Marvel Films in Story Order

The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) is the film series Marvel Studios has been making since Iron Man in 2008. Each film stands on its own, but characters and events carry across films, and together they tell one large story.

• Scope — the 38 MCU theatrical films released by October 2026. The Disney+ series come up only where the story needs them
• Order — based on the timeline order Disney+ publishes (updated November 2025), with Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is not in that list, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 2026) slotted in where the story puts them
• Story years — approximate, from what the films show and published timelines. Some films contradict each other, and fans disagree on a few

Plot details are kept to what is needed to explain the order, but the big turns of Infinity War and Endgame do come up. If you have not seen them, take care.

Sorted by story year, the 38 films fall into eight periods. The most important thing to know: Endgame jumps the story forward five years. In Infinity War (2018), half of all life in the universe vanishes; after five years for those left behind, the story moves on to 2023. Fans call it “the Snap”, and it splits MCU time into before and after.

Marvel Studios groups its films into phases by release period, and groups phases into sagas. Phases One to Three form the Infinity Saga, about the six Infinity Stones. Phases Four to Six form the Multiverse Saga, set across countless parallel worlds.

First, everything in one table. The number on the left is the story order; “Released” is the US release year.

Iron Man 3 takes place at Christmas 2012, but Disney+'s timeline order puts it after Thor: The Dark World. Either way round, the story holds together.

The story begins in the middle of the Second World War. Frail young Steve Rogers becomes Captain America through a super-soldier programme. The film also introduces the cosmic “Cube” and the organisation Hydra, both keys to what follows.

Next comes Captain Marvel, set in 1995. Released only in 2019, it shows a young Nick Fury, the future director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and even ties into where the name “Avengers” comes from: a prequel in all but name.

The modern story starts with businessman Tony Stark becoming Iron Man. Then, at almost the same time, come scientist Bruce Banner, who turns into the Hulk, and Thor, banished from Asgard. Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk and Thor all happen around 2011; their order hardly matters.

In 2012, the heroes form a team for the first time in The Avengers and fight an alien army in New York. That battle is the starting point for many films that follow.

After New York, the heroes go their own ways. Tony struggles with the aftermath (Iron Man 3), while Steve confronts Hydra hidden inside S.H.I.E.L.D. (The Winter Soldier). Meanwhile, out in space, a band of misfits becomes the Guardians of the Galaxy.

In 2015, Ultron, an AI Tony created, goes rogue, and the Avengers fight in the Eastern European country of Sokovia (Age of Ultron). The damage from that battle lights the fuse for the next era's big conflict.

In 2016, the Sokovia Accords, which would put heroes under UN control, split the Avengers into Steve's side and Tony's (Civil War). Black Panther and the MCU's Spider-Man (Tom Holland) both debut here. Black Widow, Black Panther and Homecoming all take place shortly after Civil War.

Then in 2018, Thanos, who wants to wipe out half of all life, gathers the six Infinity Stones and closes in on Earth (Infinity War). Ant-Man and the Wasp happens just before, and its ending leads straight into the next film.

Endgame picks up right after Infinity War and then jumps five years ahead to 2023. The remaining heroes attempt one last mission, and the Infinity Saga that began in 2008 comes to an end.

In the post-Endgame world, new heroes' stories begin (Shang-Chi, Eternals). Spider-Man's identity is exposed to the world; he turns to Doctor Strange for a spell, and the doors to the multiverse swing open (No Way Home). Multiverse of Madness then shows just how dangerous the multiverse is.

Quantumania introduced Kang the Conqueror, who had been set up as the Multiverse Saga's big villain. This stretch is also closely tied to the Disney+ series Loki and WandaVision.

After the Guardians' last ride (Vol. 3), the story shifts to a new generation. Sam Wilson, who took the shield from Steve, becomes the new Captain America (Brave New World), and a team of former agents with pasts is born (Thunderbolts*). Deadpool & Wolverine moves between the TVA, which polices time, and the world of the earlier X-Men films; Disney+ places it here.

The latest film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day (released 31 July 2026), is set four years after No Way Home: Peter Parker keeps being a hero in a world where everyone has forgotten him.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) is set on another Earth (Earth-828), separate from the main MCU, with a retro-futuristic look recalling the 1960s; Disney+ puts it last in its timeline order. How this Earth's heroes connect with the rest is the next big thing to watch.

If you only want to follow one hero, here are the main series in story order. Films where other heroes take the lead are in brackets.

Some Spider-Man and Hulk films are not part of the MCU. They are easy to mix up, so here is how they fit.

• Sony's earlier Spider-Man films — the three with Tobey Maguire (2002–07) and the two with Andrew Garfield (2012, 2014) are a separate series, but they cross into the MCU in No Way Home. Seeing them first makes that film far more fun
• Sony's Venom and related films — Sony's films about Spider-Man's allies and enemies are also kept apart from the MCU
• Hulk (2003) — Ang Lee's film has no link to the MCU, whose Hulk starts with The Incredible Hulk (2008)
• 20th Century Fox's X-Men films — long a separate series, they met the MCU in Deadpool & Wolverine

Disney+ has a collection in timeline order. The Spider-Man solo films are Sony Pictures releases, so they may stream elsewhere.

• Avengers: Doomsday — opens 18 December 2026 in Japan and the US. The first new Avengers film since Endgame, and the peak of Phase Six
• Avengers: Secret Wars — announced for winter 2027, closing the Multiverse Saga

Release plans are as announced on 11 October 2026 and may change; check the official sites for the latest.