For a first MCU watch, use release order beginning with Iron Man. For a rewatch or completionist marathon, use Marvel’s official chronological MCU timeline below. It includes films, television seasons, One-Shots, specials, and animated entries. It does not mean every Spider-Man, X-Men, Venom, Deadpool, or older Marvel adaptation belongs in the same continuity.
Updated: June 2025. The numbered sequence below follows Marvel’s official MCU Complete Timeline, including television seasons, One-Shots, specials, and animated entries. Marvel can add or reorder titles, and streaming rights can change by country, so check the official timeline and local availability before starting a long marathon.
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The short answer: which order should you choose?
| If you are… | Use this order | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Watching the MCU for the first time | Release order | It preserves Marvel’s original character introductions, crossover reveals, post-credit scenes, and escalating continuity. |
| Rewatching the MCU | Marvel’s chronological order | It arranges the story by its in-universe timeline and includes the seasons, shorts, and specials that belong in Marvel’s current guide. |
| Watching only feature films | Use the chronological list below and watch only entries labeled film, or use the film-only release list. | This removes television, animation, One-Shots, and specials without silently presenting an incomplete list as the whole MCU. |
| Watching every Marvel adaptation | Use separate continuity lists. | Spider-Man, X-Men, Venom, Deadpool, older Marvel television, and many animated shows do not share one single timeline. |
Important scope note: “Every Marvel movie and TV show” cannot literally mean every screen adaptation based on a Marvel character. This guide covers the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Marvel Studios-connected films, series, seasons, One-Shots, and specials included in Marvel’s official MCU Complete Timeline. Separate continuity guides cover earlier Spider-Man films, the X-Men universe, Venom, Deadpool, and other Marvel adaptations.
Every MCU movie and TV show in chronological order
Watch the following entries from top to bottom if you want the official chronological sequence. The format label matters: a television season is not one episode, a One-Shot is a short film, and an animated entry may explore a different branch of the multiverse. Unless a service presents a season differently, watch each listed season as a complete season at its position.
Foundations through The Avengers
- Eyes of Wakanda — animated series
- Captain America: The First Avenger — film
- Marvel Studios One-Shot: Agent Carter — One-Shot
- Captain Marvel — film
- Iron Man — film
- Iron Man 2 — film
- The Incredible Hulk — film
- Marvel Studios One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer — One-Shot
- Thor — film
- Marvel Studios One-Shot: The Consultant — One-Shot
- The Avengers — film
- Marvel Studios One-Shot: Item 47 — One-Shot
After The Avengers and the Defenders era
- Thor: The Dark World — film
- Iron Man 3 — film
- Marvel Studios One-Shot: All Hail the King — One-Shot
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier — film
- Guardians of the Galaxy — film
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 — film
- I Am Groot — Season 1 — animated shorts series
- I Am Groot — Season 2 — animated shorts series
- Daredevil — Season 1 — television season
- Jessica Jones — Season 1 — television season
- Avengers: Age of Ultron — film
- Ant-Man — film
- Daredevil — Season 2 — television season
- Luke Cage — Season 1 — television season
- Iron Fist — Season 1 — television season
- The Defenders — television miniseries
Civil War through Endgame
- Captain America: Civil War — film
- Black Widow — film
- Black Panther — film
- Spider-Man: Homecoming — film
- The Punisher — Season 1 — television season
- Doctor Strange — film
- Jessica Jones — Season 2 — television season
- Luke Cage — Season 2 — television season
- Iron Fist — Season 2 — television season
- Daredevil — Season 3 — television season
- Thor: Ragnarok — film
- The Punisher — Season 2 — television season
- Jessica Jones — Season 3 — television season
- Ant-Man and the Wasp — film
- Avengers: Infinity War — film
- Avengers: Endgame — film
The multiverse and the post-Endgame MCU
- Loki — Season 1 — television season
- What If…? — Season 1 — animated series
- Marvel Zombies — animated series
- WandaVision — television series
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings — film
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier — television series
- Spider-Man: Far From Home — film
- Eternals — film
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — film
- Hawkeye — television series
- Moon Knight — television series
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — film
- Echo — television series
- She-Hulk: Attorney at Law — television series
- Ms. Marvel — television series
- Thor: Love and Thunder — film
- Ironheart — television series
- Werewolf by Night — special
- The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special — special
Recent and newly added entries in Marvel’s official sequence
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania — film
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — film
- Secret Invasion — television series
- The Marvels — film
- Loki — Season 2 — television season
- What If…? — Season 2 — animated series
- Deadpool & Wolverine — film
- Agatha All Along — television series
- What If…? — Season 3 — animated series
- Daredevil: Born Again — Season 1 — television season
- Captain America: Brave New World — film
- Thunderbolts* — film
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps — film
- Daredevil: Born Again — Season 2 — television season
- Wonder Man — television series
How to read the last part of the list: The presence of a title in Marvel’s timeline establishes its intended place in that guide; it does not guarantee that the title has been released in every country or is currently included with a particular streaming subscription. Treat late additions and unreleased projects as subject to change.
Release order: the better first-watch route
Chronological order starts with Eyes of Wakanda, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Captain Marvel, even though those stories were created much later. That is useful for a rewatch, but it removes the discoveries that made the original MCU rollout work. For a first viewing, begin with Iron Man and follow the theatrical release sequence.
MCU films in theatrical release order
This is the film-only release roadmap. It does not include television seasons, One-Shots, specials, or animated series.
- Iron Man
- The Incredible Hulk
- Iron Man 2
- Thor
- The Avengers
- Iron Man 3
- Thor: The Dark World
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Ant-Man
- Captain America: Civil War
- Doctor Strange
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Black Panther
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Captain Marvel
- Avengers: Endgame
- Spider-Man: Far From Home
- Black Widow
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Eternals
- Spider-Man: No Way Home — Sony/Marvel continuity exception
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Thor: Love and Thunder
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- The Marvels
- Deadpool & Wolverine
- Captain America: Brave New World
- Thunderbolts*
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps
About Spider-Man: No Way Home: Sony-controlled Spider-Man titles are cataloged separately from the main Marvel Studios list used above. For a practical release-era MCU marathon, place No Way Home after Far From Home and before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It works best if you have also seen the earlier Spider-Man films in the appendix, because part of its premise depends on those separate screen eras.
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Where the shows fit in release order
If you want the original rollout rather than the official chronology, watch the movies above in order and add the television material around its debut period. The Marvel Television/Defenders run was released in this sequence: Daredevil Season 1, Jessica Jones Season 1, Daredevil Season 2, Luke Cage Season 1, Iron Fist Season 1, The Defenders, The Punisher Season 1, Jessica Jones Season 2, Luke Cage Season 2, Iron Fist Season 2, Daredevil Season 3, The Punisher Season 2, and Jessica Jones Season 3.
The Disney+ era begins with WandaVision, followed by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki Season 1, and What If…? Season 1, then continues through the later live-action series, animated seasons, and specials. Because a complete season-level release list is not the same thing as Marvel’s chronological guide—and release dates, catalog labels, and future seasons change—the numbered official list is the safer all-format checklist. Use the film list above when you want the cleanest first-watch experience.
What the One-Shots, specials, and animation are doing here
Marvel’s complete timeline is broader than a list of theatrical movies. It includes short-form and animated material because those entries are part of Marvel’s current MCU viewing guide.
- One-Shots: Agent Carter, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer, The Consultant, Item 47, and All Hail the King are short stories that add character or continuity details. They are not required to understand every film, but omit them only if you intentionally want a feature-film-only marathon.
- I Am Groot: These are brief animated shorts. They are easy to watch between longer entries and should not be mistaken for full-length seasons.
- What If…? and Marvel Zombies: These are animated, alternate-reality stories. Their placement in the official guide does not mean that every event occurs in the primary live-action universe.
- Eyes of Wakanda: Marvel lists it as the first entry in the current chronological guide, even though it is an animated series rather than the opening MCU feature film.
- Specials: Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special are standalone specials. They are shorter than a series and should remain visible in a genuinely complete watch order.
How to watch without creating avoidable spoilers
- Choose one order and stay with it. Do not switch from chronological to release order halfway through unless you are deliberately comparing timelines.
- Watch post-credit scenes before moving on. They often introduce the next character or plot thread. Chronological order can expose a reveal earlier than Marvel originally intended; release order preserves the reveal sequence.
- Watch each season as a unit. Marvel’s official list places seasons individually, not episode by episode. Interleaving episodes around films creates unnecessary complexity and is not required by the guide.
- Do not skip animation merely because it is animated. Skip it only if your chosen filter is live-action feature films. The official complete timeline specifically includes animated series and shorts.
- Expect tonal and stylistic changes. The Defenders shows, cosmic films, legal comedy, supernatural specials, and multiverse animation do not feel alike. Format and tone are not evidence that an entry has been placed incorrectly.
Where to watch the MCU
The official Marvel timeline establishes order, not a permanent title-by-title streaming-rights table. Do not assume that every item shown in Marvel’s timeline is currently included with Disney+ in your country.
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- Check your country first. Streaming catalogs differ by territory, and a title may be included, available to rent or buy, or absent from a local service.
- Check individual titles, not just the franchise page. A movie may appear in a Marvel collection while its rights are handled separately from the Disney+ MCU catalog.
- Pay particular attention to Spider-Man. Sony-controlled Spider-Man films, including the separate Spider-Man eras and No Way Home, can have different availability from the Tom Holland MCU films.
- Confirm seasons and specials separately. A service may list a series, a season, and a special as different catalog entries.
- Use legal availability tools immediately before watching. Rights and subscription catalogs are volatile. A current U.S. result is not evidence of availability in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, or another market.
For a long marathon, make a checklist before pressing play: mark each entry as included with your subscription, available to rent or buy, or unavailable in your region. That prevents the common mistake of reaching a Sony-controlled film or an older television season and assuming it was accidentally omitted.
Optional companion for collectors
If you want making-of material beside the marathon, Marvel Studios The Infinity Saga art book is a relevant companion for behind-the-scenes fans. Marvel announced a revised collector’s-edition series of 24 deluxe art books covering the Infinity Saga, beginning with Iron Man and concluding with Avengers: Endgame. It is a physical art-book collection—not the films, a viewing checklist, or required reading—so verify the exact edition, seller, stock, and price before buying. Retailer links may be affiliate links; that does not change the watch order or recommendation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Marvel movies and shows outside the MCU list
Marvel’s catalog separates many adaptations into an “Other Movies” category, and Disney+ presents different Spider-Man eras and animated properties separately from the MCU films. These works may connect thematically—or, in some cases, through multiverse storytelling—but they do not form one clean chronological sequence with the numbered MCU list.
Spider-Man continuities
- Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy: Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man 3.
- The Amazing Spider-Man continuity: The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
- MCU Spider-Man: Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home appear in the official list. Spider-Man: No Way Home is the practical Sony/Marvel exception described above.
- Sony’s Spider-Man-adjacent films: Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter belong to a separate Sony branch rather than the numbered MCU sequence.
For the most context around No Way Home, watch the Raimi and Amazing Spider-Man films in their own release orders before beginning the MCU Spider-Man run. That is optional for the main MCU story, but it makes the multiverse references more meaningful.
X-Men and Deadpool
- Original and prequel-era X-Men: X-Men, X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix.
- Related films: The New Mutants and Logan are best treated as part of the broader X-Men film family, not inserted into the MCU chronology.
- Deadpool: Deadpool and Deadpool 2 are outside the main MCU sequence. Deadpool & Wolverine appears in Marvel’s official list above, but its multiverse premise deliberately reaches across earlier continuities.
The X-Men films contain timeline resets and contradictions, so “chronological order” is not a single reliable list in the same way Marvel’s official MCU guide is. Release order is usually the least confusing way to watch that branch.
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Older live-action Marvel productions and animation
Films such as the Blade series, the 2003 Daredevil, Elektra, the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four films, Ghost Rider, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, and earlier Punisher adaptations are separate productions. They should not be placed between the MCU entries simply because they use a familiar Marvel character.
The same rule applies to television and animation outside the official timeline. Examples include Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter as a television series, Inhumans, Runaways, Cloak & Dagger, Legion, The Gifted, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and X-Men ’97. They have their own continuities or looser relationships to Marvel’s live-action universe. Watch each series by its own release order unless Marvel provides a specific continuity guide.
Upcoming titles: keep them out of the completed checklist
Marvel’s movie catalog lists future projects including Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday. Keep announced or unreleased projects in a separate upcoming section rather than inserting them into the finished watch order. A catalog listing does not by itself establish a final release date, streaming location, or chronological placement. Add a future title only after it is released and Marvel confirms where it belongs.
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- First viewing: start with Iron Man and use release order.
- Rewatch: use the 78-entry chronological list based on Marvel’s official guide.
- Decide whether your filter is all formats, live-action only, or feature films only.
- Leave One-Shots, specials, animation, and each television season visible until you intentionally remove them.
- Handle Spider-Man: No Way Home as the Sony/Marvel exception rather than assuming its absence is an oversight.
- Check your local service title by title immediately before watching.
- Recheck this list after major releases because Marvel’s timeline and streaming catalogs can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I watch Marvel in chronological order or release order?
For your first MCU viewing, use theatrical release order beginning with Iron Man. It preserves the original character introductions, crossover reveals, and post-credit surprises. Use Marvel’s chronological timeline for a rewatch or a completionist run.
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Does this list include every movie based on a Marvel character?
No. The official MCU Complete Timeline covers the MCU and Marvel Studios-connected titles included in that guide. Earlier Spider-Man films, the X-Men universe, Venom, Deadpool films outside the main sequence, older Marvel television, and many animated shows belong in separate continuities.
Where do the Marvel One-Shots fit?
Watch the One-Shot at the position shown in the chronological list. They are short films, not television episodes. You can omit them for a feature-film-only marathon, but do not call that shortened version the complete MCU order.
Where does Spider-Man: No Way Home belong?
Marvel’s official sequence used here does not include Spider-Man: No Way Home in its numbered list because Sony-controlled Spider-Man material is cataloged separately. For a practical release-era MCU marathon, watch it after Far From Home and before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
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Are all of these titles currently on Disney+?
No. The official timeline establishes a viewing sequence, not a permanent streaming-rights table. Availability varies by country and can change, especially for Sony-controlled Spider-Man titles. Check each movie, season, and special separately immediately before watching.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Watch in theatrical release order the first time, beginning with Iron Man. For a rewatch or completionist marathon, use Marvel’s official chronological sequence above, including its One-Shots, specials, television seasons, and animation. Keep Sony’s Spider-Man films, X-Men, Venom, older Marvel productions, and most animation in separate continuity guides.
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