attempt a time-heist to undo Thanos’s snap, culminating in the Infinity Saga’s climactic final battle.
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) — In the aftermath of Endgame, Peter Parker faces Mysterio while grappling with expectations to fill Iron Man’s shoes.
Phases 1–3 together make up “The Infinity Saga” — if you only want the core Thanos storyline, these 23 films are the essential run.
Phase 4: A New Era (2021–2022)
- Black Widow (2021) — A prequel exploring Natasha Romanoff’s past, set after Civil War.
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) — Introduces martial-arts hero Shang-Chi and the mystical Ten Rings.
- Eternals (2021) — A team of ancient, god-like beings reveals themselves after millennia in hiding.
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) — A multiversal event bringing back past Spider-Man villains (and actors) across timelines.
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) — Strange confronts the dangers of multiverse travel with the Scarlet Witch.
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) — Thor faces Gorr the God Butcher alongside a returning, hammer-wielding Jane Foster.
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) — Wakanda defends itself after T’Challa’s death, introducing Namor and the underwater nation of Talokan.
Disney+ shows like WandaVision, Loki, and Hawkeye also released during this phase and are widely considered essential for understanding where the multiverse storyline goes next.
Phase 5: The Multiverse Saga Continues (2023–2024)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) — Scott Lang’s family is pulled into the Quantum Realm and its ruler, Kang.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) — The Guardians confront Rocket’s traumatic origin and the High Evolutionary.
- The Marvels (2023) — Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau join forces after their powers become entangled.
- Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) — First MCU-canon Deadpool film after the Disney/Fox acquisition, bringing Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine into the main MCU timeline.
- Captain America: Brave New World (2024) — Sam Wilson steps fully into the Captain America mantle amid international political tension.
- Thunderbolts* (2024) — A team of morally gray antiheroes and former villains is assembled for black-ops missions.
Phase 6: The Multiverse Saga Concludes (2025–2027)
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) — Introduces Marvel’s First Family, set on a separate Earth (Earth-828) with a retro-futuristic aesthetic, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm. The team must defend Earth from Galactus, a planet-devouring cosmic threat, while navigating their new lives as public heroes.
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31, 2026) — Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker in a new chapter following the reality-altering ending of No Way Home, with Peter rebuilding his life and hero identity from scratch.
- Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026) — Directed by the Russo brothers, this brings together an enormous ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr. (now playing the villainous Doctor Doom rather than Tony Stark), alongside Chris Evans, Tom Holland, and the cast of The Fantastic Four, as multiple timelines and heroes converge to face Doom’s threat.
- Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) — The planned finale of the current Multiverse Saga, expected to bring the various parallel timelines, universes, and hero teams built up across Phases 4–6 to a climactic convergence.
Note: Avengers: Doomsday was originally announced as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty before a cast change led Marvel to pivot the villain and retitle the film. Release dates and lineups this far out can still shift, so treat 2026–2027 entries as subject to change until closer to release.
Who’s Behind the Camera
A few directors show up again and again across the franchise, which is worth knowing if you enjoy a filmmaker’s style:
- The Russo Brothers (Anthony and Joe) — Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War, Endgame, and now Avengers: Doomsday. Widely credited with elevating the MCU’s action and ensemble-team choreography.
- Taika Waititi — Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder. Brought a distinct comedic, irreverent tone to the Thor films.
- Ryan Coogler — Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Grounded the franchise’s cosmic scale in real-world political and cultural themes.
- James Gunn — All three Guardians of the Galaxy films. Known for needle-drop soundtracks and found-family storytelling (he has since moved to lead DC Studios).
- Matt Shakman — WandaVision, and now The Fantastic Four: First Steps, bringing a retro-styled visual approach to Marvel’s First Family.
Most Essential Films (If You’re Short on Time)
If you don’t want to commit to all 40+ films, this shorter list hits the major turning points of the overall saga:
- Iron Man (2008)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
- Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Movies You Can Mostly Skip
Some entries are more standalone and can be skipped without losing major plot threads, if you’re optimizing for time:
- The Incredible Hulk (2008) — minimal callbacks elsewhere
- Thor: The Dark World (2013) — widely considered one of the weaker links, with few essential plot beats
- Eternals (2021) — mostly self-contained so far, though its cosmic lore may matter more later
There are two common ways to work through the MCU:
- Release order (what’s listed above) follows the sequence films actually came out in theaters. This is the recommended path for first-timers, since it preserves surprises, twists, and how the shared universe was gradually revealed.
- Chronological order follows the in-universe timeline instead — starting as far back as Captain America: The First Avenger’s WWII flashbacks and Agent Carter’s 1940s setting, then working forward. This is better suited to rewatches, since it highlights connections and callbacks you’d otherwise miss.
Our recommendation: Watch release order the first time through, then consider a chronological rewatch once you’re familiar with the characters and multiverse mechanics.
Do I Need to Watch the TV Shows Too?
Not strictly, but it depends on the phase. Phases 1–3 stand almost entirely on their own as movies. From Phase 4 onward, several shows (WandaVision, Loki, Ms. Marvel, Daredevil: Born Again) directly set up movie plotlines, so skipping them means missing context — especially heading into Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.
FAQ
What’s the best order to watch Marvel movies for a beginner? Release order. Start with Iron Man (2008) and work forward phase by phase.
Do I need to watch every MCU movie to understand Avengers: Doomsday? Not every single one, but the core Avengers-focused films plus Phase 6 entries (Fantastic Four: First Steps, Spider-Man: Brand New Day) will matter most.
Is The Incredible Hulk (2008) skippable? Mostly, yes — its direct callbacks are minimal, though it does establish some background lore.
What order should I watch the Infinity Saga in? Films 1–23 above, in release order, tell the complete Thanos arc from start to finish.
When does Avengers: Secret Wars come out? It’s currently planned for 2027, closing out the Multiverse Saga.
This guide will be updated as new Phase 6 release dates and details are confirmed. Bookmark it to stay current on the full Marvel movie order.