The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the most ambitious and successful storytelling experiment in modern film history. Beginning with a single film, it has grown into a sprawling, interconnected tapestry of movies, television series, and short films, all sharing a single continuity.
The saga is organized into "Phases," each building upon the last, telling stories that range from street-level vigilantism to cosmic epics. The first great arc, The Infinity Saga, chronicles the rise of Earth's mightiest heroes and their universe-altering conflict with the mad titan Thanos over the all-powerful Infinity Stones.
The current arc, The Multiverse Saga, explores the chaotic consequences of that war, including branching timelines, alternate realities, and the emergence of threats from beyond our own universe.
This guide organizes the entire MCU, including all films, Disney+ series, and "One-Shot" short films, into a single, comprehensive timeline. It is designed to be the definitive viewing order for experiencing this epic saga from its earliest moments to its latest multiversal developments.
Phase One: Avengers Assembled
Captain America: The First AvengerFilm (2011)
Timeline: 1942-1945. The story begins during World War II. A skinny kid from Brooklyn, Steve Rogers, is chosen for a super-soldier experiment and becomes Captain America. He battles the forces of HYDRA, a Nazi deep-science division led by the sinister Red Skull, who seeks to harness the power of a cosmic artifact known as the Tesseract (the Space Stone). The film establishes the deep history of S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA, and ends with Captain America crashing into the arctic, where he is frozen for nearly 70 years.
One-Shot: Agent CarterShort Film (2013)
Timeline: 1946. Set one year after the events of The First Avenger, this short follows Peggy Carter. Now relegated to desk work in a male-dominated post-war world, she single-handedly takes on a dangerous mission to retrieve a weapon known as the Zodiac. Her success leads to an offer from Howard Stark to co-head the newly formed S.H.I.E.L.D., laying the groundwork for the entire future of the organization.
Captain MarvelFilm (2019)
Timeline: 1995. A Kree warrior named Vers crashes on Earth and discovers her true identity as Carol Danvers, a former U.S. Air Force pilot. The film explores the Kree-Skrull war and introduces a young Nick Fury and Agent Coulson.
Danvers absorbs the energy of the Tesseract, becoming one of the most powerful beings in the universe. The climax shows Fury being inspired to create the "Avengers Initiative" to protect Earth from cosmic threats.
Iron ManFilm (2008)
Timeline: 2010. The film that started it all. Billionaire weapons manufacturer Tony Stark is kidnapped by terrorists and builds a suit of mechanized armor to escape. Upon his return, he refines the design and becomes the superhero Iron Man, vowing to protect the world from the weapons his own company created. The post-credits scene features Nick Fury approaching Stark to talk about the Avengers Initiative, officially launching the shared universe.
Iron Man 2Film (2010)
Timeline: 2011. Tony Stark grapples with his newfound fame and the fact that the palladium core in his chest reactor is slowly poisoning him. He faces a new threat from Ivan Vanko, the son of his father's former partner, who has built his own arc reactor technology. The film introduces Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) as an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and further develops the relationship between Tony Stark and Nick Fury.
One-Shot: The ConsultantShort Film (2011)
Timeline: 2011. This short reveals that Agent Coulson and Agent Sitwell manipulated General Ross into not having the Abomination join the Avengers Initiative by sending Tony Stark (the "consultant") to annoy him into refusing.
One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's HammerShort Film (2011)
Timeline: 2011. While traveling to New Mexico to investigate Thor's hammer, Agent Coulson stops at a gas station and single-handedly foils a robbery, showing his effectiveness as a field agent.
ThorFilm (2011)
Timeline: 2011. The arrogant god of thunder, Thor, is banished to Earth by his father Odin to learn humility. While on Earth, he befriends scientist Jane Foster. Meanwhile, his treacherous brother Loki seizes the throne of Asgard. Thor must prove himself worthy to reclaim his hammer, Mjolnir, and stop Loki's schemes. The film introduces Asgard, the concept of the Nine Realms, and establishes Loki as a key antagonist.
The AvengersFilm (2012)
Timeline: 2012. The culmination of Phase One. Loki, now allied with the cosmic warlord Thanos, uses the Tesseract to open a portal over New York City, launching an invasion by the alien Chitauri army. Nick Fury activates the Avengers Initiative, bringing together Iron Man, Captain America (now thawed out), Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye to save the world.
The film features the introduction of the Mind Stone, housed in Loki's scepter.
One-Shot: Item 47Short Film (2012)
Timeline: 2012. In the aftermath of the Battle of New York, a down-on-their-luck couple finds a discarded Chitauri weapon. They use it to rob banks, drawing the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jasper Sitwell. The short explores the consequences of alien technology being left on Earth.
Phase Two: The Rise of Ultron
Iron Man 3Film (2013)
Timeline: 2012. Tony Stark is suffering from PTSD after the events of The Avengers. He faces a new terrorist threat from the Mandarin, but discovers the true villain is a scientist from his past, Aldrich Killian, who has created the volatile Extremis virus.
Stripped of his home and technology, Tony must rely on his intellect alone to defeat Killian and come to terms with his identity beyond the suit.
One-Shot: All Hail the KingShort Film (2014)
Timeline: 2013. Following his arrest, the actor Trevor Slattery (who played the Mandarin in Iron Man 3) is interviewed in prison by a documentary filmmaker. The filmmaker reveals he is a member of the real Ten Rings organization, who are displeased with Slattery's portrayal of their leader. This short confirms the existence of the "real" Mandarin, a plot point that becomes crucial years later.
Thor: The Dark WorldFilm (2013)
Timeline: 2013. A cosmic event known as the Convergence aligns the Nine Realms, allowing the ancient Dark Elves, led by Malekith, to re-emerge. They seek to reclaim their ultimate weapon, the Aether, a liquid reality-bending substance that is revealed to be the Reality Stone. When Jane Foster accidentally absorbs the Aether, Thor must team up with a reluctant Loki to save her and stop Malekith from plunging the universe into eternal darkness.
Captain America: The Winter SoldierFilm (2014)
Timeline: 2014. A political thriller that changes the MCU forever. Steve Rogers, now working for S.H.I.E.L.D., uncovers a massive conspiracy: HYDRA has been secretly growing within the organization since its inception. Framed as a fugitive, he teams up with Black Widow and Sam Wilson (Falcon) to expose the plot. He also confronts the Winter Soldier, a legendary HYDRA assassin who is revealed to be his brainwashed best friend, Bucky Barnes. The film culminates in the complete collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Guardians of the GalaxyFilm (2014)
Timeline: 2014. The MCU goes cosmic. A group of misfits—the human adventurer Peter Quill (Star-Lord), the deadly assassin Gamora, the vengeful Drax the Destroyer, the genetically-engineered Rocket Raccoon, and the sentient tree-like creature Groot—are thrown together when they come into possession of a mysterious orb. The orb contains the Power Stone, and they must prevent it from falling into the hands of the Kree fanatic Ronan the Accuser, who serves Thanos.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2Film (2017)
Timeline: 2014. Set only a few months after the first film, this story delves into Peter Quill's parentage. The Guardians meet Ego, a powerful, god-like Celestial who claims to be Peter's father. While initially seeming like a dream come true, they soon discover Ego's planet-consuming, sinister intentions. The film is a story about found family versus biological family, and culminates in a massive emotional sacrifice.
I Am Groot (Seasons 1 & 2)Shorts (2022-2023)
Timeline: 2014. A series of shorts detailing the misadventures of Baby Groot aboard the Guardians' ship, taking place between the end of Vol. 1 and the post-credits scene of Vol. 2.
Avengers: Age of UltronFilm (2015)
Timeline: 2015. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner create Ultron, an artificial intelligence designed to protect the world. However, Ultron becomes sentient and determines that humanity is the greatest threat, seeking to cause a global extinction event. The Avengers must reassemble to fight him. The film introduces Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) and Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver), and creates the heroic android Vision when the Mind Stone from Loki's scepter is integrated into a synthetic body.
Ant-ManFilm (2015)
Timeline: 2015. A heist comedy that introduces Scott Lang, a well-meaning cat burglar who is recruited by the brilliant scientist Hank Pym. Scott must use Pym's incredible shrinking suit to become Ant-Man and steal a similar technology from Pym's former protégé, Darren Cross. The film introduces the Quantum Realm, a subatomic dimension where the concepts of time and space become irrelevant. This concept is initially presented as a danger but becomes critically important to the future of the saga.
Phase Three: The Infinity Saga Finale
Captain America: Civil WarFilm (2016)
Timeline: 2016. After the catastrophic events of previous films, the world's governments demand that the Avengers sign the Sokovia Accords and submit to UN oversight. The team is fractured: Tony Stark, wracked with guilt, supports the accords, while Steve Rogers, distrustful of authority after the HYDRA infiltration, refuses. This ideological conflict turns into an all-out physical battle between the heroes. The film introduces both Black Panther and Spider-Man to the MCU and ends with the Avengers completely broken and disbanded.
Black WidowFilm (2021)
Timeline: 2016. Set in the immediate aftermath of Civil War, this film follows Natasha Romanoff as she goes on the run. She is forced to confront her past and the dark secrets of the "Red Room" program that turned her into an assassin. She reunites with her "family" of Russian spies—Yelena Belova, Melina Vostokoff, and Alexei Shostakov (the Red Guardian)—to take down the man who still controls the Black Widow program, Dreykov.
Black PantherFilm (2018)
Timeline: 2016. Following the death of his father in Civil War, T'Challa returns to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to assume the throne. His claim is challenged by Erik Killmonger, a powerful and charismatic outsider with a legitimate and tragic connection to Wakanda's past. The film is a deep exploration of tradition, responsibility, and isolationism, as T'Challa must decide whether Wakanda should finally open itself up to the world.
Spider-Man: HomecomingFilm (2017)
Timeline: 2016. A few months after his introduction in Civil War, Peter Parker tries to balance his life as a high school student with his new role as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Eager to prove himself and become a full-fledged Avenger, he takes on the Vulture, a villain who salvages and sells advanced alien technology. The film is a classic coming-of-age story that grounds the MCU with a street-level perspective, under the mentorship of a reluctant Tony Stark.
Doctor StrangeFilm (2016)
Timeline: 2016-2017. Dr. Stephen Strange, a brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon, has his hands—and his career—destroyed in a car accident. Seeking a cure, he travels to Kamar-Taj and discovers the mystic arts. He learns to bend reality and becomes a master sorcerer, tasked with protecting the world from mystical threats. The film introduces magic and alternate dimensions to the MCU in a significant way, and reveals the Eye of Agamotto, Strange's powerful amulet, to be the Time Stone.
Thor: RagnarokFilm (2017)
Timeline: 2017. A vibrant, comedic reinvention of the character. Thor discovers he has a long-lost, incredibly powerful older sister, Hela, the goddess of death. She destroys his hammer and banishes him to the garbage planet of Sakaar. There, he is forced to become a gladiator and must fight his "friend from work," the Hulk, who has been missing since Age of Ultron. Thor must embrace his true power as the god of thunder to escape, save his people, and prevent Ragnarok, the prophesied destruction of Asgard.
Ant-Man and the WaspFilm (2018)
Timeline: 2018. While under house arrest for his role in Civil War, Scott Lang is pulled back into action by Hank Pym and his daughter, Hope van Dyne (the Wasp). They need his help to build a tunnel into the Quantum Realm to rescue Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp, who has been trapped there for decades. The post-credits scene is crucial: just as they succeed, Thanos's snap happens, turning Hank, Janet, and Hope to dust while Scott is left stranded in the Quantum Realm.
Avengers: Infinity WarFilm (2018)
Timeline: 2018. The beginning of the end. The mad titan Thanos begins his final, brutal quest to collect all six Infinity Stones. He believes that by wiping out half of all life in the universe, he can bring balance and prosperity. The film is a sprawling, desperate battle across the cosmos as the scattered heroes of the MCU try—and fail—to stop him. It culminates in one of the most shocking endings in film history, as Thanos successfully assembles the Infinity Gauntlet and snaps his fingers, wiping out half of all life, including many of our heroes.
Avengers: EndgameFilm (2019)
Timeline: 2018-2023. Five years after the "Blip," the remaining heroes are broken. The universe is in a state of quiet despair. A chance discovery allows Scott Lang to escape the Quantum Realm, where he reveals that time passes differently, presenting a possibility: a "time heist." The team travels back through time via the Quantum Realm to "borrow" the Infinity Stones from different points in the past. Their plan works, but they accidentally allow a past version of Thanos to travel to their present. The film culminates in the largest battle in MCU history, the heroic sacrifices of both Black Widow and Iron Man, and the triumphant return of all the heroes who were lost.
Phase Four: The Multiverse Saga Begins
Loki (Season 1)TV Series (2021)
Timeline: Outside of normal time, branching from 2012. This series is the most critical for understanding the multiverse. The version of Loki who escaped with the Tesseract in Endgame's time heist is immediately apprehended by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), an organization that exists outside of time and prunes timelines that deviate from the "Sacred Timeline." Loki is forced to help hunt a dangerous variant of himself: Sylvie. Their journey unravels the truth about the TVA and leads them to its creator, "He Who Remains," a variant of the future conqueror Kang. Sylvie's decision to kill him shatters the Sacred Timeline, causing it to branch into an infinite number of parallel universes—officially beginning the multiverse.
WandaVisionTV Series (2021)
Timeline: 2023. Three weeks after Endgame, a grief-stricken Wanda Maximoff subconsciously unleashes her immense power, creating a perfect, sitcom-inspired reality in the town of Westview where Vision is still alive. The series is a powerful exploration of grief and trauma as S.W.O.R.D. tries to break through her magical hex. It culminates in Wanda fully embracing her identity as the immensely powerful reality-warping witch known as the Scarlet Witch and taking possession of the Darkhold, a book of dark magic.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsFilm (2021)
Timeline: 2024. The film introduces Shang-Chi, a man living a quiet life in San Francisco who is forced to confront the past he ran away from. He is the son of Xu Wenwu, the centuries-old, immortal leader of the Ten Rings organization and wielder of the powerful, mystical ten rings. The story is a deep dive into a new corner of the MCU, blending martial arts action with Chinese mythology. It establishes the Ten Rings as a major mystical power and hints at their otherworldly origins.
The Falcon and the Winter SoldierTV Series (2021)
Timeline: 2024. Six months after being given the shield by an elderly Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson struggles with the idea of becoming the new Captain America. Meanwhile, Bucky Barnes tries to atone for his past as the Winter Soldier. They team up to stop the Flag Smashers, a group of super-soldiers who believe the world was better during the Blip. The series is a complex exploration of legacy, race, and patriotism, culminating in Sam finally embracing the mantle and becoming the new Captain America.
EternalsFilm (2021)
Timeline: Spans 7,000 years, main story in 2024. This film rewrites the history of the MCU. It introduces the Eternals, a group of immortal, super-powered aliens sent to Earth thousands of years ago by the god-like Celestials to protect humanity from monstrous creatures called Deviants. The story follows them in the present day as they reunite to face a new threat and discover the true, terrifying purpose of their mission: to prepare Earth for the "Emergence" of a new Celestial, which will destroy the planet. The film introduces cosmic lore on an immense scale.
Spider-Man: Far From HomeFilm (2019)
Timeline: 2024. Eight months after Endgame, Peter Parker is grieving the loss of his mentor, Tony Stark. While on a school trip to Europe, he is recruited by Nick Fury to help Quentin Beck (Mysterio), a hero from an alternate Earth, fight elemental creatures. However, Peter discovers that Mysterio is a fraud, a disgruntled former Stark employee using advanced holographic technology to create the threats. Though Peter defeats him, Mysterio posthumously releases a video framing Spider-Man for his murder and revealing Peter Parker's secret identity to the entire world.
Spider-Man: No Way HomeFilm (2021)
Timeline: 2024. With his life in chaos, Peter asks Doctor Strange to cast a spell to make the world forget he is Spider-Man. The spell goes wrong and cracks open the multiverse, pulling in villains from other realities who know Peter Parker's identity (from the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield film series). To save his reality, Peter must make the ultimate sacrifice: he has Doctor Strange cast a final spell that makes everyone, including his closest friends, forget who he is entirely, leaving him truly alone.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessFilm (2022)
Timeline: 2025. Doctor Strange must protect America Chavez, a teenager with the unique ability to punch holes between universes. They are being hunted by the Scarlet Witch, who, corrupted by the Darkhold, wants to steal America's power to travel to a reality where her children are real. The film is a horror-tinged trip through the multiverse, showcasing different realities and culminating in Wanda sacrificing herself to destroy the Darkhold across all universes.
HawkeyeTV Series (2021)
Timeline: Christmas 2024. Clint Barton's past as the ruthless vigilante Ronin comes back to haunt him when a young, skilled archer named Kate Bishop stumbles upon his old suit. Clint is forced to team up with his new, over-eager protégé to confront enemies from his past, including Yelena Belova (from Black Widow) and the crime boss Kingpin. The series is a street-level Christmas story about mentorship and dealing with the consequences of one's actions.
Moon KnightTV Series (2022)
Timeline: 2025. Steven Grant, a meek museum gift shop employee, discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with Marc Spector, a ruthless mercenary who is the avatar for the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. The series is a psychological thriller and supernatural adventure as Steven/Marc must navigate their fractured identity to stop a cult leader from releasing the vengeful goddess Ammit.
She-Hulk: Attorney at LawTV Series (2022)
Timeline: 2025. Jennifer Walters, a lawyer and cousin of Bruce Banner, accidentally gets cross-contaminated with his blood and gains the ability to turn into She-Hulk. The series is a fourth-wall-breaking legal comedy that follows Jennifer as she navigates her new life, representing super-powered clients and dealing with the bizarre legal ramifications of a world full of heroes and villains.
It features appearances by Abomination and Daredevil.
Ms. MarvelTV Series (2022)
Timeline: Fall 2025. Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teenager and massive Avengers fan from Jersey City, discovers an ancient family bangle that unlocks superhuman abilities. The series is a vibrant coming-of-age story that explores her heritage as she learns to control her new powers. The finale reveals that she is not just powered by the bangle, but that she has a "mutation" in her genes, officially introducing mutants to the MCU.
Thor: Love and ThunderFilm (2022)
Timeline: 2025. Thor's attempts at a peaceful retirement are interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher, a villain determined to kill all gods. To combat this threat, Thor must team up with King Valkyrie, Korg, and his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who, to his surprise, is now wielding his restored hammer Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. The film explores themes of love, loss, and faith, as Jane battles both Gorr and her own terminal cancer.
Werewolf by NightSpecial (2022)
Timeline: 2025. Presented in black and white, this Halloween special is a loving homage to classic monster movies. It follows a secret cabal of monster hunters who gather for a competitive hunt to determine their new leader. The special introduces classic supernatural Marvel characters like Jack Russell (Werewolf by Night) and Man-Thing to the MCU, opening up the horror corner of the universe.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday SpecialSpecial (2022)
Timeline: Christmas 2025. To cheer up a still-depressed Peter Quill, Mantis and Drax travel to Earth to kidnap his childhood hero, the actor Kevin Bacon, as a Christmas present. It's a lighthearted, comedic special that further solidifies the found-family dynamic of the Guardians.
Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverFilm (2022)
Timeline: 2025. In the wake of King T'Challa's death, a grieving Wakanda must defend itself from world powers seeking to steal its vibranium. Their actions awaken a new threat: Namor, the powerful, winged king of the hidden undersea nation of Talokan. The film is a profound meditation on grief and legacy, as Shuri must overcome her own loss to embrace the mantle of the Black Panther and protect her nation from a war with a powerful new rival.
Phase Five: The Kang Dynasty Looms
Ant-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaFilm (2023)
Timeline: 2026. Scott Lang, now a famous author, finds his life of peace interrupted when he, his daughter Cassie, and the Pym-van Dyne family are accidentally pulled into the Quantum Realm. There, they discover a vast, hidden universe and come face-to-face with its tyrannical ruler: Kang the Conqueror, a brilliant and ruthless variant of "He Who Remains" who was exiled there by his other selves. The film establishes Kang as the new major threat of the Multiverse Saga.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3Film (2023)
Timeline: 2026. The emotional finale for the original Guardians team. When Rocket is critically injured, the team must go on a desperate mission to save him, which forces them to confront his traumatic past at the hands of his creator, the obsessive and cruel High Evolutionary. It is a dark, emotional, and ultimately beautiful story about found family, animal cruelty, and accepting one's past, serving as a farewell to the Guardians as we know them.
Secret InvasionTV Series (2023)
Timeline: 2026. A grounded, paranoid spy thriller. Nick Fury returns to Earth to deal with a clandestine invasion by a radical faction of Skrulls who are secretly replacing key figures in world governments. Trusting no one, Fury must uncover the conspiracy before the Skrulls can provoke a global war and claim Earth for themselves. The series delves into Fury's character and the political complexities of a world where anyone could be an enemy in disguise.
Loki (Season 2)TV Series (2023)
Timeline: Outside of normal time. Picking up immediately after Season 1, Loki and the TVA must deal with the catastrophic fallout of the branching timelines, which threaten to destroy all of reality. The season is a mind-bending, time-slipping adventure that sees Loki learning to control his new abilities. It culminates in him making a tremendous sacrifice, destroying the Temporal Loom and taking its place, becoming a living anchor for all the timelines and transforming from the God of Mischief into the God of Stories, the protector of the multiverse.
The MarvelsFilm (2023)
Timeline: 2026. The powers of Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel), Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) become entangled, causing them to swap places every time they use them. They must team up to stop a Kree revolutionary who is creating wormholes to steal resources from other planets. The film is a lighthearted cosmic adventure that brings together three generations of heroes. The post-credits scene is a major event, showing Monica Rambeau stranded in an alternate universe where she meets a variant of her mother and the X-Man, Beast.
EchoTV Series (2024)
Timeline: 2025. Following the events of Hawkeye, Maya Lopez returns to her hometown in Oklahoma to escape the consequences of her actions in New York. The series follows her as she reconnects with her Native American roots and confronts her past, all while being hunted by the forces of her "uncle," the ruthless crime lord Wilson Fisk (Kingpin). It's a gritty, street-level story about family and heritage.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a masterclass in long-form storytelling, weaving together dozens of films into a single, cohesive timeline. While watching them in release order is a perfectly valid experience, viewing the films in chronological order offers a unique perspective, allowing you to follow the story as it unfolds for the characters within the universe. This guide presents the definitive chronological viewing order, complete with insights into each film's specific time-related events, from flashbacks and time jumps to the universe-shattering implications of time travel and the multiverse.
| Title of Film | Year it is mostly set | Year of release | Chronological & Temporal Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain America: The First Avenger | 1942-1945 | 2011 | This is the foundational story of the MCU's timeline. The bulk of the film is a period piece set during World War II. Its final moments create the MCU's first major time displacement, freezing Steve Rogers for nearly 70 years. His awakening in 2011 establishes the core "man out of time" theme that defines his character arc. |
| Captain Marvel | 1995 | 2019 | A 90s-set prequel that fills in a crucial gap in the timeline. It details Nick Fury's backstory, the origins of the Tesseract on Earth, and provides the inspiration for the "Avengers Initiative." The mid-credits scene makes a significant jump to 2018, directly linking Carol Danvers to the post-Snap world of Avengers: Endgame. |
| Iron Man | 2010 | 2008 | The film that launched the MCU. It follows a linear progression, setting the modern-day baseline for the universe and establishing the technology and characters that will dominate the next decade of storytelling. |
| Iron Man 2 | 2011 | 2010 | Takes place during a period fans have dubbed "Fury's Big Week," where the events of this film, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor all happen concurrently, showcasing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s struggle to manage multiple emerging threats. |
| The Incredible Hulk | 2011 | 2008 | Runs parallel to Iron Man 2 and Thor. The battle at Culver University is even shown on a S.H.I.E.L.D. monitor in Iron Man 2, cementing its place in this compressed, chaotic week. |
| Thor | 2011 | 2011 | Features a prologue set in 965 A.D. showing the ancient war between Asgardians and Frost Giants. The main action on Earth concludes "Fury's Big Week," with Agent Coulson leaving Tony Stark in New Mexico to investigate Thor's hammer. |
| The Avengers | 2012 | 2012 | The first major chronological milestone. It follows a linear narrative, uniting the heroes established in Phase One. The Battle of New York becomes a pivotal, fixed point in the MCU timeline, referenced for years to come. |
| Iron Man 3 | 2012 | 2013 | Set during the Christmas season six months after the Battle of New York, directly exploring the psychological fallout and PTSD Tony Stark suffers from his near-death experience. |
| Thor: The Dark World | 2013 | 2013 | The main story is linear, but it's framed by a prologue set thousands of years in the past (2987 B.C.) explaining the history of the Dark Elves and the Aether (the Reality Stone). |
| Captain America: The Winter Soldier | 2014 | 2014 | A direct sequel to The Avengers set two years later. Its narrative is linear but deeply rooted in the past, revealing that HYDRA has been secretly operating within S.H.I.E.L.D. since its inception after WWII. |
| Guardians of the Galaxy | 2014 | 2014 | Opens with an emotionally resonant prologue on Earth in 1988 before jumping 26 years into the future. This jump firmly establishes the cosmic side of the MCU as being concurrent with the events on Earth. |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | 2014 | 2017 | Unusually, this sequel is set only a few months after the first film, keeping the Guardians' timeline tightly contained and focusing on their development as a found family before they intersect with the wider MCU. |
| Avengers: Age of Ultron | 2015 | 2015 | Follows a linear timeline. The film features Scarlet Witch inducing hallucinatory visions in the Avengers, which serve as flashbacks (for Steve Rogers) and prophetic glimpses of a dark future (for Thor), influencing their subsequent actions. |
| Ant-Man | 2015 | 2015 | The story is set concurrently with and in the immediate aftermath of Age of Ultron. A crucial prologue set in 1989 establishes Hank Pym's history with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the mysterious Quantum Realm. |
| Captain America: Civil War | 2016 | 2016 | Set a year after Age of Ultron. The plot is driven by past events, from the destruction in Sokovia to a newly discovered mission tape from 1991 that reveals the Winter Soldier's role in the death of Tony Stark's parents. |
| Black Widow | 2016 | 2021 | An "interquel" set in the immediate aftermath of Civil War, following Natasha Romanoff on the run. The film opens with a flashback to her childhood in 1995. The post-credits scene jumps forward to post-Endgame, directly setting up the Hawkeye series. |
| Spider-Man: Homecoming | 2016 | 2017 | Opens during the cleanup of the Battle of New York in 2012 before jumping forward to follow Peter Parker a few months after his introduction in Civil War. |
| Black Panther | 2016 | 2018 | Takes place just one week after the events of Civil War. A prologue set in Oakland in 1992 is critical to the film's central conflict, establishing the story of N'Jobu and his son, Erik Killmonger. |
| Doctor Strange | 2016-2017 | 2016 | The narrative unfolds over approximately one year. Its most significant temporal element is the climax, where Strange uses the Time Stone to trap the cosmic entity Dormammu in a time loop, a dimension where time otherwise doesn't exist. This showcases time as a weapon. |
| Thor: Ragnarok | 2017 | 2017 | Set two years after Age of Ultron. The film introduces the concept of non-linear time flow on the planet Sakaar, where "time works different." This explains how Loki arrived weeks before Thor despite being separated by only seconds. The ending leads directly into Infinity War. |
| Ant-Man and the Wasp | 2018 | 2018 | The main story takes place just before Infinity War. However, the mid-credits scene is one of the most crucial in the MCU, occurring simultaneously with Thanos's Snap. Scott Lang becomes trapped in the Quantum Realm, where time passes differently, which not only saves him but makes him the key to reversing the Snap in Endgame. |
| Avengers: Infinity War | 2018 | 2018 | The culmination of the first ten years, unfolding over a frantic couple of days. The film's ending, "The Snap," creates a five-year time gap that fundamentally alters the universe. |
| Avengers: Endgame | 2018-2023 | 2019 | The most temporally complex film. It begins in 2018, jumps five years to 2023 ("The Blip"), and then features the "Time Heist," where heroes travel back to 2012, 2013, and 2014. This introduces the MCU's rules of time travel: changing the past creates branched realities, it does not alter your own present. The film ends with Steve Rogers traveling back to the 1940s to live out his life in an alternate timeline. |
| Spider-Man: Far From Home | 2024 | 2019 | Set eight months after "The Blip," making it the first film to explore the social and logistical chaos of half the population suddenly returning after a five-year absence. |
| Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | 2024 | 2021 | The main story is set in the post-Blip present. However, the narrative is heavily reliant on flashbacks that span over a thousand years, detailing Wenwu's long life due to the Ten Rings and Shang-Chi's traumatic childhood. |
| Eternals | 2024 | 2021 | Features the largest timescale of any MCU film. While the present-day story is set post-Blip, the film jumps back and forth across 7,000 years, showing the Eternals' influence on ancient human civilizations and revealing their true, cosmic purpose. |
| Spider-Man: No Way Home | 2024 | 2021 | Picks up immediately where Far From Home left off. This film cracks open the multiverse, not through intentional travel, but by pulling characters (villains and heroes from Sony's previous Spider-Man film series) from other universes into the main MCU timeline. |
| Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | 2025 | 2022 | Takes place a few months after No Way Home. As the title suggests, the film is a direct exploration of the multiverse, featuring characters traveling across several different universes. It introduces key multiversal concepts like "dreamwalking" and "incursions" (universes colliding and destroying each other). |
| Thor: Love and Thunder | 2025 | 2022 | Set after Thor has spent considerable time with the Guardians of the Galaxy post-Endgame. The narrative is linear, focusing on Thor's personal journey. |
| Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | 2025 | 2022 | Set after T'Challa's off-screen death, the film deals with its immediate aftermath. The mid-credits scene reveals a time skip, showing that T'Challa had a son who has been living in secret for several years. |
| Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania | 2025 | 2023 | Most of the film is set in the Quantum Realm, a sub-atomic dimension that exists outside the normal flow of time and space. This is where the time-traveling villain, Kang the Conqueror, was exiled, making this dimension a key battleground for the future of the multiverse. |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | 2026 | 2023 | Follows a linear timeline set after the events of the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The film's emotional core is built on extensive flashbacks to Rocket's traumatic past, which are not tied to specific years but are crucial for his character arc. |
| The Marvels | 2026 | 2023 | Set after the events of the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel. The primary temporal/spatial anomaly is the entanglement of the main characters' light-based powers, causing them to switch places across space instantly. The post-credits scene is a major multiversal event, showing Monica Rambeau stranded in the parallel reality of Fox's X-Men universe. |
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