Marvel Movies and Shows by Year
Every Marvel release we track, sorted by the year it came out: the MCU, Fox’s X-Men era, Sony’s Spider-Man films, the Netflix and ABC shows, and more than 60 years of cartoons. Pick a year to see what came out and why it mattered.
A few years worth starting with: 2008, when Iron Man launched the MCU; 2009, when Disney bought Marvel; 2019, the year of Endgame; and 2017, the busiest year on record with 17 releases.
The 2020s
2026
8 releases so far6 MCU1 upcoming
2026 started on Disney+. Spider-Man: Brand New Day led the box office with $2.51 billion worldwide.
2025
11 releases8 MCU
Captain America: Brave New World opened on February 14, 2025, as Anthony Mackie's first film in the role, with Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross and the Red Hulk.
2024
10 releases5 MCU
Deadpool & Wolverine was the only MCU film of 2024 and also its first R-rated one.
2023
10 releases7 MCU
2023 was a difficult year for Marvel Studios. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 led the box office with $846 million worldwide.
2022
13 releases9 MCU
In 2022, reviews of MCU films became more mixed. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was the biggest earner, with $956 million worldwide.
2021
15 releases10 MCU
The MCU came back on Disney+ first. The top earner was Spider-Man: No Way Home, at $1.92 billion worldwide.
2020
3 releases
For the first time since 2009, no MCU film came out. The New Mutants led the box office with $49 million worldwide.
The 2010s
2019
11 releases5 MCU
Avengers: Endgame opened on April 26, 2019, with a record $1.2 billion worldwide first weekend and ended at $2.799 billion.
2017
17 releases4 MCU
Fox's best X-Men-related film came out in March 2017. Spider-Man: Homecoming led the box office with $880 million worldwide.
2016
12 releases5 MCU
Deadpool opened on February 12, 2016, and showed that an R-rated superhero comedy could make a lot of money.
2015
11 releases3 MCU
In February 2015, Sony and Marvel Studios announced an agreement to share Spider-Man, which put him in Captain America: Civil War.
2014
9 releases3 MCU
Two of the most important MCU films came out in 2014. Guardians of the Galaxy led the box office with $773 million worldwide.
2013
11 releases3 MCU
Phase Two began with Iron Man 3 on May 3, 2013. The film made $1.22 billion worldwide, the most of any Marvel release that year.
2012
5 releases2 MCU
The Avengers opened on May 4, 2012, and gathered the Phase One heroes in one film.
2011
9 releases4 MCU
Phase One's two remaining origin stories both came out in 2011. Thor led the box office with $449 million worldwide.
2010
4 releases1 MCU
Iron Man 2 arrived on May 7, 2010, and spent much of its running time setting up a bigger universe.
The 2000s
2009
5 releases
2009 was the only year between Iron Man and the pandemic without a new MCU film, but it was the year Marvel's ownership changed for good.
2007
5 releases
Fan memories of 2007 are mixed, even though the box office was huge. Spider-Man 3 was the biggest earner, with $891 million worldwide.
2006
5 releases
X-Men: The Last Stand opened on May 26, 2006, after Bryan Singer left to make Superman Returns and Matthew Vaughn dropped out during production, leaving Brett Ratner to direct.
2004
3 releases
Spider-Man 2, released on June 30, 2004, holds up as one of the strongest superhero films of its era.
2003
4 releases
With three theatrical releases in 2003, Marvel showed how uneven a busy year could be.
2002
2 releases
Sam Raimi's Spider-Man opened on May 3, 2002, and made $114.8 million in its first weekend, which made it the first film ever to earn $100 million in a single weekend.
2000
2 releases
X-Men opened on July 14, 2000, and is widely credited with reviving the superhero genre.
The 1990s
1999
2 releases
Most of the important Marvel news of 1999 happened behind the scenes. The first release was Spider-Man Unlimited.
1998
3 releases
Blade was the breakthrough. The film made $131 million worldwide, the most of any Marvel release that year.
1996
2 releases
1996 was the low point for Marvel as a business. The only film that year was Generation X.
1992
2 releases
X-Men: The Animated Series premiered on Fox Kids on October 31, 1992, and became a ratings hit.
1991
2 releases
1991 was a quiet year, and its one new title is mostly a footnote. The only film that year was The Punisher.
1990
1 release
The Bixby era of the Hulk ended with The Death of the Incredible Hulk, which aired on NBC on February 18, 1990.
The 1980s
1989
2 releases
Marvel changed hands again on January 6, 1989, when Ron Perelman's MacAndrews & Forbes bought it from New World for $82.5 million.
1988
1 release
Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno reunited on May 22, 1988, for The Incredible Hulk Returns, an NBC TV movie that did much better in the ratings than a reunion was expected to.
1986
1 release
Howard the Duck opened on August 1, 1986, as the first theatrical release featuring a Marvel character since the 1944 Captain America serial.
1982
1 release
The live-action Incredible Hulk ended its run in 1982 after five seasons and 80 episodes.
1981
3 releases
Marvel set up its own TV and film arm in 1981. The first release was Spider-Man (1981).
1980
1 release
Apart from a fourth season of The Incredible Hulk, Marvel's only new screen title in 1980 came from Japan.
The 1970s
1979
4 releases
Captain America got his first proper TV outing in 1979. The first release was Captain America.
1978
6 releases
By 1978, CBS was running both of its Marvel shows as weekly series. The only film that year was Dr. Strange (1978).
1977
3 releases
Live-action Marvel became a network TV fixture in 1977, and CBS was the network that made it happen.
1974
1 release
Marvel's only screen appearance in 1974 came from an unexpected place: public television.
The 1960s
1967
2 releases
September 9, 1967 was a big Saturday morning for Marvel on ABC. The first release was Spider-Man (1967).
The 1940s
FAQ
What was the first Marvel movie or show?
Captain America, a 15-chapter Republic serial from 1944. The first feature-length Marvel film released in theaters was Howard the Duck in 1986.
What year did the MCU start?
May 2008, with Iron Man. Everything before that, from Blade to the Fantastic Four films, was made by other studios under license.
Which year had the most Marvel releases?
2017, with 17 movies, series and specials across the MCU and everything else.