1- Runtime
- 2h 4m
- IMDb
- 6.9
- Box office
- $371M
- Stream
- Disney+
MCU Essentials: Only the Movies & Shows You Can't Skip
The essential MCU is 25 movies and shows: every title we grade Essential because the main story depends on it, listed in story order. Watch only these and you’ll follow the saga, though some characters arrive without their origin story. The Recommended titles fill those gaps if you want them.
The quick list25 titlesShow allHide
- 1Captain America: The First Avenger2011
- 2Captain Marvel2019
- 3Iron Man2008
- 4Thor2011
- 5Marvel's The Avengers2012
- 6Captain America: The Winter Soldier2014
- 7Guardians of the Galaxy2014
- 8Avengers: Age of Ultron2015
- 9Ant-Man2015
- 10Captain America: Civil War2016
- 11Black Panther2018
- 12Doctor Strange2016
- 13Thor: Ragnarok2017
- 14Ant-Man and the Wasp2018
- 15Avengers: Infinity War2018
- 16Avengers: Endgame2019
- 17Loki: Season 12021
- 18WandaVision: Season 12021
- 19Spider-Man: No Way Home2021
- 20Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness2022
- 21Loki: Season 22023
- 22Deadpool & Wolverine2024
- 23Captain America: Brave New World2025
- 24Thunderbolts*2025
- 25The Fantastic Four: First Steps2025
MCU Essentials, with notes
Every title carries a tag so you can decide what to skip. Essential means the main story depends on it, Recommended adds a lot but you’ll follow without it, and Optional is safe to skip. Each entry also shows its release date and, where known, when the story is set.
1
2Captain Marvel 2019
- Runtime
- 2h 3m
- IMDb
- 6.7
- Box office
- $1.13B
- Stream
- Disney+
3Iron Man 2008
- Runtime
- 2h 6m
- IMDb
- 7.9
- Box office
- $586M
- Stream
- Disney+
4Thor 2011
- Runtime
- 1h 55m
- IMDb
- 7.0
- Box office
- $449M
- Stream
- Hulu
5- Runtime
- 2h 23m
- IMDb
- 8.0
- Box office
- $1.52B
- Stream
- Hulu
6- Runtime
- 2h 16m
- IMDb
- 7.7
- Box office
- $714M
- Stream
- Disney+
7- Runtime
- 2h 1m
- IMDb
- 8.0
- Box office
- $773M
- Stream
- Disney+
8- Runtime
- 2h 21m
- IMDb
- 7.3
- Box office
- $1.41B
- Stream
- Disney+, Starz
9Ant-Man 2015
- Runtime
- 1h 57m
- IMDb
- 7.2
- Box office
- $519M
- Stream
- Disney+
10- Runtime
- 2h 27m
- IMDb
- 7.8
- Box office
- $1.16B
- Stream
- Disney+
11Black Panther 2018
- Runtime
- 2h 14m
- IMDb
- 7.3
- Box office
- $1.35B
- Stream
- Hulu
12Doctor Strange 2016
- Runtime
- 1h 55m
- IMDb
- 7.5
- Box office
- $678M
- Stream
- Disney+
13Thor: Ragnarok 2017
- Runtime
- 2h 10m
- IMDb
- 7.9
- Box office
- $855M
- Stream
- Disney+
14Ant-Man and the Wasp 2018
- Runtime
- 1h 58m
- IMDb
- 7.0
- Box office
- $623M
- Stream
- Disney+
15- Runtime
- 2h 29m
- IMDb
- 8.4
- Box office
- $2.05B
- Stream
- Disney+
16Avengers: Endgame 2019
- Runtime
- 3h 1m
- IMDb
- 8.4
- Box office
- $2.80B
- Stream
- Disney+
17Loki: Season 1 2021
- Episodes
- 6 ep
- IMDb
- 8.2
- Format
- TV series
- Stream
- Disney+
18- Episodes
- 9 ep
- IMDb
- 7.9
- Format
- TV series
- Stream
- Disney+, Hulu
19- Runtime
- 2h 28m
- IMDb
- 8.2
- Box office
- $1.92B
- Stream
- Disney+, Starz
20- Runtime
- 2h 6m
- IMDb
- 6.9
- Box office
- $956M
- Stream
- Disney+
21Loki: Season 2 2023
- Episodes
- 6 ep
- IMDb
- 8.2
- Format
- TV series
- Stream
- Disney+
22Deadpool & Wolverine 2024
- Runtime
- 2h 8m
- IMDb
- 8.0
- Box office
- $1.34B
- Stream
- Disney+
23- Runtime
- 1h 58m
- IMDb
- 5.6
- Box office
- $415M
- Stream
- Disney+
24Thunderbolts* 2025
- Runtime
- 2h 7m
- IMDb
- 7.3
- Box office
- $382M
- Stream
- Disney+
25- Runtime
- 1h 54m
- IMDb
- 7.5
- Box office
- $522M
- Stream
- Disney+
Frequently asked questions
What are the essential MCU movies?
The essentials are the titles that move the saga forward: the Avengers films, the Infinity Stone setups, and the multiverse backbone (Loki, No Way Home). The full list is above.
How is this different from the beginner path?
They answer different questions. The beginner path is a curated first watch in release order, picked so a newcomer enjoys the ride. This list is every title graded Essential, in story order, which suits a rewatch or a catch-up. For one specific release, use a prep guide instead.
Can I really skip the "Optional" titles?
For following the main saga, yes. Optional titles don’t change where the story goes. Recommended titles are different: skipping them is fine, but they often explain who a character is, so you may want a few of them back.
How do you decide what is Essential?
A title is Essential if a later Avengers film or a major turn in the saga depends on what happens in it. It’s an editorial judgment, explained on our editorial standards page, not an official Marvel label.