How To Watch All Marvel Movies In Order

While Iron Man, which was set and premiered in 2008, may lay claim to being the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, however, Chris Evans has beaten Robert Downey Jr. inside his own tale. This is because Evans’ origin tale as Captain America in The First Avenger took place in 1942. Here, we also get our first comprehensive introduction to the Tesseract, a power cube that kick-starts the Infinity Saga, which culminates in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

The next film in the chronology is Captain Marvel, a smash with a spectacular set in 1995 featuring Brie Larson as the intergalactic Carol Danvers. Then it’s back to the beginning with Iron Man and RDJ’s ground-breaking performance as Tony Stark. After that, the films may be watched in chronological sequence, except 2021’s Black Widow, which would be set in the aftereffects of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War.

Shang-Chi ushers the MCU into Phase 4 following the dramatic end of Endgame (including Spider-Man: Far From Home). And now comes the massive Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

The Movies In Order For You To Understand The MCU

1. THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA (2011)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Captain America is a great old-fashioned blockbuster pleasure, with lots of pulpy combat, a wonderfully vintage atmosphere, and a few fine actors.

• Actors: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones
• Director: Joe Johnston 
• Rating: 80%

2. CAPTAIN MARVEL (2019)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Captain Marvel presents the MCU’s newest superhero with an origin narrative that makes excellent usage of the series’s distinctive formula, packed with action, humor, and visual delights.

• Actors: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou
• Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
• Rating: 79%

3. IRON MAN (2008)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Iron Man, propelled by Robert Downey Jr.’s vivid personality, revs up the comics industry with acute intellect and an exhilarating zest for life.

• Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges 
• Director: Jon Favreau
• Rating: 94%

4. IRON MAN 2 (2010)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: It’s not precisely the breath of new air that Iron Man had been, but with good acting and an action-packed narrative, this sequel comes near.

• Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson
• Director: Jon Favreau
• Rating: 72%

5. THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: The Incredible Hulk might not have been the massive hit that followers of Marvel’s rampaging giant had hoped for, but it provides more than sufficient big green fury to compensate for its somewhat mediocre plot.

• Actors: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt
• Director: Louis Leterrier
• Rating: 67%

6. THOR (2011)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Thor is a spectacular extravaganza that sparks its immense scale with wit, comedy, and morality tale. It’s a great Marvel pleasure.

• Actors: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston
• Director: Kenneth Branagh
• Rating: 77%

7. MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS (2012)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: The Avengers plays up to its anticipation and ups the expectations for Marvel at the cinema, thanks to a storyline that stresses its characters’ compassion and a plethora of superhero set plays.

• Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth
• Director: Joss Whedon
• Rating: 91%

8. THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Thor: The Dark World might not have been the best picture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it still has plenty of humor and high-stakes combat that viewers have grown to anticipate.

• Actors: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard
• Director: Alan Taylor
• Rating: 66%

9. IRON MAN 3 (2013)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Iron Man 3 is a humorous, engaging adventure and a great asset to the Marvel mythology, thanks to its charismatic hero, some excellent fight scenes, or even a few shocks.

• Actors:  Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce
• Director: Shane Black
• Rating: 79%

10. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Captain America: The Winter Soldier seems to be a terrific chapter in the Avengers mythology, thrilling and politically aware, and is guaranteed to delight Marvel fans.

• Actors: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Sebastian Stan
• Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Rating: 90%

11. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Guardians of the Galaxy is as rebellious as readers of the usually crazy Marvel comic might anticipate, as well as amusing, exciting, heartfelt, and visually stunning.

• Actors: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel
• Director: James Gunn
• Rating: 92%

12. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (2017)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: The action-packed narrative, stunning cinematography, and irreverent comedy of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 stacks up to a second that’s almost as exciting – just not quite as exhilaratingly original – as its debut.

• Actors: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista
• Director: James Gunn
• Rating: 85%

13. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (2015)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Avengers: Age of Ultron is an energetic and eye-popping followup that reassembles its predecessor’s enormous group with a few fresh characters and a suitable antagonist.

• Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans
• Director: Joss Whedon
• Rating: 76%

14. ANT-MAN (2015)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Ant-Man, driven by a likable debut by Paul Rudd, delivers Marvel delights on a smaller scale – but not as effortlessly like its most popular forebears.

• Actors: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Douglas
• Director: Peyton Reed
• Rating: 83%

15. CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Captain America: Civil War ushers in the next phase of Marvel films with a heroic spectacle and lots of action with a distinctly non-cartoonish narrative and the audacity to tackle thought-provoking subjects.

• Actors: Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Robert Downey Jr.,  Scarlett Johansson
• Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Rating: 90%

16. BLACK WIDOW (2021)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: The heavier ideas of Black Widow are washed out by the violence, but it maintains a highly enjoyable standalone journey completed off by a fantastic supporting group.

• Actors: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbor, Rachel Weisz
• Director: Cate Shortland
• Rating: 79%

17. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Spider-Man: Homecoming did all a sequel can- providing a bright, exciting journey that snuggles perfectly in the huge MCU without being weighed down.

• Actors: Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Michael Keaton
• Director: Jon Watts
• Rating: 92%

18. BLACK PANTHER (2018)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Black Panther takes superhero filmmaking to greater levels while delivering one of several MCU’s finest engrossing plots and presenting some of the franchise’s most fully-formed heroes.

• Actors: Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan,
• Director: Ryan Coogler
• Rating: 96%

19. DOCTOR STRANGE (2016)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Doctor Strange deftly contrasts its outré original material despite the MCU’s blockbuster confines, creating a genuinely amusing superhero story arc in the process.

• Actors: Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor
• Director: Scott Derrickson
• Rating: 89%

20. THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Thor: Ragnarok is a colorful cosmic romp that sets a new bar for its series – and the remainder of the MCU. It’s thrilling, humorous, and most of all, joyful.

• Actors: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba
• Director: Taika Waititi
• Rating: 93%

21. ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (2018)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Ant-Man and The Wasp, a fresher, livelier superhero film fueled by the easy charm of Paul Rudd & Evangeline Lilly, is a much-needed MCU mind refresher.

• Actors: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Peña
• Director: Peyton Reed
• Rating: 87%

22. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Avengers: Infinity War skillfully juggles a dizzying assortment of MCU characters in the battle against their severest danger yet, resulting in an exhilarating, psychologically powerful film that (almost) fulfills its colossal goals.

• Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin, Chadwick Boseman
• Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Rating: 85%

23. AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Avengers: Endgame accomplishes everything it can to offer a fitting conclusion to Marvel’s mesmerizing Infinity Saga. It’s adventurous, engaging, and deeply profound.

• Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth
• Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Rating: 94%

24. SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (2019)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Spider-Man: Far from Home, a refreshingly unconventional combination of youthful love and superhuman adventure, elegantly sets the setting for the MCU’s next chapter.

• Actors: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei
• Director: Jon Watts
• Rating: 90%

25. SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS (2021)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is not free of Marvel’s tried-and-true template, but this thrilling origin narrative enriches the MCU in too many ways than just one.

• Actors: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen
• Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
• Rating: 91%

26. ETERNALS (2021)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: Eternals is a grandiose superhero tale that soars as frequently as it struggles, taking the MCU in interesting – and oftentimes perplexing – new ways.

• Actors: Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan
• Director: Chloé Zhao
• Rating: 47%

27. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (2021)

Reviewer’s Sentiment: No Way Home is a larger, stronger Spider-Man sequel that broadens the franchise’s breadth and consequences without compromising the integrity of its humor and humanity.

• Actors: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon
• Director: Jon Watts
• Rating: 93%

The Movies In Release Order

Phase 1:

• Iron Man (2008)
• The Incredible Hulk (2008)
• Thor (2011)
• Iron Man 2 (2010)
• Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
• The Avengers (2012)

Phase 2:

• Thor: The Dark World (2013)
• Iron Man 3 (2013)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
• Ant-Man (2015)
• Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Phase 3:

• Doctor Strange (2016)
• Captain America: Civil War (2016)
• Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
• Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)
• Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
• Black Panther (2017)
• Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
• Captain Marvel (2019)
• Avengers: Endgame (2019)
• Spider-Man- Far From Home (2019)

Phase 4:

• WandaVision (Disney Plus series)
• Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney Plus series)
• Loki season 1 (Disney Plus series)
• Black Widow (2021)
• What If…? (Disney Plus series)
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
• Eternals (2021)
• Hawkeye (Disney Plus series)
• Spider-Man – No Way Home (2021)

Conclusion

Whatever you think about superhero films, you ought to give Marvel kudos: It has managed to create a 27-movie Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) sans any resets, revivals, or recastings, except one. After Avengers: Infinity War brought matters to a peak, and Spider-Man: Far From Home settled them, what’s been labeled “Phase 3” of the MCU is finished, and “Phase 4” started with Black Widow. If you’re wondering how to watch all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films online, you can do so on Amazon or iTunes, and the majority of them are also available on the Disney+ online service.