Introduction
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a media franchise and shared universe that is centered on a series of superhero films, independently produced by Marvel Studios and based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. Since 2008, the MCU has taken the world by storm, bringing together some of the most beloved superheroes into one cinematic universe. With so many movies and characters, it can be difficult to know where to start. In this article, we’ll explore how you should watch the Marvel movies.
Why Should You Watch the Movies?
The MCU offers an incredible range of films – from action-packed thrillers to comedic stories – all with a unique blend of characters and storylines. The films have resonated with audiences worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film franchise of all time, with over $22 billion at the box office. As Professor Mike Ryan explains, “The Marvel Cinematic Universe is not just a set of films, but a long-running narrative that pays off in unexpected ways. It’s a huge accomplishment in terms of storytelling.”
Chronological Order
One of the simplest ways to watch the Marvel movies is in chronological order. This order follows the events of the films as they happened in the story, letting you experience each movie as it was originally released. The chronological order of the films is as follows:
- Iron Man (2008)
- The Incredible Hulk (2008)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- Thor (2011)
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Iron Man 3 (2013)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Ant-Man (2015)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Doctor Strange (2016)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Black Panther (2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
- Captain Marvel (2019)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
By Character
If you want to delve deeper into the individual characters of the MCU, watching the movies by character is a great way to do it. Each of the main characters has their own story arc, which is developed across several movies. Watching the films in this order will give you a better understanding of the characters and their motivations.
Overview
The following is the order for viewing the Marvel movies by character:
- Iron Man
- Captain America
- Thor
- Hulk
- The Avengers
- Doctor Strange
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Spider-Man
- Ant-Man
- Black Panther
- Captain Marvel
Iron Man
Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Captain America
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), and Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Thor
Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Hulk
The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Avengers (2012), and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
The Avengers
The Avengers (2012), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange (2016) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
Spider-Man
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Ant-Man
Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Black Panther
Black Panther (2018) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (2019) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
By Franchise
Another way to watch the Marvel movies is by franchise. This method allows you to follow the storylines of each sub-franchise within the MCU. The order of the films is as follows:
- The Avengers
- Iron Man
- Thor
- Captain America
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Spider-Man
- Doctor Strange
- Ant-Man
- Black Panther
- Captain Marvel
By Genre
If you’re in the mood for a specific type of movie, you can watch the Marvel movies by genre. This method lets you enjoy the different types of stories that the MCU has to offer.
Action-Packed Thrillers
Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Doctor Strange (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Dramatic Stories
The Incredible Hulk (2008), Thor (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Doctor Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Black Panther (2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Comedic Stories
Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Ant-Man (2015), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), and Captain Marvel (2019).
By Timeline
The final way to watch the Marvel movies is by timeline. This method allows you to follow the progression of the MCU, from the pre-Avengers era to the post-Avengers era.
Overview
The order for viewing the Marvel movies by timeline is as follows:
- Pre-Avengers Films
- Avengers Films
- Post-Avengers Films
Pre-Avengers Films
Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
Avengers Films
The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Ant-Man (2015), and Captain America: Civil War (2016).
Post-Avengers Films
Doctor Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Conclusion
There are many different ways to watch the Marvel movies, depending on your preferences. Whether you want to watch in chronological order, by character, franchise, genre, or timeline, there’s something for everyone.
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