How many Marvel (MCU) movies are there?

There are 34 films in Marvel Cinematic Universe, running from Iron Man (2008) to The Fantastic 4: First Steps (2025). Watching all of them takes about 74 hours.

What order should I watch Marvel (MCU) in?

We recommend release order, starting with Iron Man (2008). You can switch to story order at the top of this page if you would rather follow the in-universe timeline.

What is the difference between release order and story order for Marvel (MCU)?

Release order follows the dates the films came out, starting with Iron Man (2008). Story order follows the in-universe timeline, so Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) moves to the front. Both lists contain the same 34 titles, just sequenced differently.

Which Marvel (MCU) movie should I watch first?

Iron Man (2008), if you follow the release order we recommend. Following the story order instead, you would begin with Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

How long does it take to watch all of Marvel (MCU)?

About 74 hours of screen time across 34 films, or 73h 59m to be exact. At one film a night that is 34 evenings.

Should I watch the MCU in release or chronological order?

Release order is recommended. It preserves the twists and the way each film builds on what came before.

Where do the Spider-Man solo films fit in?

The MCU Spider-Man films sit alongside these releases (Homecoming after Civil War, No Way Home after Endgame). We track them as their own franchise so you can follow every Spidey continuity together.

Do I need to watch the Disney+ shows?

No. The films stand on their own. Shows like WandaVision and Loki add depth but are not required to follow the main story.

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Watch Order Generator

Marvel (MCU) Watch Order

Watch Marvel Cinematic Universe in release order, starting with Iron Man (2008) and finishing with The Fantastic 4: First Steps (2025). In story order you would start with Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) instead. All 34 films run about 74 hours in total.

Films

73h 59m

Total runtime

2008 to 2025

Years

Release order keeps every twist and reveal intact. Best for a first watch.

1.Iron Man
2008 · 2h 6m
Where the whole universe starts, introducing Tony Stark and the shared-world tone every later film builds on.
2.The Incredible Hulk
2008 · 1h 54m
The most self-contained early entry, and the only time Bruce Banner headlines his own MCU film.
3.Iron Man 2
2010 · 2h 4m
Expands the world around Stark and brings Black Widow and Nick Fury's agency into the picture.
4.Thor
2011 · 1h 55m
Opens the cosmic side of the MCU, introducing Asgard along with Thor and Loki.
5.Captain America: The First Avenger
2011 · 2h 4m
A wartime origin story that supplies the final founding Avenger before the team assembles.
6.The Avengers
2012 · 2h 23m
The payoff for Phase One, pulling every hero introduced so far into a single team-up.
7.Iron Man 3
2013 · 2h 10m
Picks up with Stark in the aftermath of the New York battle, closing out his solo trilogy.
8.Thor: The Dark World
2013 · 1h 52m
A lower-stakes Asgard sequel, though its mid-credits scene plants a thread for the Infinity Saga.
9.Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2014 · 2h 16m
A pivotal entry that reshapes S.H.I.E.L.D. and changes the ground rules for everything after it.
10.Guardians of the Galaxy
2014 · 2h 1m
Branches off into deep space with a brand new cast, largely separate from the Earth-bound heroes.
11.Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015 · 2h 21m
The second team-up, adding Scarlet Witch and Vision and seeding the fractures to come.
12.Ant-Man
2015 · 1h 57m
A small-scale heist story that introduces Scott Lang and the quantum tech that matters much later.
13.Captain America: Civil War
2016 · 2h 27m
Essentially an Avengers film, splitting the roster and introducing both Black Panther and Spider-Man.
14.Doctor Strange
2016 · 1h 55m
Opens up magic and the multiverse, introducing a hero who becomes central to later crossovers.
15.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2017 · 2h 17m
A cosmic side story focused on the team's own family history rather than the wider Avengers plot.
16.Thor: Ragnarok
2017 · 2h 11m
Reinvents Thor with a comedic tone and leaves him in a position that feeds directly into Infinity War.
17.Black Panther
2018 · 2h 15m
Follows T'Challa home after Civil War and establishes Wakanda, a key location in the films ahead.
18.Avengers: Infinity War
2018 · 2h 29m
The first half of the saga's climax, drawing nearly every hero introduced so far into one conflict.
19.Ant-Man and the Wasp
2018 · 1h 59m
A lighter side adventure running parallel to Infinity War, with a stinger that connects the two.
20.Captain Marvel
2019 · 2h 4m
A period-set origin story released to introduce Carol Danvers just before the saga's finale.
21.Avengers: Endgame
2019 · 3h 1m
The culmination of everything from Iron Man onward, and the closing chapter of the Infinity Saga.
22.Black Widow
2021 · 2h 14m
A look back at Natasha's past that also introduces Yelena, who carries forward into later stories.
23.Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
2021 · 2h 12m
A fresh origin story that finally explains the Ten Rings organisation teased back in Iron Man.
24.Eternals
2021 · 2h 36m
Mostly standalone, adding an ancient group of beings and a much longer view of Earth's history.
25.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
2022 · 2h 6m
Leans heavily on the Disney+ series WandaVision and on Spider-Man: No Way Home for setup.
26.Thor: Love and Thunder
2022 · 1h 59m
Continues Thor's story after Endgame and brings Jane Foster back into the franchise.
27.Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
2022 · 2h 42m
Returns to Wakanda for a sequel that reshapes who carries the mantle going forward.
28.Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
2023 · 2h 5m
Takes the family into the Quantum Realm and formally introduces the next saga's central antagonist.
29.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
2023 · 2h 30m
The closing chapter for this incarnation of the team, best watched after both earlier Guardians films.
30.The Marvels
2023 · 1h 45m
A team-up sequel to Captain Marvel that also draws on the Ms. Marvel and WandaVision series.
31.Deadpool & Wolverine
2024 · 2h 8m
A multiverse crossover that rewards familiarity with the older Fox X-Men films more than the MCU.
32.Captain America: Brave New World
2025 · 1h 59m
Follows Sam Wilson taking up the shield, picking up threads from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
33.Thunderbolts*
2025 · 2h 7m
Gathers antiheroes from across recent films and shows into a new team, and closes out this phase.
34.The Fantastic 4: First Steps
2025 · 1h 55m
Introduces Marvel's First Family in their own 1960s-inspired world, a fresh entry point that needs no prior films.

Which order is right for you

Release order vs story order

The MCU is built to reward release order, since each film was designed to land with the knowledge audiences had at the time. Chronological order shuffles a couple of period-set movies to the front, but you lose the escalating stakes and the mid-credits payoffs. Watch by release date for the intended experience.

Release order follows the real-world dates the films came out. It is usually the safest choice for a first watch, because every reveal, cameo, and callback lands the way audiences experienced it at the time.

Story order follows the in-universe timeline instead, so prequels and period-set entries jump forward in the list. For Marvel Cinematic Universe that means starting with Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) rather than Iron Man (2008). Switching orders moves 23 of the 34 titles. It is a good second pass once you already know the saga.

Planning a marathon? Work out the schedule with the Binge Watch Calculator, or browse every franchise watch order.