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MCU Phases in Order

The MCU’s phases in order: Phases One to Three make up the Infinity Saga, Phases Four to Six the Multiverse Saga, and a third saga, often called the Mutant Saga, is expected to begin with Phase Seven in 2028. We’re currently in Phase Six. Each phase is a chapter of a few years, usually ending in a big team-up.

What a phase actually is

Phases started as Marvel Studios’ internal planning blocks. Kevin Feige talked about “Phase One” while the first Avengers film was being made, and the label stuck. A phase usually covers two to four years of releases and builds toward one crossover: The Avengers ended Phase One, Age of Ultron ended Phase Two, and Endgame closed Phase Three.

Since 2021 the line has blurred. Disney+ series count as part of the phases, there are many more releases per phase, and Phase Four didn’t end with a team-up at all. The phases are still the easiest way to break the MCU into manageable chunks.

Phase One (2008–2012)

The MCU begins: Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the Hulk are introduced before uniting in The Avengers.

Phase One was an experiment nobody was sure would work. Marvel Studios financed its own films for the first time, with only second-tier characters available because the X-Men, Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four were licensed to other studios. Iron Man’s success in 2008 gave them room to try the rest.

9 titles · films from Iron Man to Marvel's The Avengers · about 12h 44m of viewing · full Phase One list

Phase Two (2013–2015)

The team fractures while the Infinity Stones gather: SHIELD falls, Ultron rises, and the Quantum Realm is discovered.

Phase Two deals with the fallout of New York and quietly gathers the Infinity Stones. Tony is struggling, The Winter Soldier turns S.H.I.E.L.D. upside down, and Guardians of the Galaxy takes the MCU into space for the first time.

9 titles · films from Iron Man 3 to Ant-Man · about 13h 16m of viewing · full Phase Two list

Phase Three (2016–2019)

Civil War splits the Avengers; Thanos arrives. The Infinity Saga ends with Endgame.

Phase Three is the MCU at its peak. Civil War splits the Avengers, new heroes arrive in quick succession (Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel) and Thanos finally comes to collect the Stones.

18 titles · films from Captain America: Civil War to Spider-Man: Far From Home · about 26h 2m of viewing · full Phase Three list

Phase Four (2021–2022)

The Multiverse Saga opens on Disney+: WandaVision, Loki, and the multiverse cracks open in No Way Home.

Phase Four arrived after a pandemic delay and changed how the MCU works. Disney+ series became part of the main story, starting with WandaVision in January 2021, and the films started dealing with grief, legacy and the multiverse.

19 titles · films from Black Widow to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever · about 64h 42m of viewing · full Phase Four list

Phase Five (2023–2025)

The multiverse deepens: Kang arrives, the Guardians say goodbye, Deadpool brings Fox’s mutants into the fold, and the New Avengers form.

Phase Five was meant to build toward Kang the Conqueror. After Quantumania and Loki Season 2, Marvel dropped Kang as the saga’s main villain and built toward Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom instead. See what happened to Kang.

17 titles · films from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to Thunderbolts* · about 74h 47m of viewing · full Phase Five list

Phase Six (2025–2027)

The Multiverse Saga races to its climax: Brand New Day, Doomsday, and Secret Wars.

Phase Six is the final stretch of the Multiverse Saga. The Fantastic Four arrived from Earth-828 in July 2025, Tom Holland returned in Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, 2026, and the phase builds to two Avengers films a year apart.

14 titles · films from The Fantastic Four: First Steps to Avengers: Secret Wars · about 35h 55m of viewing so far · full Phase Six list

Phase Seven (2028–)

What comes after Avengers: Secret Wars. Marvel hasn’t officially named or laid out Phase Seven yet, so this is our working grouping of the films slated for 2028: the MCU’s X-Men reboot, Ghost Rider and Black Panther 3.

Phase Seven opens the MCU’s next saga once Avengers: Secret Wars (December 17, 2027) wraps up the Multiverse Saga. Kevin Feige has said mutants will be central to what comes next, and Secret Wars is the likely bridge: a story about colliding realities is a natural way to bring the X-Men into the main MCU timeline.

4 titles · films from X-Men (Untitled MCU Film) to Black Panther 3 · full Phase Seven list

Phases and sagas

• The Infinity Saga: Phases One to Three (2008–2019).
• The Multiverse Saga: Phases Four to Six (2021–2027).
• The next saga: Phase Seven onward (2028–), centered on mutants.

MCU phases FAQ