Marvel Studios has become a master of making blockbuster movies with a dedicated fan base around its Cinematic Universe, the MCU. The studio closed Phase Four with the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and has since begun Phase Five, which includes multiple shows and movies.
Since the release of Jon Favreau’s Iron Man in 2008, the MCU has produced over thirty interconnected productions including movies, series, and short films. To help you keep track of all the references and Easter eggs, we have put together a guide to help you watch all the Avengers movies (and, effectively, the entire MCU) in chronological order.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe in Order
In general, the order in which movies are watched is usually equivalent to the order in which they were shot, with a few exceptions, such as with Guardians of the Galaxy and the Netflix series (now available on Disney+). However, this is not always the case, which is why we created this guide. We have divided the guide by “years” so that you can view all the movies and series in a more or less coherent order.
The Past
- Captain America: The First Avenger (1943-1945)
- Agent Carter [S1] (1946)
- Agent Carter [S2] (1947)
- Agent Carter [One-Shot] (1947)
- Captain Marvel (1995, flashbacks to 1989)
- Iron Man (2008 | Year 0: 2010)
Year 1: Fury’s Big Week (2011)
- Iron Man 2 (2011)
- The Incredible Hulk (2008, the start of the “Fury’s Big Week”)
- The Consultant [One-Shot] (2011)
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer [One-Shot] (2011)
- Thor (2011, the end of the “Fury’s Big Week”)
Year 2: Battle of New York (2012)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Item 47 [One-Shot] (2012)
- Iron Man 3 (2013)
Year 3: The Sequels (2013)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S1, E01-07] (2013)
- All Hail the King [One-Shot] (2014)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S1, E08-15] (2013-2014)
Year 4: Hail Hydra (2014)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S1, E16-22] (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017, 3 to 4 months after the first one)
Years 5-6: Something’s Cooking in Hell’s Kitchen (2015-2016)
- Daredevil [S1] (2015, it starts 18 months after The Avengers)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S2, E01-20] (2014-2015)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S2, E21-22] (2015)
- Marvel’s Jessica Jones [S1] (2015)
- Ant-Man (2015)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S3, E01-10] (2015-2016)
- Daredevil [S2, it starts six months after S1] (2016)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016, 8 years after Iron Man according to the Vision)
- Marvel’s Luke Cage [S1] (2016)
- Iron Fist [S1] (2016)
- The Defenders (2016)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S3, E20-22] (2016)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S3, E11-19]
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S4]
- The Punisher [S1] (2016, at least 6 months after Daredevil S2)
Year 7: Path to Infinity (2017)
- Doctor Strange (2016-2017)
- Jessica Jones [S2]
- Black Panther (2018, it takes place weeks after T’Chaka’s death seen in Civil War)
- Black Window (2017)
- Marvel’s Inhumans [S1] (2017)
- Iron Fist [S2]
- Marvel’s Luke Cage [S2]
- Daredevil [S3]
- The Punisher [S2] (months after S1, references to Daredevil S3)
- Jessica Jones [S3]
- Marvel’s Runaways [S1]
- Marvel’s Runaways [S2] (it starts just after S1)
- Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger [S1]
- Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger [S2]
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017, 2 years after Avengers: Age of Ultron)
Year 8: Infinity (2018)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2018, supposedly a school year after Captain America: Civil War, but also “8 years after” The Avengers)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S5, Part 2, E12-23] (2017-2018)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S5, E14-22, note: these episodes, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Infinity War take place simultaneously] (2017-2018)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (2 years after Civil War)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018, 2 years after Civil War, 6 years after The Avengers)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S6]
Beyond Endgame (2018 Onwards)
- Avengers: Endgame (2018-2023)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S7]
- WandaVision (2023)
- Loki (indefinite, from 2023 to 2012)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2024)
- She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2024)
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2023-2024)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2024)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2024)
- Eternals (2024)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2024)
- Hawkeye (Christmas 2024)
- Echo (The main plot line takes place five months after the confrontation with Hawkeye, but the show includes flashbacks to the protagonist’s childhood and other sequences that are unclear)
- Moon Knight (spring 2025)
- Ms. Marvel
- Thor: Love and Thunder (indefinite, possibly 2025)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2025, simultaneously to Thor: Love and Thunder)
- Secret Invasion (2025)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2025, simultaneously to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
- The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Christmas 2025)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (right after the Christmas special)
- The Marvels (2026)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [S5, Part 1, E1-11] (2091)
There’s a minor inconsistency in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The movie is set eight years after The Avengers, but at the same time, it takes place the year after Civil War. This doesn’t quite add up. However, the issue was resolved when they made the official chronology of the movies public. Things differ when we consider the dialogues and flashbacks. For example, the story of Michael Douglas’ character in Ant-Man takes place about thirty years after Agent Carter and a few years before the deaths of Howard Stark and his wife.
The Netflix-produced shows now available on Disney+ add a layer of complexity. Although they do reference certain events from the movies, the connection to the rest of the MCU is not as closely intertwined as it is with ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The first season of this show had a plot twist based on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and it has always been concerned with referencing what is happening in the movies.
Over a Decade of Being an Inspiration
Marvel’s history in cinema has been quite strange. Until a few years ago, the publisher did not have a major studio backing heavily on its licenses. In fact, it was not until 1986 that we saw the first feature film based on one of its characters, Howard the Duck. Marvel did not have much luck until the new millennium.
In 1998, Marvel would start an era of co-productions. Bryan Singer’s X-Men, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, and Stephen Norrington’s Blade were the hits in an era marked by failures like Daredevil or Fantastic Four. It was clear that a change of strategy was needed. Marvel had recovered from bankruptcy, and they had to try something ambitious. I still remember the great enthusiasm (nerdgasm, rather) when Samuel L. Jackson appeared as Nick Fury in Iron Man’s (2008) end credits, talking to Tony Stark about an “Avengers Initiative”. What we had just seen was the beginning of something bigger.
A couple of months later, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) made a very brief (and strangely improvised in almost every way) appearance at the end of The Incredible Hulk. It was already tangible: The Avengers began its countdown, and ten years later, we have been able to enjoy more than thirty feature films, a dozen TV shows, and a handful of short films.
But they have not always come to us chronologically as their fictions narrate. The order we present to you here is as follows:
The Past
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has its origins in Captain America’s adventures during World War II. Although The First Avenger movie came after the first Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man films, it settles the chronological beginnings of Marvel’s superhero mythology with the introduction of the Super Soldier serum.
In addition to The First Avenger, this timeline includes Agent Carter, a TV show set in the 1940s (although it’s not entirely clear if it’s officially part of the MCU, it fits well with the Marvel stories), the Captain Marvel film (which shows us a young Nick Fury and the heroine’s arrival on Earth in 1989), and the Iron Man movie, which is considered the start of the Marvel movies saga.
Year 1: Fury’s Big Week (2011)
Nick Fury introduced the Avengers Initiative at the end of Iron Man, spreading his influence throughout the MCU. Some short films are set before The Avengers, as are the Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man 2 movies, all of which take place in 2011.
Year 2: Battle of New York (2012)
The first Avengers movie marked the first time all the previously told stories of the MCU converged with the heroes’ solo films. Also set in 2012 were the One-Shot Item 47 and the third installment of Iron Man, all analyzing the effects of the Battle of New York that culminated in The Avengers.
The first Avengers movie also established the tradition of post-credits sequences.
Year 3: The Sequels (2013)
In 2013, as per the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the aftermath of the Battle of New York was still being dealt with. The first Thor sequel was released, which had very few connections to the MCU. Additionally, the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was broadcast, hinting at a new MCU subplot where Captain America played a vital role. This subplot involved the presence of HYDRA double agents scattered throughout S.H.I.E.L.D. and other Marvel organizations.
It’s worth noting that not all of Marvel’s “minor” films were as disappointing as The Dark World.
Year 4: Hail Hydra (2014)
The impact of Hydra on the Marvel Cinematic Universe began with the first Captain America movie set in the contemporary world, The Winter Soldier, along with the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. The two Guardians of the Galaxy movies also took place in the same year, only a few months apart.
This was when Marvel became a hit-making machine, posing a real threat to “auteur” superhero movies.
Years 5-6: Something’s Cooking in Hell’s Kitchen (2015-2016)
From 2015 to 2016, a lot of significant events took place, especially with the launch of all the series that Netflix produced. It happened a year and a bit after the events of The Avengers, although it’s hard to pinpoint the specific date because they weren’t produced by Disney. Additionally, we had the release of the next Captain America movie, Civil War, the second Avengers movie, Age of Ultron, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. seasons 2-4. The foundations were being laid for the final stretch of the Infinity Gauntlet storyline.
The Marvel series introduced a parallel universe of new heroes.
Year 7: Path to Infinity (2017)
Marvel’s first phases are now reaching their final stretch. The MCU already has established plots with a clear goal in mind, especially with movies like Doctor Strange or Thor: Ragnarok. Even Black Widow, which was released years later, is set in this era, with the Avengers as divided as ever. Minor series such as Inhumans and the second and third seasons of the Netflix TV shows also come from this era.
Thor: Ragnarok introduced comedy and self-parody to the Marvel heroes.
Year 8: Infinity (2018)
The final strains of Marvel’s early phases come with the solo debut of the new Spider-Man, more seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and movies exploring the effects of Civil War, such as Ant-Man and the Wasp or Infinity War. This marks a significant change and it will be recalled even in the current Disney+ series, about ten years later in the fiction timeline. Also in Infinity War, we will witness key moments for the future of the MCU, such as the death of Vision, whose effects will be seen years later in the first Disney+ Marvel series.
Beyond Endgame (2018 Onwards)
It’s difficult to establish specific phases or years for the period that comes after Endgame, so all related content has been grouped here. This includes the Endgame film itself, which takes place over five years, the end of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (including episodes set in 2091), all Disney+ shows, the two Spider-Man sequels, and all Marvel Cinematic Universe films released after Endgame. This period may serve as a transitional phase until the next major storyline in the MCU is fully defined, which we may see in films like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
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