Your 2024 Guide: What Order Should I Watch Marvel Movies?

Lots of people wonder about the right way to experience these stories. Do you go by when they first came out, or by the timeline of the story itself? Both ways have their good points, and honestly, it just depends on what kind of movie watcher you are. This guide is here to help you sort it all out, basically.

We are going to look at the two main ways people watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU. We will also talk about the newer shows and specials, and give you some ideas on how to pick what is best for you. So, get ready to find your perfect viewing path, and stuff.

Table of Contents

• Why Does Order Matter?
• Option 1: The Release Order
  • MCU Movies in Release Order
• Option 2: The Chronological Order
  • MCU Movies in Chronological Order
• Which Order is Right for You?
• Beyond the Movies: Series and Specials
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why Does Order Matter?

Watching these films in a certain order can really change how you feel about the story. It is a bit like how you might check your email inbox for past order confirmation emails to keep track of something, right? The MCU builds its story over many films.

Each movie often adds to what came before. Characters grow, and big events happen that change everything. If you watch out of order, you might miss some of these important connections. You might not understand why a character acts a certain way, or why a big moment feels so important.

A good order helps you see the whole picture. It makes the story flow better, and it helps you appreciate the long-term planning that went into these movies. So, picking an order is not just about watching, it is about experiencing the story as it was meant to be seen, pretty much.

Option 1: The Release Order

This way of watching is simple: you watch the movies in the same order they came out in cinemas. This is how most people first saw them, you know. It is how the story was first told to the world.

The folks who made the movies put them out this way for a reason. They wanted you to learn about the universe as they revealed it. New characters pop up, big ideas are introduced, and plot twists happen exactly when they want them to.

Watching in release order means you get the surprises just as they were intended. You also see how the special effects and storytelling got better over time. It is a very natural way to watch, in a way.

MCU Movies in Release Order

Here is the list of Marvel movies, as they first appeared for everyone to see:

• Iron Man (2008): This is where it all began, really. We meet Tony Stark and see him become Iron Man.

• The Incredible Hulk (2008): Bruce Banner's story, and his struggles with the Hulk, are shown here.

• Iron Man 2 (2010): More of Tony Stark's life, and new characters are introduced, like Black Widow.

• Thor (2011): We travel to Asgard and meet Thor, a powerful god who learns about Earth.

• Captain America: The First Avenger (2011): This film takes us back in time to World War II. We meet Steve Rogers, who becomes Captain America.

• The Avengers (2012): The first big team-up! Many heroes come together to save the world.

• Iron Man 3 (2013): Tony Stark deals with past events and new threats.

• Thor: The Dark World (2013): Thor faces a new danger that threatens all the realms.

• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): A spy thriller that shakes up the world of Captain America.

• Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): A fun, space adventure with a new group of heroes.

• Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015): The Avengers face a powerful robot that wants to destroy humanity.

• Ant-Man (2015): Scott Lang learns to shrink and become a hero, with a bit of humor.

• Captain America: Civil War (2016): Heroes take sides in a big disagreement, causing a huge split.

• Doctor Strange (2016): A brilliant doctor learns about magic and other dimensions.

• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017): More adventures with the space team, and they learn about Peter Quill's past.

• Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017): Peter Parker tries to balance high school with being a superhero.

• Thor: Ragnarok (2017): Thor goes on a wild, funny adventure to save his home world.

• Black Panther (2018): We visit Wakanda and meet T'Challa, its king and protector.

• Avengers: Infinity War (2018): The heroes face their biggest threat yet, Thanos, who wants to collect powerful stones.

• Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018): Ant-Man teams up with the Wasp for more shrinking adventures.

• Captain Marvel (2019): We learn about Carol Danvers, a powerful hero from the 1990s.

• Avengers: Endgame (2019): The big finale to a long story, where heroes try to undo what Thanos did.

• Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019): Peter Parker deals with the aftermath of big events and goes on a school trip.

• Black Widow (2021): We learn more about Natasha Romanoff's past and her family.

• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021): A new hero discovers his family's secret past and powers.

• Eternals (2021): A group of very old, powerful beings who have been on Earth for thousands of years are revealed.

• Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021): Peter Parker's life gets very complicated when old villains return.

• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022): Doctor Strange explores different realities and faces new dangers.

• Thor: Love and Thunder (2022): Thor goes on another adventure, meeting old friends and new enemies.

• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022): The people of Wakanda deal with loss and new threats.

• Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023): The Ant-Man family gets pulled into a very small, dangerous world.

• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023): The space team goes on a final mission to save one of their own.

• The Marvels (2023): Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Ms. Marvel find their powers linked.

Option 2: The Chronological Order

This way of watching puts the movies in the order the story actually happens within the universe. It is a bit like arranging email threads in descending order from recent to past, with the most recent on top, except here we are trying to get the story in true time order, you know. This can be a bit more complex, as some movies that came out later actually happen earlier in the story.

For example, "Captain America: The First Avenger" was released in 2011, but its story takes place mostly in the 1940s. "Captain Marvel" was released in 2019, but its story happens in the 1990s. So, watching in chronological order means you jump around a bit in terms of release dates, but the story events flow smoothly.

This approach can give you a very clear sense of the timeline. You see characters grow up, and events unfold exactly as they would in real time, sort of. It can be a very rewarding way to watch, especially if you like a clean story flow.

MCU Movies in Chronological Order

Here is the list of Marvel movies, ordered by when their main story events happen:

• Captain America: The First Avenger (1940s): This is the very beginning of the timeline. We meet Steve Rogers and see how he becomes Captain America during World War II.

• Captain Marvel (1995): Carol Danvers' story unfolds in the 1990s. We learn about her powers and her connection to space.

• Iron Man (2008): Tony Stark's origin story, set in the present day after the earlier films.

• The Incredible Hulk (2008): Bruce Banner's journey, happening around the same time as Iron Man's early days.

• Iron Man 2 (2010): Tony Stark faces new challenges, and we see more of the world being built.

• Thor (2011): Thor comes to Earth, and his story connects with the growing superhero world.

• The Avengers (2012): The first big team-up, a major event for all the heroes.

• Thor: The Dark World (2013): Thor's next adventure, happening after the first Avengers film.

• Iron Man 3 (2013): Tony Stark deals with the aftermath of the Avengers' battle in New York.

• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): A very important film that changes a lot for the government's secret organizations.

• Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): A space adventure that introduces new parts of the universe, happening roughly around the same time as Earth events.

• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2014): This story happens very soon after the first Guardians film.

• Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015): The team faces a new threat, and more heroes are introduced.

• Ant-Man (2015): Scott Lang's first shrinking adventure, taking place after the Ultron events.

• Captain America: Civil War (2016): A big conflict among the heroes, changing their relationships forever.

• Black Widow (2016): This film fills in gaps about Natasha Romanoff's past, set right after Civil War.

• Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016): Peter Parker's first solo movie, following his appearance in Civil War.

• Doctor Strange (2016-2017): Stephen Strange's journey into magic, which spans a bit of time.

• Black Panther (2017): T'Challa becomes king, and we see more of Wakanda.

• Thor: Ragnarok (2017): Thor's wild adventure, leading directly into the next Avengers film.

• Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018): This film happens just before the major events of Infinity War.

• Avengers: Infinity War (2018): The heroes face Thanos, a huge event that changes everything.

• Avengers: Endgame (2018-2023): The very long story that resolves the Infinity War events, with a time jump involved.

• Spider-Man: Far From Home (2024): Peter Parker deals with the world after Endgame, set about eight months later.

• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2024): A new hero's story, happening after the big snap and its reversal.

• Eternals (2024): This film introduces very old beings, and its story happens after the world returns to normal.

• Spider-Man: No Way Home (2024): Peter Parker faces big challenges that cross different realities.

• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2025): Doctor Strange explores new dimensions, set after No Way Home.

• Thor: Love and Thunder (2025): Thor's latest adventure, happening after the previous films.

• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2025): The story of Wakanda moving forward after a great loss.

• Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2026): The Ant-Man family faces new dangers in a very small world.

• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2026): The Guardians' latest mission, concluding their story arc.

• The Marvels (2026): Three heroes find their powers linked in a new adventure.

Which Order is Right for You?

Deciding which order to watch is a personal choice, honestly. It is a bit like how you can choose whether messages are grouped in conversations or if each email shows up separately, you know? Both ways work, but one might feel better for you.

If you are new to the MCU, the **release order** is often a good start. It is how the story was first shown to everyone, and the surprises land just as they were planned. You get to grow with the universe as it grew, basically.

If you have already seen some of the movies, or if you really like to see stories flow in a straight line, the **chronological order** might be for you. It helps connect the dots in a different way, making the timeline feel very clear. Some people really like this clean, time-based approach.

You might even try a mix! Some people watch the big team-up movies in release order, but then fill in the gaps with the solo films in chronological order. There is no single "wrong" way, just what feels best for your movie-watching experience, more or less.

Beyond the Movies: Series and Specials

The MCU has grown a lot, you know. It is not just movies anymore. There are also many TV shows and special presentations that add to the big story. These often connect very closely to the movies, sometimes even setting up future film events.

If you want the most complete experience, you should try to fit these into your watching plan too. For example, shows like "WandaVision" or "Loki" directly follow events from "Avengers: Endgame" and lead into other movies. It is like finding messages by searching your inbox; you can pull in all the related bits to get the full story.

Trying to list every show and special here would make this guide very, very long, but a good rule of thumb is to watch them in their release order after the movie they connect to. For example, "WandaVision" came out after "Endgame" and ties into "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." So, you would watch "Endgame," then "WandaVision," then "Doctor Strange 2." You can learn more about Marvel TV series on our site, and find details about upcoming releases there too.

Frequently Asked Questions

People often have similar questions about watching these films. Here are a few common ones, basically.

Do I really need to watch them all?

Well, you do not have to watch every single one to enjoy the big team-up movies. But, watching more of them definitely helps you understand the characters and the overall story better. It is like how you might check Google Store delivery dates for a big order; you want all the pieces to arrive to get the full picture, you know.

What about the older Marvel movies that are not part of the MCU?

There are many Marvel movies that came out before Iron Man in 2008. These, like the original "Spider-Man" films or "X-Men" movies, are not part of the main MCU story. You do not need to watch them to understand the MCU. They are separate stories, in a way. They are like different photo albums; you can keep the original as is and use a new album for a random order of photos, but they are not the same collection, if that makes sense.

Should I watch the post-credit scenes?

Absolutely, yes! Most Marvel movies have extra scenes after the credits start rolling, sometimes even two of them. These scenes often set up future movies or give a little extra joke. They are very important for understanding what comes next in the universe. It is like getting notified of new email; you want to see that extra bit of information, right?

So, picking your path for watching Marvel movies is a fun part of the experience. Whether you stick to the order they came out, or try to follow the story's timeline, the most important thing is to enjoy the adventure. Get your snacks ready, pick your first movie, and get ready for some fun movie time!