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Is It Better to Watch The MCU Movies in Chronological Order or Release Order?

written by Lee Jevon
Is It Better to Watch The MCU Movies in Chronological Order or Release Order?
Image credit: Legion-Media

The MCU has spanned 14 years and 29 films – so for anyone coming to it new, there are plenty of movies to get through.

And while each movie can be watched and enjoyed as a one-off film in its own right, they are all connected. So, to get the full MCU experience, you really need to watch them all. But which is the right way to do it – release order or chronological order?

First things first, the general consensus among most Marvel fans online seems to be that the best way to watch the MCU movies is in release order. And there are several good reasons for this argument.

The most obvious reason given is that this is the order in which Marvel wanted them to be seen – so why muck about with the viewing order the movie producers set? It's a fair point. You only get one shot at watching the series for the first time – and do you want to miss out on seeing it the way it was intended?

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There's also the fact that a lot changed in cinematography between 2008 and 2022. By watching the movies in release order, those changes appear subtle and organic. Watch them in chronological order and you move from say, Captain America: The First Avenger (made in 2011) to Captain Marvel (2019) and then back to Iron Man (2008).

Less obvious is the later jump from Captain America: Civil War (2016) to Black Widow (2021) and then to Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).

Some argue that release order is the only way that makes sense and that watching them in chronological order could result in spoilers. This is not too true – I mean, yes there'll be things you find out ahead of time, but nothing that is likely to ruin your enjoyment of later films.

And one thing you'll notice when you compare the lists of Marvel films in chronological order and release order is that there aren't that many discrepancies. So, for the most part, either order works just as well.

Plus, some of the movies include flashbacks, so there is an element of time-jumping in the overall plot anyway. And let's be honest, flashbacks are pretty standard fare in movies so we're all used to a little bit of back and forth that helps us understand the story better.

And that's kinda the best way to approach the question of whether you should watch the MCU movies in release order or chronological order. Which is the best way to follow, understand and enjoy the story.

And here's what I think.

First time around, watch them in release order. This is the way Marvel gave its fans – and like I said, you get one shot at this so let's not end up with regrets.

But, once you've seen them all, go back and watch them again in chronological order. Because this provides a whole different experience. Once you have got to know the characters and the story, rewatching the movies chronologically allows you to see things in context. And, from the viewer's perspective, the story is framed differently. Which means you get to not only enjoy all 29 movies for a second time, but you also get a slightly different viewing experience.

And what's not to love about that?

So, here's how to watch all the MCU movies in release order:

  1. Iron Man (2008)
  2. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
  3. Iron Man 2 (2010)
  4. Thor (2011)
  5. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
  6. Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
  7. Iron Man 3 (2013)
  8. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
  9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
  10. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
  11. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
  12. Ant-Man (2015)
  13. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
  14. Doctor Strange ( 2016)
  15. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
  16. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
  17. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
  18. Black Panther (2018)
  19. Avengers: Infinity War ( 2018)
  20. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
  21. Captain Marvel (2019)
  22. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
  23. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
  24. Black Widow (2021)
  25. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
  26. Eternals (2021)
  27. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
  28. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
  29. Thor: Love and Thunder ( 2022)

And here's how to watch the Marvel movie series in chronological order:

  1. (2011) Captain America: The First Avenger
  2. (2019) Captain Marvel
  3. (2008) Iron Man
  4. (2008) The Incredible Hulk
  5. (2010) Iron Man 2
  6. (2011) Thor
  7. (2012) Marvel's The Avengers
  8. (2013) Iron Man 3
  9. (2013) Thor: The Dark World
  10. (2014) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
  11. (2014) Guardians of the Galaxy
  12. (2017) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
  13. (2015) Avengers: Age of Ultron
  14. (2015) Ant-Man
  15. (2016) Captain America: Civil War
  16. (2021) Black Widow
  17. (2017) Spider-Man: Homecoming
  18. (2018) Black Panther
  19. (2016) Doctor Strange
  20. (2017) Thor: Ragnarok
  21. (2018) Ant-Man and the Wasp
  22. (2018) Avengers: Infinity War
  23. (2019) Avengers: Endgame
  24. (2019) Spider-Man: Far From Home
  25. (2021) Eternals
  26. (2021) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  27. (2021) Spider-Man: No Way Home
  28. (2022) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
  29. (2022) Thor: Love and Thunder