Dying to watch all the MCU movies in order? Here’s how to do it
Marvel movies are released nearly every year, but they haven’t necessarily been released in chronological order. Watching the MCU movies in order would help the storyline make so much more sense.
Comic book lovers who’ve read the traditional comic book stories already know the order of things, but the rest of the world relies on the movies from Marvel to understand what’s happening. Here’s how you can watch the MCU movies in order so the storyline makes more sense.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Out of all the MCU movies in order, Captain America: The First Avenger is technically the first movie fans should watch. It explains how Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, acquires his mighty powers. Chris Evans is perfect in the movie as we see Rogers enlist into the military during the 1940s, get in a plane crash, and have his body frozen for over half a century.
Captain Marvel
Keeping the MCU movies in chronological order, Captain Marvel is next. The 2018 movie stars Brie Larson as Captain Marvel herself. After crashing her plane in 1989, she receives Kree training before she goes back to Earth. By the time she lands back on Earth, it’s already 1995.
Iron Man
The release of the first Iron Man movie which is set in the year 2010, even though it was released two years prior in 2008. This is the MCU movie that gives us a real introduction to billionaire philanthropist Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr.
The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton is next in line. In this movie, Bruce Banner is on the hunt for a cure to take away the gamma radiation that’s messed with his human cells. He loses Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) and must go head to head against a villain called The Abomination.
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 is next, with Tony Stark deciding if he should share his tech with the U.S. military. He’s revealed to the world who he is already, so he can’t hide the truth anymore at this point. Iron Man has help from Pepper Potts & “Rhodey” Rhodes to get him through.
Thor
Everything that happens in 2011’s Thor is next in the MCU movies’ chronological order, minus the flashbacks taking place centuries ago. In Thor, the day he’s supposed to be crowned with the inheritance of his father’s kingdom, Frost Giant enemies attack. Thor’s brother Loki also stirs up trouble.
The Avengers
In 2012, the squad everyone waited for finally was assembled in The Avengers. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) recruits the dream team to get everyone on the same page for the first time to fight back against a threat to earth.
Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3 followed in 2013 focusing on Tony Stark’s PTSD from the events of the previous movie. Stark is riddled with insomnia & anxiety about everything he endured. His relationship with Pepper Potts begins to suffer and his dependence on his supersuits begins to grow.
Thor: The Dark World
Thor: The Dark World comes next telling the story of Thor & Jane Foster’s romance. She discovers the Aether and becomes its host, putting her in a very dangerous situation. Thor must take her to Asgard as a result.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier come next with Captain America trying to adjust to a much more modern lifestyle. He teams up with The Falcon & Black Widow.
Guardians of the Galaxy & Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Everything that happens in Guardians of the Galaxy is happening around the same time as The Winter Soldier. The first Guardians of the Galaxy movie is about Peter Quill fighting back against bounty hunters until he meets up with a few unlikely partners. The sequel immediately follows the first movie with just a few months of passed time in between. Vol. 2 is about Peter Quill discovering more about his origins.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Avengers: Age of Ultron is the movie to watch next if you’re staying true to the chronological order of events. In this movie, Tony Stark starts a peacekeeping program that goes rogue. The fate of earth & mankind is suddenly up in the air.
Ant-Man
The events of 2015’s Ant-Man happen around the same time The Avengers are fighting against Ultron elsewhere. Ant-Man becomes a heroic figure after living his entire life as a petty criminal, Scott Lang.
Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: Civil War takes place in 2016 with a storyline that perfectly sets us up in preparation for Infinity War & Endgame, including a bevy of flashback scenes from the first Iron Man movie timezone as well as the The First Avenger.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The intensity that goes down in Spider-Man: Homecoming happens after everything we saw in Captain America: Civil War. Peter Parker tries to accept his brave new responsibilities as Spider-Man.
Black Panther
Black Panther comes next giving viewers insight on T’Challa’s return home to Wakanda. T’Challa, aka Black Panther, played by the late Chadwick Boseman, gets caught up in a messy issue that could ruin Wakanda as well as the rest of the planet.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange is the movie that comes next in the lineup telling the story of Stephen Strange’s transformation from doctor to doctor-superhero.
Thor: Ragnarok
Thor: Ragnarok follows Doctor Strange and lets the audience watch as Thor joins forces with Doctor Strange on earth in an attempt to find his father.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Ant-Man and the Wasp was released after Avengers: Infinity War, but the events of this movie actually happened first. Scott Lang is concerned about the choices he’s made in regards to being a father and being a superhero.
Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War is squished into one twenty-four to forty-eight hour timespan. Thanos is dedicated to collecting all six infinity stones so that he can snap his fingers and alter reality forever.
Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame picks up where Infinity War left off . . . Thanos snapped his fingers. The characters travel through time visiting 1970, 2012, 2013, and 2014 to undo the damage, culminating in an epic showdown.
Spider-Man: Far from Home
Spider-Man: Far from Home is the most recent MCU movie to watch. It’s set in the year 2023 and covers the high school students’ European trip.
