Archive · File 01

MCU in chronological order

The MCU is not best watched in the order it was released. Here are all 67 films, series and specials placed in the order events actually happen, from the Second World War to the multiverse incursions. Every row states when the story is set; titles that leave the Sacred Timeline are marked with their track.

67titles
43films
24series and specials
89hof film

Open in the 3D map →

Series spanning several months sit at the point their main plot begins. Open any title for its full file.

Before the Avengers

The Avengers era

The Blip

The world after

The multiverse threat

Frequently asked

Should I watch the MCU in chronological or release order?

For a first watch, release order wins: the films were written to arrive in that order and the reveals land when they should. Chronological order is for a second pass — it gives one continuous story from 1943 to 2029, but it defuses a few surprises, such as where Captain Marvel and Black Widow actually sit.

Which Marvel movie should I start with?

Iron Man (2008) if you follow release order, or Captain America: The First Avenger, which opens in 1943, if you follow the internal timeline.

Do I need to watch the Marvel series?

Not all of them, but some matter: Loki explains the multiverse and the Sacred Timeline, WandaVision sets up Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Hawkeye brings in Echo and Daredevil. All 24 series and specials are flagged in the list, and a filter hides them on the map.

How long does it take to watch everything?

About 89 hours for the 43 films alone, plus 143 episodes of television — roughly three weeks at two hours a night.

Where do the multiverse titles fit?

Anything that leaves the Sacred Timeline — the diverging realities of What If...?, the Void in Deadpool & Wolverine, Earth-828 in The Fantastic Four — sits on its own track, tied back to the trunk at the exact point reality branched. The 3D map draws those filaments.

See the release order →