The Correct Viewing Order of Marvel Movies

Just like the real universe, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding. Every few months Marvel releases a new blockbuster or TV series to Disney+ — or both. Trying to join the narrative in progress is nearly impossible. Trying to go back and watch it all from the beginning is hugely daunting, as the MCU now comprises well over two dozen hours of story across multiple media.

If you want to watch every MCU movie in the order in which they were released, well that’s easy enough. But at this point, that’s not the ideal way to binge these films. Some MCU installments are set in the recent past; others decades ago. Some of the movies play better in a different context than Marvel initially intended. One or two you’re better off skipping altogether.

To that end, I’ve created this suggested viewing order for the complete Marvel Cinematic Universe (and just the cinematic side of things, TV will have to get its own list some other time). It tells you which movies to see, which to skip, and what order to watch them all in and why. It starts with the MCU’s earliest days and goes right on through the most recent releases. I think it’s the best way to watch the MCU — but if you have suggestions or alternate orders you prefer, let me know.