How to Watch Marvel Movies in Order [Updated May 2023]

December 7, 2022
14 min read
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Last Updated: May 25, 2023 8:12 pm

Are you wondering how to watch Marvel movies in order? You can watch it in chronological order or as per the release date. Read more to find out.

Table of Contents

The Marvel franchise is a media conglomerate created by Marvel Comics, featuring a series of movies, television, and shows based on characters and stories from the Marvel Comics universe. The franchise is known for its interconnected narrative.

Therefore, you must watch Marvel movies in order to comprehend the enthralling story arcs and iconic character developments. You can watch Marvel Movies in either chronological order or as per the release date.

To watch all the Marvel movies in order, you need a premium subscription to Disney+ and nerves of steel because you are about to experience a whole spectrum of emotions.

If you want to watch MCU movies outside the U.S.A., you must use a premium VPN because Disney Plus is a geo-restricted streaming service. It is available in the U.S.A. only. We recommend ExpressVPN because it has exceptional unblocking capabilities.

Watching all the Marvel movies in order is an exhilarating experience. So, are you ready to immerse in Marvel’s multiverse of gripping narratives and mind-bending plot twists? We have enlisted the marvel movies in chronological order, but if you are a traditionalist, we have also developed a release order list.

Marvel Movies in Chronological Order [Full Guide in May 2023]

If you are looking to watch the Marvel movies in chronological order, the list will go as follows:

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Captain Marvel (2019)
Iron Man (2008)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Thor (2011)
The Avengers (2012)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Ant-Man (2015)
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Black Widow (2021)
Doctor Strange (2016)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Black Panther (2017)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Eternals (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The MCU was launched in 2008 with the release of the movie “Iron Man,” starring Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character. Since then, the franchise has expanded to include dozens of movies, television shows, and other works such as comic books and video games. Let’s look at the synopsis of each of the marvel movies.

1. Captain America: The First Avenger

“Captain America: The First Avenger” is a classic movie based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It was released on July 22, 2011. The movie was directed by Joe Johnston and starred Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, a frail young man transformed into the super-soldier Captain America during World War II. The movie follows Captain America as he fights against the Nazi organization Hydra and its leader, the Red Skull, played by Hugo Weaving.

You must watch this movie to kick-start your Marvel movie marathon. The movie was well-received by critics and audiences alike and was a box-office success. It was the fifth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), as per the release order. It set up many events and characters that would play a role in future MCU movies.

2. Captain Marvel

Next, you will time jump to the 90s, where Captain Marvel comes across grunge and a community of Skrulls hiding on planet Earth. The movie was set in 1995. Marvel created waves of nostalgia with this origin movie and has many 90’s references such as Blockbuster, Nine Inch Nails, and Payphones. Film creators have used impressive CGI to depict young Nick Fury and powerful action sequences. It was released on March 8, 2019.

“Captain Marvel” was the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie to focus on a female superhero, and it was a critical and commercial success. The movie received praise for its action sequences, visual effects, and strong female lead character. Brie Larson was particularly praised for her performance as Carol Danvers, and the movie grossed over $1 billion at the box office.

3. Iron Man

Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, is a billionaire industrialist and inventor who uses a high-tech suit of armor to fight crime and protect the world from various threats. The character is one of the most popular and enduring in the Marvel universe, and he has been featured in numerous comics, television shows, and movies. Iron Man was the first Marvel movie, but it is the third installment in chronological order.

The movie revolves around the power struggle between Tony and Obadiah for the ownership of Stark Industries. It was released on May 2, 2008, and stars renowned actors such as Robert Downey Jr, Terrence Howard, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

4. Iron Man 2

In “Iron Man 2,” Tony Stark faces a new threat in the form of Ivan Vanko, played by Mickey Rourke, who seeks revenge against the Stark family. It is the fourth installment of Marvel movies in order. The release date of Iron Man 2 is May 7, 2010.

Meanwhile, Tony must also deal with the government, which wants to take his Iron Man technology for its use. The movie also introduces the character of Natasha Romanoff, played by Scarlett Johansson, who goes on to become the superhero Black Widow. With Natasha and Nick Fury’s help, Tony recuperates and takes down Vanko.

5. The Incredible Hulk

The movie was directed by Louis Leterrier and stars Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, a scientist who is transformed into the Hulk after being exposed to gamma radiation. The movie follows Bruce as he tries to find a cure for his condition and evade the military, who wants to capture and study the Hulk.

The Incredible Hulk features the post-credit cameo of Tony Stark and thus is linked with Marvel movies in order. It was released on June 13, 2008. Apart from the Incredible Hulk, there are many installments of the Hulk franchise. You can watch the character development of Hulk by watching the Hulk movies in order.

6. Thor

The God of Thunder, Thor, is banished to planet Earth by his father, Odin. He later discovers he’s not worthy enough to use his favorite hammer. Instead, he runs into Jane Foster and learns how to live a mortal life. Meanwhile, Loki discovers he’s adopted by Asgard, the God of Mischief, and goes off the rails.

As the story develops, Thor endeavors to prove his worthiness and wield his hammer to return to Asgard and stop Loki from creating more trouble. He witnesses that his brother is supposedly dead. Is Loki just being mischievous, or it’s the calm before the storm? Watch the Marvel movies in order to find out.

7. Avengers Assemble

Spoiler Alert: Loki is Alive. A year after Loki’s supposed death, he’s back trying to occupy Earth. But, it led to the creation of the mighty Avengers in 2012. A recently back-from-the-dead unfrozen Captain, Iron Man, a rebellious Hulk, and the God of Thunder team up to take down Loki. Later, Black Widow and Hawkeye also join the Earth’s greatest superheroes, Avengers, to teach Loki a lesson he will never forget.

Eventually, Avengers captured Loki and sent him back to Asgard. Avengers Assemble was released on May 4, 2012, and was well-received by Marvel fans and is a must-watch flick on the Marvel movies in order marathon.

8. Thor: The Dark World

The movie is the sequel to “Thor,” which was released in 2011. It is directed by Alan Taylor. After taking down Loki, Thor returns to Earth and crosses paths with Jane, who has accidentally absorbed a hazardous substance called the Aether.

After discovering that Aether will assassinate Jane, Thor enlists the help of this deranged brother to trick dark elf Malekith into drawing Aether out of Jane. But, once again, Loki is supposedly murdered during the battle, and Malekith tries to use the Aether to deteriorate Earth. Eventually, Thor and Jane collaborate to take down the dark forces.

9. Iron Man 3

Tony is struggling to cope with the events of the Battle in New York. He becomes convinced that the only way to protect Earth is to concoct more Iron Man suits. He spends most of 2012 working on these suits. Tony believes that the Mandarin supposedly orchestrated the recent serial bombing.

As Tony investigates the Mandarin, he learns that the real culprit is Aldrich Killian, the evil scientist who has kidnapped the President. Tony and Rhodey team up to save the President. Tony destroys all his suits and promises Pepper that he will take a break from being a superhero. The movie was released on May 3, 2013, and was well-received by critics for its compelling storytelling.

10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Following the Avengers Assemble, Captain America spent 2014 coming to terms with his normal life. Spoiler Alert: HYDRA has occupied S.H.I.E.L.D. To take down the evil conglomerate, Steve Rogers must team up with Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow and Falcon.

The movie also features the return of the character of Bucky Barnes, Steve’s old friend who has been brainwashed by HYDRA and turned into the Winter Soldier. In the pursuit of taking the syndicate down, Bucky ends up on the run.

11. Guardians of the Galaxy

Star-Lord is frolicking the galaxy to scout for a buyer for the stolen Infinity Stone. Meanwhile, he gets ambushed by Gamora, Thanos’ adopted daughter, and bounty hunters Groot and Rocket, who are also looking for the stone. Wondering who is Thanos? Well, you must continue watching Marvel movies to find out.

After being sent to classified prison to meet Drax, the wayward friend’s team up, break out, and sell the stone to keep it from Ronan, who wants it to annihilate Xandar. Everything goes south when the Guardians of the Galaxy ends up in a big battle with Ronan and finally beat him in an awkward dance-off.

12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is a 2017 superhero movie based on the chronicles of Marvel’s most fascinating team. The movie is the sequel to “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which was released in 2014 and was directed by James Gunn. Star-Lord’s estranged father, Ego, comes up and announces that he wants to teach Star-Lord his powerful skills.

Ego is a serial-mass assassinating psychopath, and the Guardians have to beat him. The movie also explores the relationships between the members of the team and introduces new characters, such as Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff.

13. Avengers: Age of Ultron

In 2015, Avengers assembled again to beat another villain, except this time, the villain was one of their creation. Particularly Tony’s creation. As Tony desperately perseveres to protect humanity, he creates an Artificial Intelligence robot called Ultron, who’s more inclined to enslave humanity from protecting it.

Avengers must assemble with new team members, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, to take down Ultron. The takedown of Ultron comes at a high price, the demolition of Sokovia.

14. Ant-Man

The Avengers are busy fighting Ultron when Scott Lang, an ex-convict, breaks into Hank Pym’s house and steals his Ant-Man suit. After being caught, Hank reveals that he set up the whole situation to test Scott’s worthiness to become the next Ant-Man.

Scott passes the test, but Hank then reveals that he needs Scott’s help to stop Darren Cross, his former protégé, from developing his nanotechnology suit. With the help of Hank and his daughter Hope, Scott learns how to use the Ant-Man suit and ultimately saves the day.

15. Captain America: Civil War

Following the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the United Nations asks the Earth’s mightiest superheroes, Avengers, to sign the Sokovia Accords and promise to do any heroic intervention until they are instructed to. Half of the Avengers think it’s a bad idea and divides the squad into two rebellious counterparts led by Captain America and Iron Man.

The situation is further aggravated when the news shows that Cap’s old pal Bucky has supposedly assassinated King T’Chaka. The Avengers end up having a showdown, but Cap and Bucky must dig up the real murderer, Zemo. Later they discovered that the whole assassination was planned to split the Avengers.

The movies end on a controversial note when Zemo reveals that Bucky killed Iron Man’s parents, and this marks the demise of Captain America and Tony’s friendship. The following synopsis is just one percent of this flick’s cinematic experience; watch Marvel movies in order now.

16. Black Widow

Natasha Romanoff becomes rebellious when she learns that the Red Room organization that tortured and trained her to be a Black Widow is still operational. She is on the verge of breaking the Sokovia Accords.

Natasha chases down the head of Red Room Dreykov, who has transformed his own daughter into a perfect solider, Taskmaster. She finds the antidote to the Black Widow’s mind control and saves Taskmaster and other black widows by taking down the Red Room organization.

17. Spider-Man Home Coming

After joining forces with Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker is back to his old life. He later discovers that Adrian Toomes is paddling weapons made from alien tech. He endeavors to stop him but has to be protected by Iron Man.

In light of recent events, Tony confiscates the suit he made for Peter with advanced technology because he thinks that Peter is irresponsible with the new gadgets. Peter asks his crush, Liz, to the prom, only to uncover that her dad is Toomes.

He realized that Toomes was again planning to embezzle a plane full of alien weapons. Will Peter abandon his prom date to stop him? Watch the Marvel movies in order to find out.

18. Black Panther

After the tragic demise of his father in Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa comes back to Wakanda to claim his birthright as king. He soon learns that Wakandan artifacts are being stolen and sets a course to capture the culprit, Ulysses Klaue.

However, in the attempt to retrieve the artifacts, C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross is acutely injured. Meanwhile, Klaue is betrayed and murdered by his accomplice, Erik Stevens, who reveals himself to be T’Challa’s cousin.

He challenges T’Challa to a ritual combat for the throne and wins. With plans to arm his operatives around the world with Wakandan weapons, T’Challa must gather his allies to stop Erik and reclaim the throne.

19. Doctor Strange

Dr. Strange, a brilliant but egotistical surgeon, runs into a car accident that torpedoes his career. Desperate to find a cure, he travels the world and meets The Ancient One, who agrees to teach Strange how to become a sorcerer.

A former student named Kaecilius attacks the temple with the aim of contacting Dormammu of the Dark Dimension. Kaecilius succeeds in killing The Ancient One and summons Dormammu to wreak havoc on Earth. However, Dr. Strange traps Dormammu in a time loop until he agrees to leave Earth.

20. Thor: Ragnarok

Thor returns to his home Asgard to learn that his brother Loki is alive and impersonates the appearance of their father, Odin. The brothers find that their father is on the verge of dying, and they have a terrible older sibling, Hela, who’s entrapped by Odin’s magic.

Once Odin passes away, Hela appears and takes over Asgard promising to wage war on the rest of the galaxy. Loki and Thor escape to Sakaar and are reunited with the Hulk (who’s been lost since the Age of Ultron) and befriend Valkyrie. They all team up, return to Asgard, and defeat Hela by bringing Ragnarok (The Apocalypse).

21. Ant-Man and the Wasp

While Scott/Ant-Man is under house arrest for his role in Captain America: Civil War, he meets Hope and Hank, who is being pursued by the authorities for their supposed involvement in the dispute. The trio joins forces to liberate Hope’s mom Janet from the Quantum Realm. They face competition from Ghost, who tries to steal Hank’s lab.

Ant-Man and the Wasp team up to stop Ghost, and Hank successfully brings Janet back from the Quantum Realm. However, everyone suddenly disintegrates, except for Ant-Man, who is trapped in the Quantum Realm.

22. Avengers: Infinity War

This movie introduces the mightiest evil force known as Thanos, who already possesses the Power Stone. He annihilates the Asgardian ship and assassinates Loki (for real this time) to acquire the Space Stone. He’s on a mission to gather all the infinity stones to wipe off humanity and create a new order. He sends his subordinates to Earth to search for Mind and Time Stones while he sets a course for Reality and Soul Stones.

All the superheroes in MCU join forces to stop Thanos from completing his sinister mission. Spoiler Alert: Unfortunately, Thanos succeeds in collecting the stones and snaps half of the universe. It is one of the most interesting flicks in Marvel movies in order.

23. Avengers: Endgame

Five years have passed, and half of humanity has been wiped away. Everyone is re-adjusting to the new reality when Ant-man reappears from the Quantum Realm with the idea that it might bring everyone back.

The brightest and most intelligent Avengers, Tony and Hulk, find a way to travel back in time and collect Infinity Stones before Thanos resurrects the wiped-off heroes. The quest is not as simple as it seems; many Avengers are assassinated by the end of this installment. Will they be able to recollect the stones and save humanity from Thanos? Watch Avengers: Endgame now.

24. Spider-Man: Far from Home

Spoiler Alert: Black Widow and Tony Stark die. Peter is still grieving Tony’s demise and re-adjusting to normal life. When he goes on an educational trip to Europe, he is attacked by Elemental monsters. To help him, Nick Fury appears and gives him Tony’s glasses that have access to all the Stark Industries’ advanced technologies. Peter teams with Beck, a multiverse superhero, to defeat the Elemental’s monsters.

Beck manipulates Peter into believing that he’s the universe’s greatest hero and deserves Tony’s glasses. Later to find out that Beck is a former Stark employee who wanted the glasses all along. Peter and his friends must do everything they can to stop Beck and save Stark’s technologies.

25. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

While in San Francisco, Shang-Chi is ambushed by his father’s criminal band, the Ten Rings. He leaves on a mission to find his sister, Xialing, but the Ten Rings also find them and take them to their father, who plans to find their deceased mother in Ta Lo.

In Ta Lo, their aunt reveals that their father is being manipulated by the Dweller-in-Darkness monster into liberating it. Shang-Chi and Xialing must team up to stop their sinister father. Eventually, the Dweller-in-Darkness escapes. With the help of a ferocious dragon, Shang-Chi defeats the monster and saves humanity.

26. Eternals

A race of immortal beings known as the Eternals have been residing on Earth in secrecy since the dawn of time. They are protecting humanity from the Divergents. Later, they find out that they are supposed to make sure humanity develops enough so that a Celestial can be born from the Earth’s core.

The birth of Celestial will assassinate all humans. Most of the Eternal disagreed with this idea and decided to kill the Celestial to save humanity. After combating the Divergents and amongst themselves, the Eternals killed the Celestial and saved Earth, but their boss, the Celestial Arishem, doesn’t fancy the murder of the Celestial.

27. Spider-Man: No Way Home

After Mysterio reveals Spider-Man’s true identity and blames him for the London attacks, Peter’s life becomes even more difficult. Peter asks Doctor Strange to cast a spell to make everyone disremember he’s Spider-Man. However, things go south during the spell-casting, and Spider-Man villains from other universes appear in Peter’s universe.

With the help of his friends from multiverses, Peter defeats the villains by curing them instead of assassinating them. However, Doctor Strange has to cast another spell to make everyone forget Peter ever existed to avert the universe from collapsing.

28. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

The story of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is developed from the Marvel TV show Wandavision. Apparently, Scarlet Witch hasn’t learned from her mistakes to heal her grief from magic. Instead of resurrecting Vision, she wants to find a way to travel to an alternate timeline where her sons exist. Wanda doesn’t care about the consequences.

A new character has been introduced, America Chavez, who has the ability to travel between the multiverses. Doctor Strange and Wong desperately try to safeguard America while traveling between the multiverse and stop Wanda before she does something irreparably.

29. Thor: Love and Thunder

It is the story of what happens to Thor after Endgame. After teaming up with Star-Lord and his clan to save worlds other than Earth. Someone starts killing gods on Earth, so Thor returns back and runs into Jane, who is apparently the new Thor in town.

Together with the support of Korg and Valkyrie, Thor takes down Gorr, also known as the God Butcher. The series of events rekindles the love of Jane and Thor. Sadly, their reunion is short run as Jane is diagnosed with cancer. Thor promises to raise Gorr’s resurrected daughter. It is a tale of love, power sequences, and mind-bending visuals. One of the best stories in Marvel movies in order.

30. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

At the dawn of King T’Challa’s demise, invading forces from around the globe targeted Wakanda’s most valuable resource, Vibranium. It unleashes chaos, and it will be the duty of M’Baku, Nakia, Shuri, and Okoye to defend Wakanda, especially when a mysterious Mexican civilization emerges from the bottom of the sea.

The search for Vibranium disturbs the hidden civilization of Talokan and forces their King, Namor, to ask Wakanda for help. Okoye and Shuri find the aspiring American scientist Riri Williams, who unknowingly helped Talokan. Queen Ramonda sadly dies in the chaotic battle, but Shuri develops a synthetic heart which gives her the power of Black Panther.

Primarily fueled by vengeance, she decides to spare Namor and make peace with Talokan but leaves the Wakanda throne to M’Baku before visiting Nakia, who reveals she and T-Challa had a baby before he passed away.

Marvel Movies in Order of Release Date

If you are a traditionalist, the following are the Marvel movies in order of their release date:

Iron Man (2008)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Thor (2011)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
The Avengers (2012)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Ant-Man (2015)
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Doctor Strange (2016)
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Black Panther (2017)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Captain Marvel (2019)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Black Widow (2021)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Eternals (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Conclusion

Marvel movies are known for their engaging plots, well-developed characters, and impressive special effects. Many people find these movies entertaining and enjoy watching them. It features a wide variety of superhero characters with unique abilities and personalities.

Many enjoy watching these characters as they use their powers to save the world and fight against evil. So, what are you waiting for? Watch Marvel movies in order now and immerse in the theatrical excellence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Gary Wilson

Gary is a geeky-binge watcher who loves to pen down all that he watches. The night-owl has just got two hobbies, binge-watching all the latest shows and writing everything about them.