How Long Does It Take to Watch the Entire MCU?
Updated
The 38 MCU movies add up to 83h 3m. Add every Disney+ series, special and short on the main timeline and you're looking at about 227h 26m.
That second number surprises people. The films are only 37% of it; the Disney+ shows since 2021 account for most of the rest. You don't need all of it, though. The films plus a handful of key series will get you through the main story.
MCU runtime by scope
| What you watch | Titles | Total runtime |
|---|---|---|
| MCU movies only | 38 | 83h 3m |
| MCU series, specials & shorts | 43 | 144h 23m |
| The whole MCU main timeline | 81 | 227h 26m |
| Marvel titles outside the MCU (Fox X-Men, Sony Spider-Man, Netflix Defenders, older films and TV) | 170 | 1180h 13m |
| Every released Marvel title in our database | 251 | 1407h 39m |
Series runtimes use each show's average episode length (45 minutes where it isn't listed), so treat the series totals as close estimates. Upcoming titles aren't counted.
How long it takes at your pace
| Pace | Films only | Whole MCU timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop, no sleep | 3.5 days | 9.5 days |
| One film a night | 38 days | See the 2-hour row |
| 2 hours a night | 42 days | 114 days |
| Weekends only (6 hours a weekend) | 14 weekends | 38 weekends |
Ways to cut the time down
- Watch the essentials only. The MCU essentials list drops the optional titles and keeps the story intact.
- Skip most of the shows. Loki and WandaVision matter for the films; plenty of others don't. See which Disney+ shows actually matter.
- Catching up for Doomsday? The Doomsday prep guide and post-Endgame catch-up guide cut it to roughly 30 to 40 hours.
- Plan it week by week with the marathon planner, and tick titles off in the tracker as you go.
Runtime FAQ
How long does it take to watch all the MCU movies?
About 83h 3m for all 38 released films, roughly 3.5 days straight, or 38 evenings at one film a night. Capped at 2 hours a night, it takes 42 evenings, because many films run past two hours.
How long is the entire MCU including the TV shows?
About 227h 26m, call it 227 hours, for the 81 movies, series seasons, specials and shorts on the main MCU timeline.
Why do some sites say the MCU takes over 700 hours?
That number includes Marvel titles outside the MCU: the Fox X-Men films, Sony's Spider-Man films, the Netflix shows, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and older TV. Our full database of 251 released titles runs about 1407h 39m, but only 227h 26m of that is the MCU itself.
What is the longest MCU movie?
Avengers: Endgame, at 3h 1m. Avengers: Doomsday is reported to run about 2h 45m, which would put it close.
What is the shortest MCU movie?
The Marvels, at 1h 45m.