The Marvel Cinematic Universe has gotten really big since Iron Man came out, and it can be really confusing how to watch it. I recommend watching in order of release, at least for the movies because that is how Marvel wants you to watch it. If they wanted you to watch it chronological order, that is how they would release it.
Source: https://www.gamesradar.com/how-to-watch-marvel-movies-in-order-mcu/
1. Iron Man
Iron Man is about Tony Stark, who is Iron Man. Starring Robert Downey Jr., the movie came out in 2008. It was the first MCU movie, but not the first Marvel movie. While a lot of people think that this is the first movie that Marvel Studios ever created, but this is not true. For example, the X-Men movies and some Spider-Man movies came out before Iron Man. Anyway, this movie is very important, as it sets up the entire cinematic universe, so you definitely can’t skip out on this.
2. The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk is not the most important movie ever, and a lot of people actually skip it because it’s not super interesting. But, it does tell the origin story of Hulk, who is a pretty important character. It was released in 2008 and it stars Edward Norton, who was fired after the movie and replaced by Mark Ruffalo later on.
3. Iron Man 2
After Iron Man, there are more problems for Tony Stark. Premiering in 2010, the sequel to the first ever MCU movie grossed over $623.9 million at the box office, becoming the 7th highest grossing film of 2010. It also received an Academy Award for the best visual effects.
4. Thor
Thor introduces the Norse god by the same name, who got sent to Earth and had to earn his way back. Starring Chris Hemsworth, the movie first premiered in Sydney, Australia, on April 17, 2011. It earned $449.3 million worldwide, with mostly positive reviews. The movie was supposed to be made many yrs before the MCU ever existed, but got scrapped several times. Thank goodness it was made, because Thor is both a very important character and movie.
5. Captain America: The First Avenger
This movie is about Steve Rogers, who becomes Captain America, starring Chris Evans. Set in the 40’s, the movie is about Steve Rogers, a kid who just want to fight Nazis. He was given the chance when he was recruited for a program to become a Super Soldier, which gives him super powers.
6. The Avengers
The Avengers came out in 2012, and it stars all of the heroes we have already met, plus Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Basically they band together to save humanity from Loki, Thor’s brother (introduced in the movie, Thor).
7. Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3 is the third and final Iron Man movie, although it is definitely not the last time Tony Stark is shown. I’m not sure why they never made another Iron Man movie after this one, but whatever. It was released in 2013. It takes place about six months after The Avengers.
8. Thor: The Dark World
Thor: The Dark World is widely considered the worst Thor movie, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch it. In fact, it’s incredibly important. It was released in 2013. It takes place sometime within a year or two after The Avengers, so keep that in mind.
9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier was released in 2014. There is a new threat, and his name is the Winter Soldier. Captain America teams up with Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) to hunt him down. The thing is, the Winter Soldier is actually a familiar face….
10. Guardians of the Galaxy
This is the very first time the Guardians of the Galaxy, a group of heroes from space, is ever introduced in the MCU. I’m gonna be honest, this one of my favorite super hero groups, so I might be a little bit biased. It was released in 2014, and it stars Chris Pratt (Star Lord/Peter Quill), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Sean Gunn (Rocket Racoon), Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer), and Pom Klementieff (Mantis). This movie CANNOT be missed, so make sure you watch it.
11. Avengers: Age of Ultron
Released in 2015, this is the second of four Avengers movies. This movie also introduces Wanda, and her brother Pietro, as well as Vision. Wanda and Vision are very important later on, not as much so for Pietro. Basically, this AI being, named Ultron, is accidentally created by Tony and Bruce, and he wants to destroy humanity, so the Avengers have to come together to stop him.
12. Ant-Man
The first of (now) three movies, this is hilarious, but super important to the MCU. I feel like even if it wasn’t super important, I would still recommend, because even after watching it several times, it still makes me crack up. Starring Paul Rudd, it is about a criminal who is just trying to survive, when he finds a super hero suit that would change his life.
13. Captain America: Civil War
First off, Captain America: Civil War’s title is a little misleading. It is really about a fight between Steve and Tony over a new law, and they each recruit Avengers to fight with them, against the other team. Introducing both Peter Parker/Spiderman (Tom Holland) and Black Panther/T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) to the MCU, this movie is not only very important for later, but it is also amazing (in my opinion). I love the humor (mostly coming from Peter/Tony dynamic and Scott being overwhelmed, although Peter is also very overwhelmed), the story, and just the production in general.
14. Doctor Strange
I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t a huge fan of this movie (or the sequel, for that matter, but that’s not the point). It was a weird movie, and I know it is called Doctor Strange, but his name is actually Strange so it doesn’t have anything to do with each other, at least as far as I know. Basically, it’s about a surgeon who gets into an accident, destroying his hands, and learns how to do magic, and becomes a powerful sorcerer.
15. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
I love the Guardians, but this movie does have one really weird aspect. (This isn’t going to spoil anything, don’t worry.) Basically Peter’s dad is a planet. Okay, he’s technically not a planet, he’s a Celestial, but same thing. Imagine being like “what’s your parent’s jobs?” “oh my dad is a planet.” Yeah, that would make an interesting conversation. Anyway, the whole movie is basically about Peter finding his dad, starting a relationship, and then I’m not going to tell you how it ends.
16. Spiderman: Homecoming
This is Spiderman’s first solo movie, and he is struggling with living as both a superhero and high schooler. Starring Tom Holland, this the first of three Spiderman movies, all coincidentally having something about “home” in the title (although I have figured out that there is actually a connection, and it is telling his story arc in the titles). This movie came out in 2017.
17. Thor: Ragnarök
Thor: Ragnarök introduces Hela, the Norse goddess of death and Thor and Loki’s sister. Ragnarök is an event that will destroy Asgard, the world of Norse mythology. Thor must save Asgard before Ragnarök happens. This movie was released in 2017.
18. Black Panther
Black Panther is not just a fan favorite movie, it is one of my personal favorites. It is about T’Challa, king of Wakanda, who is played by Chadwick Boseman. After his father was killed (in Captain America: Civil War), T’Challa became king. But a challenger to the throne came, and he was T’Challa’s cousin. T’Challa has to figure out how to keep the throne of Wakanda and protect his country.
19. Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War is what the entire MCU has been leading up to at that point. A lot of people say that Endgame is better, but I strongly disagree. All of the heroes come together to fight Thanos, and it is EPIC. I’m not going to say the outcome, but trust me, if you were going to skip any movie, this cannot be that movie that you skip. It is my favorite Avengers movie and you can’t miss it!
20. Ant-Man and the Wasp
This movie is the sequel to Ant-Man, and it happens around the same time as Avengers: Infinity War. This is why they didn’t fight Thanos, by the way. Basically Janet van Dyne (Hope’s mother and Hank’s wife) is stuck in the Quantum Realm, and they have to figure out how to get her out. It is really good, and it is probably my favorite Ant-Man movie.
21. Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel introduces the cosmic Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel. Starring Brie Larson, this movie was released in 2019. It is set in the 80s, and it is about Carol Danvers, an American air force pilot, who got captured by the Kree (an alien race) and lost her memory. She gained powers and eventually became a superhero, but you need to watch the whole movie to get the full story (;.
22. Avengers: Endgame
I have watched this movie about a dozen times, and let me just say, it is nowhere near as good as Avengers: Infinity War, at least in my opinion. It doesn’t have as many big battle scenes, which is highly disappointing. Anyway, if you want to know what happens after Avengers: Infinity War, you must watch this, because it really ties up the Infinity Saga (Iron Man-Avengers: Endgame).
23. Spider-Man: Far From Home
This is another movie that I have watched too many time to count. That’s because before Spider-Man: No Way Home, this was my favorite Spiderman movie. Anyway, it’s about Peter (obviously) and his class going on a Europe trip, but then it gets hijacked by S.H.I.E.L.D., because they want Peter to help defeat the so-called Elementals.
24. WandaVision
After the events of the blip and Thanos, Wanda is traumatized and moves to the town of Westview, New Jersey. The show probably won’t make much sense at first, but it will start coming together a few episodes in. I’m not going to say anything more, but I do recommend going back and re-watching because you will pick up clues. It is my favorite Marvel show, and it is also super important.
25. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
I’m going to be completely honest: I waited a long time to watch this show, and I definitely did not watch it in order. I have found that shows aren’t as necessary to watch in order, but I do try. Also, everyone had been telling me that it was super boring and stuff, so I sort of held back, but finally got around to watching it when I realized I was writing this. Literally. I waited until this paragraph to start the show. And, I have to be honest, my first impression was pretty much exactly what my friends told me it would be: talking, talking, talking, a little action, and then more talking. But it will be important later, since they are making a fourth Captain America movie, which will be about Sam. Hopefully it will be good. But that’s not the point. The point is we’re talking about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. So, I’ll just stick to the facts now. It was actually a lot better than I expected it would be, so I definitely at least watching the first couple episodes, since it takes a little while to get into it.
26. Loki (season 1)
Loki used to be my second favorite Marvel show, but it has gone down the ranks since then. But it is pretty good. This is where the multiverse is introduced to the MCU. It is about a variant (explained in the show) of Loki from the past, who escaped using the Tesseract. He was captured but then later put to work to help find another version of himself. I don’t like her, by the way. She’s annoying and way too confident about herself for her own good.
27. Black Widow
Black Widow is the (sort of) backstory about Nat (Natasha Romanoff). Basically, it takes place after we have already met her, but it also goes into her deep past, but then it talks about after she dies too. So, it’s very important, especially for Hawkeye. Also, you get to meet Yelena, who is absolutely amazing.
28. What If…?
What If…? is an animated Disney+ series, and I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it. I especially hated the What If…? zombie’s episode, which they are actually making into a full series, which I will not be watching because the episode freaked me out and also it is going to be rated TV-MA, which I am not allowed to watch yet. Anyway, the whole series is asking the question: what if this played out differently and showed the different outcomes from other universes. While it did explain the multiverse a little bit better than Loki did, I wish it hadn’t been animated, since I think that would have been better for the show in my opinion.
29. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
This movie is one of my favorite recent ones. It is funny, and it also explains the origin of the Ten Rings, which appeared early on in the MCU. It was a really good story, and I can’t wait to see what Marvel does to integrate it more into the rest of the universe.
30. Eternals
This, in my opinion, is the most boring movie of all time. Well, at least the most boring Marvel movie. It is important, but I remember watching it in theaters, and forgetting halfway through what I was supposed to be watching. There is a lot of flashbacks, and they introduce too many characters in one movie.
31. Hawkeye
Hawkeye is the most underrated MCU show ever. It is really funny, and it is just all around amazing. Some of my favorite moments is with Yelena and Kate (a new character) and I just love Save the City, which is a song from a show about Steve Rogers. (Yes, they Hamiltoned him.) It is funny but also super important, and I think it is definitely worth your time.
32. Spiderman: No Way Home
This is honestly one of the best MCU movies. I was literally in shock for several days after watching it. Basically, after everyone finds out that Peter Parker is Spiderman, there are a lot of problems for him and his family and friends. He goes to Doctor Strange to cast a spell to make everyone forget that Peter Parker is Spiderman, and more problems arise. Like, people from other universes come and invade his universe. That kind of problem. This does get really sad and dark, but it is SO GOOD.
33. Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a show about a mercenary with multiple personality disorder. The first couple episodes are kind of confusing, but after that, it gets better. I have a friend who was so obsessed with this show when it was coming out, and no one could understand it. But it’s definitely going to be important later on, and there will probably be a season 2.
34. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Multiverse of Madness is the sequel to Doctor Strange, and it’s okay. I didn’t like that Wanda is now a villain, since it seemed like they basically made her repeat her cycle of grief. It did dive into the multiverse, which was very helpful. Everyone said it was going to be really scary, but it wasn’t. It was more dark than scary, but people who don’t like even a little bit of horror would not be able to watch this. Like, if you are scared of Stranger Things, you probably will not be okay with this movie.
35. Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is such a good show. In fact, it ranks just after WandaVision on my list of MCU shows. It is really lighthearted and funny, and Kamala is my favorite character. I fell in love with this show from the first episode and I’m so excited that The Marvels is going to be like a sequel to it. I really am able to see myself in these characters, and it is overall a great show.
36. Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder is, in my opinion, exactly what we needed after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It is lighthearted and funny, with lots of jokes and stuff. When the trailer was released, I literally watched it five times in a row. When I found out that the movie didn’t have great reviews, I was a little nervous, but I really enjoyed it.
37. I Am Groot
This is overall a pretty good show (I mean, it’s about Groot!), but there were a couple things that I didn’t like. First of all, you actually have to go and find the next episode, which is kind of annoying. Also, they call it a show, but it’s more of a series of shorts. It is really funny, but not actually necessary for the MCU. It is more made for entertainment than actually adding to the story.
38. She-Hulk
I honestly don’t know where to start with this. The CGI is horrible, the show doesn’t make much sense (especially the finale), and there was just too much going on. Every episode, they had a guest appearance, which was kind of cool, but it got annoying after a few weeks. The only good one was Wong, and he made a new best friend, which was amazing. They did introduce a new, super important character. It would have hit harder if the finale, which is where they are introduced, wasn’t so bad.
39. Werewolf by Night
I really can’t tell you much about Werewolf by Night, since I didn’t really understand what was going on. It was really hard to follow, and it kind of bothered me that it was in black and white. I really did try to pay attention, but I couldn’t. It probably didn’t help that I didn’t watch it all at once, though.
40. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is actually pretty good. Obviously, the first one is better, but I still really enjoyed it. It does get a little dark, but it is absolutely amazing. I love the song in the credits, which I know doesn’t really have to do with the movie, but that’s okay.
41. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
This is one of my favorite things ever. Basically, Mantis and Drax team up to abduct Kevin Bacon as a Christmas present for Peter. It is really funny, and I watch it now, even though it isn’t the holiday season. You can’t miss it, first because of how amazing it is, but it is also important for Vol. 3.
42. Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania
This was actually an okay movie. It could have been a lot better, but there was humor and action, which was enough for me. I also got to see it at the move theater in Disney Springs, from a balcony, so I had pretty good seats, which was pretty cool. I do need to warn you about MODOK though. He is a little terrifying at first, and I honestly could not stop laughing because of how stupid he looked.
43. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
This movie was actually super depressing. There were funny moments, too, though. It did kind of bother me that it was more about saving Rocket than saving the galaxy. Also, me and my friend accidentally pranked my friend and now she thinks Thanos came back 😂. Yes, this was actually an accident. It started as a joke and then she believed it and we just kept it going.
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I hope this is helpful. Obviously, Marvel is continuing to release stuff, but this is what is out as of this moment.
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