MCU Watch Order FAQ

For first-time viewers: release order; it preserves every reveal as Marvel designed it. For rewatches: chronological order.

Release order for your first watch; chronological order for a rewatch. Chronological can spoil surprises that were meant to land in release sequence.

In release order, Captain Marvel (2019) comes between Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers: Endgame. In chronological order it moves up to second among the films, right after Captain America: The First Avenger, because it’s set in 1995. Our chronological order page shows both placements.

The Infinity Saga (Phases 1–3, 2008–2019) is the Thanos/Infinity Stones story. The Multiverse Saga (Phases 4–6, 2021–2027) is the current multiverse story building to Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.

38 MCU films so far. Our how many Marvel movies page breaks down every count.

Some of them. Since Phase 4, shows like Loki and WandaVision carry core MCU story, but others, like Echo or I Am Groot, are safe to skip if you only want the main plot. Our guide to which Disney+ shows matter grades every one.

Yes. Marvel Studios brought Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders and The Punisher into the official MCU timeline in 2024, and Daredevil: Born Again continues that story. Our Netflix canon guide covers the details.

Yes. Plenty of MCU films are fun but not needed to follow the main saga, from The Incredible Hulk to Eternals. Our essentials list has the no-filler cut.

Almost all of them do, and they often set up the next film. Our post-credit scenes guide lists every one in order.

In the US, Disney+ has most of them: 71 of the 115 released Marvel films as of October 16, 2026, including nearly every MCU movie. Most of the gaps are older films outside the MCU, which turn up on Netflix, Peacock, Starz or Prime Video, or are rent-only. Our where-to-watch guide lists where each one is streaming.

Next up: Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026), Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: Season 2 (January 13, 2027), Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (June 18, 2027). Our upcoming releases page lists everything announced, with dates.

The multiverse spine (Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Deadpool & Wolverine), the last two Avengers films, plus Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which introduce the new teams. Full list in our Doomsday prep guide.