IF YOU’RE someone who’s been along for the Marvel Cinematic Universe ride for the past 16 years, it might be a little difficult to plot a full rewatch of the whole saga. After the release of Deadpool & Wolverine , the franchise stands at 34 films—a tough rewatch for any fan and a daunting task for anyone who may be thinking about diving in for the first time.
For existing fans, we can’t blame you for wanting to watch Thor: Ragnarok here or Captain America: The Winter Soldier there. And if anyone just wants to watch the first film in a series—say, Black Panther or Guardians of the Galaxy—those movies tend to stand very nicely on their own.
Still, though, the lasting appeal of the MCU is that this is a cinematic universe that fits together in a degree that has never even been attempted before. The world-building is pristine and expansive, and that’s the point.
At the end of the day, if you’re planning to really watch the MCU through, all the way, whether it’s for the first time or the sixth time, there’s only one right way to do it.
The only way to watch all the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies is in the order in which they were released.
That’s right. Just like with Star Wars, and the now-discontinued X-Men movies, we’re going to advocate watching these in one very specific way: in order. Sure, some people might have theories about watching something one way, to better understand one thing, and better frame this, and get a better handle for that.
But we’re going to go ahead and call that a bunch of hogwash—these movies were designed for in-theater viewing, which would mean it’s designed for people who have seen every movie at that given moment. Reveals are meant to be seen as if that is the latest movie in the series. When Stephen Strange is briefly mentioned in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, for example, that’s meant to be a bit of foreshadowing for the character’s introduction in his own solo film a few years later. Just a hint. Just a little bit.
If you’ve already seen every Marvel movie, you might want to rewatch them in chronological timeline order.
Meaning, the event that occurred first in the timeline—say, Steve Rogers/Captain America living during WWII—comes first. If you wanted to watch this way, though we wouldn’t recommend it, this would be the order:
Captain America: The First Avenger Captain Marvel Iron Man Iron Man 2 The Incredible Hulk Thor The Avengers Iron Man 3 Thor: The Dark World Captain America: The Winter Soldier Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Avengers: Age of Ultron Ant-Man Captain America: Civil War Spider-Man: Homecoming Doctor Strange Black Panther Thor: Ragnarok Black Widow Avengers: Infinity War
Ant-Man and the Wasp Avengers: Endgame Spider-Man: Far From Home Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Eternals
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Thor: Love and Thunder
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The Marvels Deadpool & Wolverine
But, again, that’s not what we would recommend; if you’re choosing to watch these movies in that “chronological order,” you’ll be missing out on key reveals in favor of just seeing things “in order.” It’s not worth the trade-off. If you can follow Infinity Stones and multiverse travel, you can follow a timeline that jumps around here and there. We promise.
Here’s the correct order you should watch the Marvel movies in—the order in which they were released.
All that being said, [deep breath], here’s the real order you should watch the movies. The order in which they were released:
Iron Man (2008)
Marvel Studios
Every Marvel watch through should begin with Iron Man, the movie that started it all. Sure, Tony Stark—a snarky, billionaire, playboy arms dealer—is something of a relic from the late Bush era. But the movie plants all the seeds of what the MCU will eventually become—and that post-credits scene is a tease for the ages. If you don’t watch this first, you lose all the excitement of the enormous, expansive world that is only just beginning.
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The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Universal
The Incredible Hulk is the closest thing to an exception of anything on this entire list in that…if you want to, you can probably skip the whole thing entirely. The most obvious disconnect is that Edward Norton plays Bruce Banner/The Hulk here (he’s replaced by Mark Ruffalo for all subsequent appearances), but the movie also has a number of story hints that were never followed up on (Tim Blake Nelson gets an introduction and a transformation scene as classic comic character The Leader…and it has never been followed up on).
But if you’re going to watch all the movies, you’ve got to watch The Incredible Hulk. And the connective tissue is there—Robert Downey Jr. has a fun cameo, and William Hurt’s General Ross turns out to be a character who shows up throughout the series.
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Iron Man 2 (2010)
Marvel Studios
Another one that is…not exactly the shining jewel of the MCU. But Iron Man 2 has pivotal pieces for what would become the future of the franchise, including the first substantial role for Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and the introduction of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Mickey Rourke’s villain is…well, it’s bad, and he’s bad. But Sam Rockwell as secondary antagonist Justin Hammer is a delight (and they should bring him back!), and Garry Shandling’s cameo as a pesky Senator winds up tying in quite nicely a bit down the line.
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Thor (2011)
Marvel Studios
The introduction of one of the MCU’s most iconic characters came in 2011’s Thor. It’s perfectly solid, and sets the table for Chris Hemsworth’s many appearances in films throughout the next decade. The movie also introduces the MCU’s best villain in Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and even provides the first glimpse at Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) in a brief cameo. There are also glimpses of some of Chris Hemsworth’s comedic ability, which he puts on great display down the line in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame.
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Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Marvel Studios
The first appearance of Chris Evans as Cap, and his true origin story. Also, some minor references that you get out of context, like the presence of Tony Stark’s father, Howard. Also, one of the best endings in the entire MCU—and leads directly into The Avengers.
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The Avengers (2012)
Marvel Studios
The Avengers was the first big payoff for all the world-building that Marvel had done over the past several years (and marked the first appearance of Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk). The movie is vital to the universe, and its events are referenced consistently throughout the rest of the franchise—even to this day.
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Iron Man 3 (2013)
Marvel Studios
Iron Man 3 is the first movie of what the MCU refers to as “Phase 2,” which essentially means it shows the aftermath of the events of The Avengers. Throughout the entire movie—which is the last solo Iron Man outing—we see Tony Stark as he deals with PTSD from the Avengers battle of New York. This movie has a big twist about 2/3 through that split audiences—but for our money, it’s expertly done.
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Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Marvel Studios
So, Thor: The Dark World is another that is…not exactly the best in the MCU. Yet it’s still vital to the overall story being told, expanding the character of both Thor and Loki and providing another of the franchise’s very best endings. Just put up with this movie’s extremely lackluster villain and get it into your system for the important parts.
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Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Marvel Studios
Not only is Captain America: The Winter Soldier very possibly the best movie in the entire MCU—it’s a brilliant take on an espionage film—but it’s perhaps the most essential reason that you need to watch these movies in order. On the off-chance that you haven’t seen it yet, we’ll just say that something you previously took for granted changes in a major, major way for the MCU’s plot going forward, here. Plus, we get our first look at Anthony Mackie as Falcon, and the real introduction to Sebastian Stan’s titular character. We’re still feeling the aftershocks of this one.
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Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Marvel Studios
Another of the MCU’s best. They really started to hit their stride at a certain point, huh? The Guardians movies perhaps more than any others in the MCU stand out as movies that tell their own stories; if you want to watch this without any that come before or after, you’ll be perfectly all right. That being said, once the Guardians characters are introduced into the larger storyline (in Avengers: Infinity War), you’ll be happy to have the extra context. Not to mention that it’s just a fun, badass story. James Gunn knows what he’s doing.
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Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Marvel Studios
The second full-team Avengers outing isn’t the greatest movie on its own, but, in the spirit of this list, is a fairly important piece to set up all the movies that come after. If we’re talking WandaVision, well, both Wanda (Scarlet Witch) and Vision (previously known as J.A.R.V.I.S.) are introduced here. There are also some fun “Superheroes just hanging out” moments, where Don Cheadle and Anthony Mackie really shine—and a joke about the Avengers all trying to pick up Mjolnir leads up to a wonderful payoff that will come four full years down the line.
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Ant-Man (2015)
Marvel Studios
Rather than end with the bang of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel decided to close out its Phase 2 with the small-scale fun of Ant-Man. And it’s a great choice—the Ant-Man movies prove that the entire universe doesn’t need to be at stake for a Marvel movie to be fun; these are basically just heist movies with a bit of superpowers and radiation added in. Ant-Man is another that you could basically watch on its own, but Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is great in the role (as always), and winds up figuring fairly strongly into the overarching story. So you’d be helping yourself if you consider the full picture.
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Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Marvel Studios
At 11 films, Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was its biggest yet—and it kicked things off with Civil War, which had major impact on the entire world. Not only did it introduce Black Panther (played by the late Chadwick Boseman) to the world, but it brought the MCU’s version of Spider-Man (Tom Holland) into the fold for the first time. The plot around government intervention felt more mature than a typical Marvel through line, and the characters seriously developed in ways that changed them for several movies. Some of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.’s best work comes here, and the plot is essential to lay the groundwork for some of the major events in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
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Doctor Strange (2016)
Marvel Studios
In addition to advancing (and, in most ways, wrapping up) the overarching MCU’s plot, Phase 3 also set out to introduce a number of new heroes who could carry on the torch when the OGs (Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, etc) are no longer around. One of those was the titular Doctor Strange , played to perfection by Benedict Cumberbatch. This origin story does actually serve OK to watch on its own if you so chose, but it fits really nicely as a puzzle piece into the larger picture if you already know the world in which this all exists. A sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is expected to be released in 2022.
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Marvel Studios
The two Guardians movies basically work in a vacuum; if you want to watch Vol 2 (and see Kurt Russell as Star-Lord’s father), you’ll absolutely need to have seen Guardians of the Galaxy first. Likewise, you’ll need to see this one before you meet up again a few years down the line with the Guardians when they show up in Avengers: Infinity War.
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Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Marvel Studios
Tom Holland might just be the best Spider-Man ever (sorry Tobey and Andrew!), and for the most part, his first MCU installment lives in is own vacuum as well. Homecoming skips the origin story we already know (and thank god we don’t have to watch poor Uncle Ben die again), and instead drops us right into teenage science nerd Peter Parker’s every day life as he’s mentored by that Tony Stark guy. Michael Keaton plays one of Marvel’s best villains here.
Since Sony still owns the rights to Spider-Man (the character exists in the MCU thanks to a smart deal between the two studios), the Spider-Man series doesn’t live on Disney+.
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Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Marvel Studios
Directed by Academy Award winner Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit), Thor: Ragnarok is easily a top-tier MCU movie, and could easily make a case for being the very best. Not only does the movie have the great action and adventure that fans of the Marvel world have come to expect, but Waititi brings his humor and pacing to a franchise that used his infusion of energy perfect. Mark Ruffalo co-stars as Banner/Hulk, Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie is introduced, and villains played by Jeff Goldblum and Cate Blanchett are great. The movie leads directly into the events of Avengers: Infinity War, so there’s that, too.
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Black Panther (2018)
Marvel Studios
Another one that can absolutely exist in its own bubble is Black Panther, which you can basically watch whenever you want (there are some minor references to the events of Captain America: Civil War, and Andy Serkis’ character first appeared in Ultron, but its nothing that will take you out of the movie if unfamiliar). The movie features great acting from the whole cast, and is directed by Ryan Coogler, who had shown his talent before with movies like Creed and Fruitvale Station, but gets his chance to really shine with a big Marvel budget here.
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Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Marvel Studios
The story to wrap up what Marvel calls “The Infinity Saga”—basically, everything you’ve seen up to this point—was so epic that it couldn’t fit into just one movie. So the first, Empire Strikes Back-esque part is Infinity War, which is an absolutely massive crossover of basically every Marvel character and world you’ve seen to this point. And it helps that they go against the series’ most powerful villain, Thanos (Josh Brolin), who had been built up at this point through several previous appearances of his own. That’s part of what’s great about the MCU; we know Thanos is scary because we’ve been hearing about him for years by the point he’s finally deployed. He was first teased in a credits scene of the original Avengers, in 2012, and he’s finally at full strength in 2018. Now that’s planning.
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Ant-Man & The Wasp (2018)
Marvel Studios
Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily, and Michael Douglas return here (along with more friends from the first Ant-Man) for another smaller-scale tale that also adds Walton Goggins and Michelle Pfeiffer to its fun cast. The movie could basically take place at any time—until its ending, which leads us right into Avengers: Endgame.
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Captain Marvel (2019)
Marvel Studios
Captain Marvel is another that you can basically watch at any time, but its clear that its titular character is one that’s going to be around for quite some time. Brie Larson stars as Carol Danvers, who is training in another galaxy with Jude Law until she lands in 1990s United States, and meets a younger Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) than we’re used to. A cat (or a flerken?) and Ben Mendelsohn, along with a ’90s soundtrack and aesthetic make this a fun one for any time.
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Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Marvel Studios
It’s harder than you might think to stick a landing—just ask Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, or, *gulp* Game of Thrones. Luckily, Endgame is nothing like any of those; somehow, this movie deploys time travel, about a million different flashbacks and callbacks, and an enormous cast—and still manages to wrap “The Infinity Saga” up in a brilliant, perfect way. You’ll get chills, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll want to watch the whole damn thing over again.
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Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Sony Pictures
Just like with the last phase and Ant-Man, Phase 3 of Marvel instead decided to go out not with the big bang (which would’ve obviously been Endgame here), but instead a bit of an aftermath and a view of things to come. Far From Home looks directly at the trauma of Endgame’s finale, and sees a cast of old friends (Holland, Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau) joined by an amazing newcomer in Jake Gyllenhaal, who has made bizarre characters his thing in the last few years (see: Nightcrawler, Prisoners, Velvet Buzzsaw, among others), and similarly Goes For It here.
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WandaVision (2021)
Disney
No, not a movie, but actually would rank among Marvel’s best if it was. WandaVision was the MCU’s first foray into streaming TV, and it hit all the right beats, bringing movie star talent (in Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany as Vision) to the small screen for a series that’s interesting, committed, and, most importantly, did something really unique and different. Bonus points for Kathryn Hahn, because, well, she just rules.
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The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
Disney
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier picks up right where Avengers: Endgame left off. We learn what happened after Steve Rogers handed the shield off to Sam Wilson, and we learn how the burgeoning bromance of Sam and Bucky Barnes could possibly go on without their mutual pal Steve. The show smartly brings both Sharon Carter and Zemo back into the mix, but the real highlight is Wyatt Russell as John Walker—a super soldier who wants so badly to be Steve Rogers, but never quite does it right.
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Loki (2021)
Marvel Studios
Loki gives the MCU’s greatest villain his own showcase for the first time, and this six-part limited series is unafraid of having a bizarre tone. Set up directly by the time-travel hijinx of Endgame, Loki finds Tom Hiddleston in peak form, and sharing many scenes with a new pal played by Owen Wilson. A lot of time travel, a lot of mischief, and one of Marvel’s best projects in a while, overall.
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Black Widow (2021)
Marvel Studios
The MCU returns to the big screen for the first time in more than two years with the release of the oft-delayed (due to Covid-19) Black Widow. The solo story set around Scarlett Johansson’s assassin tells its primary story in the set period of time between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, when she was ostensibly on the run. But the movie also tells more of her background and origin story than fans have ever heard before, and introduces her “sister” (played by Florence Pugh), “mother,” (played by Rachel Weisz) and “father,” (played by David Harbour). Add a banger of a credits scene to the mix, and the MCU is finally cooking with gas again. Full speed ahead.
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What If…? (2021 – ?)
Marvel Studios
What If…? is an anthology series of sorts, and doesn’t feel totally essential to the overall story of the MCU—at least not yet. This series, Marvel Studios’ first foray into animation, follows The Watcher (voiced by Jeffrey Wright) as he looks down upon numerous hypothetical scenarios of situations that Marvel fans will remember from earlier movies. The show frames these moments as “different universes,” and it’s a fun watch—just not one you need for understanding of the larger franchise just yet.
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Marvel Studios
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was going to need to be really good; it’s titular character isn’t one with a built in cultural cache like Captain America, Thor, or Spider-Man. In fact, in the Men’s Health cover story on star Simu Liu, Kevin Feige even said that Shang-Chi came from a binder of “great characters who could make great movies regardless of how famous they were,” the implication being, well, that Shang-Chi was not famous.
Luckily, Feige’s suspicion was correct. Shang-Chi is a movie not dissimilar from other ‘first movies in the MCU,’ but it’s done exceptionally well. A great villain (Tony Leung), a fun supporting cast (including Awkwafina and newcomer Meng’er Zhang), and incredible fight sequences make this one for the top half of anyone’s MCU rankings. We’re eager to see where this character fits into the future of everything, but this first movie is one worth watching by itself.
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Eternals (2021)
Marvel Studios
As far as the MCU goes, Eternals is something of a tough watch. It’s long (2 hours 37 minutes) and introduces a ton of new characters (including 10 of those titular Eternals and Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman). Chloé Zhao—who just won the Best Director Oscar for her work on Nomadland—takes a big swing for Eternals to be an epic for the ages. And while the movie doesn’t always connect, it’s still enjoyable enough to be more than worth a watch; Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, and Harington in particular are standouts you’ll want to see more from. And the credits scenes are great, so make sure you keep watching until the very end. While this movie is polarizing, we’re certainly interested in seeing where everything established here goes in the future.
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Hawkeye (2021)
Marvel Studios
There’s no denying that Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) is probably the least popular of the original six Avengers. Which is why its so important that the people who made Hawkeye kind of understood that. This show introduces a young superhero named Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) who idolizes Hawkeye because she saw him during the battle of New York back in 2012. Loosely based on Matt Fraction and David Aja’s transcendent Hawkeye comic, the series finds those two characters on a fun journey that never feels slow or boring.
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Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Courtesy of Sony Pictures
If you haven’t yet seen Spider-Man: No Way Home, and have somehow managed to avoid spoilers, well, good for you. That’s some impressive stuff. Anyway, No Way Home is not only one of the best Spider-Man movies, but it’s also one of the best movies in the MCU overall. There’s a decent wait until the next MCU movie hits theaters—Multiverse of Madness comes in May—but that’s all good. Because No Way Home fed us well. We’ll spare the plot explanation, because if you like any Spider-Man, you’ll almost certainly like this one.
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Moon Knight (2022)
Marvel Studios
Moon Knight is the most self-contained thing Marvel has done in a long time. Yes, part of that is probably because they don’t have leading man Oscar Isaac locked up for any future projects, but it also might just be an attempt to switch things up. Outside of an easter egg here and there, you can really show this project to just about anyone, whether they’ve seen other MCU projects or not. Moon Knight focuses on Marc Spector (Isaac) and Steven Grant (also Isaac, but doing a funny British accent) as the two realize they are…kind of one in the same. Toss in Ethan Hawke as a pretty frightening villain, and Moon Knight is a pretty solid time. Hopefully we see Isaac play this character again in the future.
Stream It Here Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Marvel Studios
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is many things. It’s a sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange. It’s a follow-up to Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. It picks up where WandaVision left off. It references Spider-Man: No Way Home, ties in with What If…?, and hell, a whole lot more. But, against all odds, more than any of those things, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a Sam Raimi movie. Yes, the horror legend makes sure all the pieces fit into their Marvel Universe places, but there are some genuine scares, and some truly imaginative camera work in this movie. It’s rare that a Marvel movie actually has a director’s stamp on it, but that really is the case here. And any fan of Elizabeth Olsen’s work as Wanda Maximoff won’t leave the theater disappointed—she’s probably become the most popular character in the franchise, and puts her talents on full display.
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Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Marvel Studios
For better and for worse, Thor: Love and Thunder is not super connected with the rest of the MCU. It takes distinctly after Avengers: Endgame, so there’s certainly that; he spends the first part of the movie still doing fun missions with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and New Asgard remains very much a thing. But aside from details like that, Thor: Love and Thunder largely exists as its own MCU story. Which is good for anyone who doesn’t have a ton of prerequisite knowledge of the Marvel world, but not great for anyone who may be frustrated with the lack of direction that Marvel’s Phase 4 has had. Regardless, Love and Thunder is much of the same from Taika Waititi’s Ragnarok playbook: a light, whimsical tone, often balanced with striking visuals and some very somber and serious moments as well. It’s a bit of a tonal mash-up, but it for the most part works, and is a fun time at the movies.
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Ms. Marvel (2022)
Marvel Studios
Ms. Marvel bucks the Marvel trend a bit, focusing in on a high schooler in Jersey City named Kamala Khan who, after an unpredictable series of events, discovers she has some superpowers. The show has distinct visuals, a largely unknown but wonderful cast, and the same sort of coming-of-age origin story vibe as Spider-Man: Homecoming. The show is very wholesome, and many of the relationships—particularly those between Kamala and her mother and father—will warm even the coldest of hearts. Ms. Marvel is a very good time.
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She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
Disney
She-Hulk goes the direction of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness by picking a new genre and sticking to it. That genre? A legal comedy similar to favorites of the ’90s and 2000s like Ally McBeal and Boston Legal, only with a superheroic twist. Tatiana Maslany leads the way as Jennifer Walters (the titular She-Hulk), and there are lots of cameos and returning characters along the way—Tim Roth is back as Emil Blonsky/The Abomination and a certain blind superhero eventually makes an appearance—but most importantly, this show is just fun. And for the first time in the MCU since WandaVision, She-Hulk is a show that remembers its a TV show—and the 30-minutes-or-so episodes all contain their own stories, rather than other Disney+ MCU shows that can sometimes feel like movies broken into parts.
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Werewolf by Night (2022)
Marvel Studios
Werewolf by Night, directed by Academy Award-winning composer (and lifelong fan of classic horror) Michael Giacchino, is a largely stand-alone entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a “special presentation” that runs for 54 minutes and is neither a TV series nor a feature film. That said: it’s a blast in how it pays tribute to old Universal-esque monster movies, and features some really fun action centered around Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal) and the classic Marvel creature called Man-Thing.
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Marvel Studios
Following up on the seismic impact of the first Black Panther was never going to be easy. The tragic and untimely passing of star Chadwick Boseman—who died shortly before production on this film was set to begin back in 2020—made it a colossal task for director and co-writer Ryan Coogler, who instead refocused the movie on T’Challa’s death and the Wakandan community’s mourning. That said, while Wakanda Forever is a more mature blockbuster than most other on this list—far more similar to Dune or The Batman than Ant-Man, for instance—it’s also decidedly a sweeping adventure epic. The movie shifts focus to the strong women in T’Challa’s life, like Shuri (Letitia Wright), Okoye (Danai Gurira), Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), and introduces characters we will surely see again, like Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne). All of this ultimately weaves nicely into a story that this mini-franchise (and everyone involved with making it) likely needed in order to move on.
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The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)
Marvel Studios
For a fun time bridging the gap between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (and the adventures of the Guardians during Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Thor: Love and Thunder), we have The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The story picks up with Quill feeling down in the dumps on Knowhere as the Guardians establish a new community—and Drax and Mantis do what they can to cheer him up. Of course, that means kidnapping Kevin Bacon (who wonderfully appears as himself) from earth and bringing him to outer space. Connects to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 quite a bit!
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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Marvel Studios
While Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has a story centered on Scott Lang’s (Paul Rudd) relationship with his daughter, Cassie, (now played by Freaky star Kathryn Newton), with Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lily), and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfieffer) still in tow, the movie has one primary objective when it comes to the larger MCU: introduce the big bad. While a version of Kang the Conqueror (played by Jonathan Majors) named “He Who Remains” made his MCU debut in the Loki Season 1 finale, it’s Quantumania that holds the weight of introducing Marvel’s next Thanos-level threat on the big screen. Come for Kang, stick around for the outrageous (and, in my opinion, quite entertaining) live-action debut of M.O.D.O.K.
Stream It Here Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Marvel Studios
James Gunn’s saga of the Guardians of the Galaxy—and his time working in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—comes to an end with Guardians Vol. 3, and luckily it’s just as fun, just as exciting, and just as emotional as any of the Guardians installments that came before it. The story of Vol. 3 largely centers on Rocket (Bradley Cooper), exploring the evolution we’ve seen in him since the first Guardians series, while also finally telling viewers about his backstory and where he came from. Add in the introduction of Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), a truly cruel villain in the High Evolutionary (played by Chukwudi Iwuji), and, of course, an awesome soundtrack, and we’ve got one of the MCU’s best movies in a long, long time.
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Secret Invasion (2023)
Marvel Studios
Secret Invasion is a quasi-sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, following Nick Fury’s thread of becoming an ally to the Skrulls and then… not doing much else. Fury has been busy building the Avengers and saving the world, and so in the meantime the Skrulls have just been working as his spies and struggling in hiding on Earth. This all comes to a head in Secret Invasion, when a rogue group of Skrulls become a major threat to our planet—and Fury is perhaps the only one who can put a stop to it. Secret Invasion is one of the weaker MCU projects in recent years, but with Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Don Cheadle, and Kingsley Ben-Adir in the cast, it’s still a decent superhero watch.
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The Marvels (2023)
Marvel Studios
The Marvels is also a follow-up to 2019’s Captain Marvel, as it brings back Brie Larson as Carol Danvers in a story that also intertwines with Monica Rambeau (who we met in Captain Marvel and then as an adult in WandaVision) and Kamala Khan (who got her own origin story in the solid Disney+ series Ms. Marvel). Director Nia DaCosta (2021’s Candyman) shows some serious talent here, really leaning into the fun dynamic that the protagonist trio has together, and using the film’s basic premise—Carol, Monica, and Kamala all keep switching places when they used their powers—for some really fun and interesting action sequences. The villain (Zawe Ashton) is a total dud, so that’s a bit of a disappointment, but overall The Marvels is a fun throwback that feels like a movie that would’ve come out when the MCU was in its 2016-2019 hot streak. It should nicely set up some future stuff, too.
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Echo (2024)
Marvel Studios
This spinoff of Hawkeye focuses on Maya Lopez, and was planned by Marvel to be its first TV series designed for mature audiences. It wan’t all that mature, but it did include some decent action that got relatively violent. The highlight of the series comes from Maya (Alaqua Cox) as she returns to her home and dives deep into the past and present of her family and ancestry—and balances that with the relationship she has with her evil surrogate father, Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (the always great Vincent D’Onofrio).
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Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Marvel Studios
This Marvel extravaganza finally brings Ryan Reynolds’s uber-successful “Merc with a Mouth” into the proper MCU—complete with all the lewd humor, blood, and gore you’ve come to expect. This one may take a bit of extra homework—there are lots of references to not only the first two Deadpool movies, but also the FOX X-Men series and countless other non-MCU Marvel movies of the past—but it’s kind of worth it for anyone looking for a good time. Becuase just like Deadpool 2 before it, Deadpool & Wolverine kind of just uses its violence and humor as a cover for what’s really a deep-dive into two characters who are deeper than they like to let on. Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadeyn are highlights as the film’s villains, and we want to make sure they get their flowers—in case they get overshadowed by some of the film’s many splashy surprise appearances. Overall, a very fun time at the movies.
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Agatha All Along (2024)
Marvel Studios
WandaVision creator Jac Schaeffer is once again in charge for Agatha All Along, and it’s clear that she’s got a handle on this stuff that many other writers in the franchise could only dream of having. The show follows Agatha (Kathyrn) as she emerges in the aftermath of WandaVision and leads an expedition down the mythical Witches’ Road (think Wizard of Oz). Hahn leads a cast that also includes Joe Locke, Aubrey Plaza, Patti Lupone, and Sasheer Zamata, among others, and the show is emotional, episodically structured, and one of the best things Marvel has done in the post-Endgame era. You don’t want to skip this one (especially if you loved WandaVision).
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Once you’ve reached this point, well, we’ve got good news and bad news. The good news? You have watched every Marvel movie and series, and all in the right order, too. The bad news? Well, you’re all out of movies to watch. Sorry about that. Bring on What If…? season 3, Captain America: Brave New World, Daredevil: Born Again, Thunderbolts, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and so much more. You may be all caught up for now, but there’s plenty more on the way.
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