For nearly two decades, audiences have witnessed 🍌one of the most polarizing, record-setting cinematic universes take shape. We’ve watched Tony Stark𝔍 create an iron suit in a cave, Steve Rogers battle Nazis, Thor Odinson prove he is worthy, and countless more iconic superheroes on the big screen.

It’s hard to say if anyone expected the amount of success that Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige have experienced. Numerous top actors and actresses have left their marks on this franchise, and with the initial Infinity Sage now completed, the new frontier of Phase Four looks to be a wild one. On top of Feige expanding Marvel content onto Disney’s streaming service with weekly shows, the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to make incredible strides in the entertainment sphere. But with so much content rolling out, it’s easy to lose oneself in the midst of it all. This is the correct order to watch every movie and Disney+ show in the MCU in chronological ඣorder.

Updated March 29, 2024, by Sai Vsr: The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand in Phase 5 with new adventures in space and on Earth. We've updated this list to add the highly anticipated Season 2 of What If, The Marvels, and Echo. Additionally, we've also thrown in some info about Marvel's upcoming projects. Check it out below!

1 ♕ Captain America: The First Avenger (1942)

Initially starꦆting in the present day, the vast majority of Captain America: The First Avenger takes place in 1942 when the United States entered the Second World War. Released in 2011, the movie follows a scrawny, yet determined young man who wants nothing more than to fight Nazis. It’s not so much that he wants to kill them, but Steve Rogers doesn’t like bullies, no matter where they come from. So fighting against the oppression and prejudice during that time period was an easy choice for him. Unfortunately, Rogers kept getting denied a chance to join the military.

While overhearing Rogers talk to his good friend Bucky Barnes, Doctor Abraham Erskine of the Strategic Scientific Reserve approaches him regarding the super-soldier serum. Erskine sees how different Rogers is compared to other people, his desire to help those less fortunate and not simply become a killing machine. This is the birth🌠 of Captain America, one of the greatest heroes and Avengers to ever live.

2 Captain Marvel (1995💫)

The introduction of Marvel’s second captain didn’t occur unti🎐l 2019 with the release of Captain Marvel. Set in the mid-1990s, Captain Marvel contains key plot elements that are certain to come into play later in Phase Four with the shape-shifting alien race the Skrulls. This film first introduces Carol Danvers as Vers, a Kree warrior who suffers from memory loss. After finding out she was once a human, Danvers exacts her revenge on the people who ruined her past life and tries to help prevent her current life from falling apart as well.

Captain Marvelꦉ is one of the most importa𝓰nt Marvel films canonically because this is where special agent Nick Fury comes up with the idea of the Avengers. His interaction with Danvers and the war between the Kree and Skrulls is his first taste of intergalactic conflict and he realizes that Earth is ill-equipped to engage in such affairs. And as a bonus, we find out how exactly Fury lost his left eye.

3 🍌 🧸 Iron Man (2008)

The first movie that truly ki🧔cked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man quickly established itself as a premier origin story. When weapon arms dealer Tony Stark gets attacked and abducted by people who are using the very weapons he develops, he realizes this isn’t right. Stranded in a cave, Stark somehow manages to retrofit an iron suit made from scrap metal (despite recovering from shrapnel in his chest) and escapes back to New York.

Throughout the film, it’s clear what type of perso🌜n Stark is: condescending, arrogant, selfish, and quite rich. His near-death experience reformed the man h🅺e wanted to be and set him on the path of becoming Iron Man. While some might consider Captain America the leader of the Avengers, Tony Stark can be considered the leader of the MCU. Without Iron Man, there is no MCU.

4 T๊he Incredible Hulk (2010) 🍎

Despite a change in lead actor, Universal’s The Incredible Hulk is, in fact, canon to the MCU. The decision to cast Mark Ruffalo as the green giant in♒stead of Edward Norton seemed to have come from the head honcho himself, Kevin Feige. In a statement, Feige said that the decision wasn’t based on monetary factors, but more that he believed , which the actor took incredible offense to.

Although Norton or Liv Taylor’s Betty Ross hasn’t reappeared since the movie’s release in 2008, William Hurt’s Thunderbolt Ross has become a recurring character. General Ross was an antagonist in Captain America: Civil War in constructing the Sokovia Accords, and also led the hunt for Natasha Romanoff in Black Widow. While there hasn’t been a solo Hulk movie since, possibly due to the film’s rights, Marvel released She-Hulk, which saw the return of Tim Roth's Abomination.

5 ও Iron Man 2 (2011) 🌺

The return of Tony Stark br༺ought along the introduction of the final member of the Avengers, Natasha Romanoff. Fresh off unveiling himself to the world as Iron Man, Stark quickly adjusted to the life of crime fighting. Though Stark has been previously approached by Nick Fury regarding the Avengers Initiative, he’s still operating alone...well, not so much alone.

Iron Man 2 was the debut of Stark’s buddy Colonel James Rhodey, who took to the skies as War Machine. Marvel replaced Terrance Howard, who played the role of Rhodey in the first Iron Man, with Don Cheadle. The two heroes battle against Whiplash and Justin Hammer, as the government tries to replicate Stark's technology

6 Thor (2011) 🌃

The last of the Avengers trinity is finally introduced in Thor. Soon to become the king of Asgard, the God of Thunder is instead banished to Earth by his father, Odin. Stranded on Midgard, Thor befriends scienti🤪sts Jane Foster, Eric💜 Selvig, and Darcy Lewis, and the gang helps the fallen god regain his lost honor.

The film also introduces one of Marvel’s main recurring villains in Loki. Revealed to 🥂be the one responsible for Thor’s banishment, the God of Mischief wishes to not only rule A🌌sgard but has his sights set on bigger exploits. Thor also shows the first appearance of Clint Barton, otherwise known as Hawkeye, and is the first film to show the cosmic side of the MCU.

7 🌞 Th🌄e Avengers (2012)

The culmination of Marvel’s early building blocks resulted in Earth’s Mightiest Heroes finally assembling in The Avengers. Instructed by the Mad Titan Thanos, Loki has waged war on New York in search of the Tesseract. Kno🌠wing the battle is far too great for normal weaponry, Nick Fury executes his Avengers Initiative, bringing in the likes of Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff, and Clint Barton.

Loki proved to be a formidable foe and it required the combined powers of all six Avengers to defeat him. Though the Avengers triumphed, the difficulties along the way showed they had much to learn in working as a team. The Avengers film marked the end of the MCU’s Phaseไ One.

8 ♓ Thor: Dark World (2013) ꦫ

After successfully saving Midgard from his brother Loki, Thor returns to Asgard with the captured god for him to stand trial. Loki is placed in solitary confinement, and just when we think he’s changed his ways for the better, the other shoe drops. However, ಌsomething more sinister has stirred in the darkness.

The dark elf Malekith, thought to have been destroyed eons ago by Odin’s father Bor, has emerged from the depths of the universe to exact his revenge on A🦩sgard and the other Nine Realms. Harnessing the power of the Aether, which turns out to be the Reality Infinity Stone, Malekith threate💃ns all of existence until Thor and his science buddies on Earth get the better of him.

9 🐲 ꦡ Iron Man 3 (2012)

Tony Stark is in a dark place following the events of The Avengers. Having nearly died saving New York City from Loki and the Chitauri horde, Stark has experienced visions of his and the other heroes' deaths. Throughout this time, Stark has built numerous Iron Man suits, but soon investigates a series of bombs that are being claimed to have been detonated by a terrorist known as the Mandarin.

The real mastermind turns out to be a🔯 scientist from🎃 Stark’s past, Aldrich Killian, who weaponizes a material called Extremis. Supposed to help individuals with crippling injuries, Extremis becomes an unstable energy source within Killian. Stark fails in his fight against Killian but with the help of a superpowered Pepper Potts, the two defeat the crazed scientist.

10 🍎 Captain Ame🍒rica: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Following the Battle of New York, Steve Rogers took a position working directly with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury. On a mission to rescue hostages, Natasha Romanoff retrieves data for Fury regarding a secret project within the agency. Codenamed Project Insight, the data reveals three He𝔉licarriers connected to a network that will preemptively eliminate threats.

After Fury confronts Alexander Pierce, the Secretary of Internal Security, about being unable to fur🍬ther decrypt the data, Fury is att♏acked by an unknown soldier known as the Winter Soldier. It’s revealed that Hydra has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Winter Soldier is actually Rogers’s old friend Bucky Barnes.