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MCU
WATCH ORDER
- THE COMPLETE GUIDE -		- I N T R O -
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The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a beast of a franchise. While it is possible to enjoy the individual films on their own merit, it is NOT the best way to enjoy them. You should think of the MCU less as a film series and more as a TV series with movie-length episodes. Each film adds to the overall big picture, and you will begin to see subplots intertwine and build over time, leading to sensational team-up payoffs. With such a big franchise, it can be intimidating to know where to start or what order to watch things in. Worry no more, as simply following this guide will give you the absolute best MCU experience that you can possibly have. Films are NOT in chronological order, NOR are they in production order. They are in an order I have created to be the best first-time experience possible for new viewers.

If you are looking for Non-MCU Marvel films & series, see NON-MCU MARVEL FILMS & SERIES: The Complete Guide and MARVEL ANIMATED FILMS & SERIES: The Complete Guide.

If you see any mistakes, or have any suggestions, email me at daxiafarren@gmail.com.
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- T I P S -
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The MCU is divided into "Phases", which you can think of kind of like "seasons" of a TV show, each building to a large finale. In addition, the first three Phases of the MCU form a large story arc called "The Infinity Saga". Phases 4-6 form "The Multiverse Saga".
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ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS WATCH TO THE END OF THE CREDITS! The MCU is famous for teasing new storylines in post-credit and mid-credit scenes. Often times there are multiple credit scenes in one movie! You cannot afford to miss these scenes. Even individual TV episodes will sometimes have post-credit scenes.
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DO NOT WATCH FILMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. Though it may be tempting to do so, this is incorrect. Some information about the past is not meant to be known until certain points. Additionally, films set in the past usually have post-credit scenes set in the present which will majorly spoil certain things. You don't need to worry about any of that, because I've done all the work for you. Just follow the guide and you'll be fine.
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Spoiler-Free.

Written by Rize. Last Updated: Aug 2023		There are many movies and TV shows that use characters from Marvel Comics that are NOT part of the MCU. The MCU is one specific universe, and not everything is canon to the MCU. If it is produced by Marvel Studios, it is probably canon. Films produced by other studios may or may not be canon, and will be noted. There are some MCU-adjacent TV series with some connection to the MCU without being MCU proper. See the "MCU-Adjacent" tab for details on things like that (eg. Agents of SHIELD, Runaways, etc.).
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P H A S E Z E R O - B E F O R E T H E M C U
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NOTE: This probably sounds weird, but before you get into the MCU proper, you'll want to watch quite a few Marvel movies that came out BEFORE the MCU. I won't say why, just trust me on this one. These films are produced by Sony and Fox, NOT Marvel Studios. They DO NOT take place in the main MCU universe, but they will be directly referenced. You'll understand when you get there, I promise. You can actually watch them any time before Phase IV if you wish, but it's easier to get them out of the way now. Regardless of when you watch them, you'll be very grateful you did.
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B L A D E T R I L O G Y
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YEARTITLETYPENOTES
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1998
BladeFilmThe film that started the modern era of Marvel films!
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2002
Blade IIFilm-
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2004
Blade: TrinityFilm-
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T H E S P I D E R - M A N T R I L O G Y
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2002
Spider-ManFilm-
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2004
Spider-Man 2Film-
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2007
Spider-Man 3Film-
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D A R E D E V I L & E L E K T R A
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2003
DaredevilFilmMake sure to watch the extended cut!
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2005
ElektraFilmOkay, this sequel/spinoff is actually quite bad, but I'm listing it here for completeness. It's totally optional.
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T H E P U N I S H E R
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2004
The PunisherFilm-
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T H E F A N T A S T I C F O U R D U O L O G Y
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2005
Fantastic FourFilm-
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2007
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver SurferFilm-
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P U N I S H E R : W A R Z O N E
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2008
Punisher: War ZoneFilmUnrelated to the previous Punisher film.
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T H E X - M E N S E R I E S
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NOTE: The X-Men series is a cinematic universe in its own right. You don't need to watch every X-Men movie for the purposes of the MCU interaction, however, being the completionist you are, you'll probably want to anyway. I have actually slightly modified the viewing order of the X-Men series from the basic production order. You can't go wrong with production order, but I think this order is a little more enjoyable for first-timers, and makes much more sense.
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2000
X-MenFilmThe original X-Men trilogy.
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2003
X2: X-Men UnitedFilm
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2006
X-Men: The Last StandFilm
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2009
X-Men Origins: WolverineFilmPrequel about Wolverine.
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2011
X-Men: First ClassFilmPrequel about the first X-Men in the 1960s.
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2013
The WolverineFilmWolverine solo movie in the present day. Make sure to watch the extended cut.
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2014
X-Men: Days of Future PastFilmCrossover of the prequel and modern X-Men eras. Make sure to watch the extended "Rogue Cut".
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2016
X-Men: ApocalypseFilmAnother prequel era movie.
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2019
X-Men: Dark PhoenixFilmAnother prequel era movie (and easily the worst film in the franchise, optional).
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2020
New MutantsFilmSpinoff featuring new characters.
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2017-
2019
LegionTV Series3 seasons (27 episodes). This series is a very bizarre and trippy spinoff. It is intentionally vague about when it takes place, and it may not even be canon to the films. It is mostly standalone, and it is entirely optional. It's a fantastic show though.
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2016
DeadpoolFilmIrreverent comedy that flagrantly disregards continuity.
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2017
Deadpool: No Good DeedShortThis is a short film originally aired in front of "Logan" in theaters.
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2017
LoganFilmWolverine solo movie acting as a finale for the character.
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2018
Deadpool 2FilmThere are multiple cuts of this movie, but I strongly recommend the theatrical cut.
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T H E A M A Z I N G S P I D E R - M A N D U O L O G Y
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2012
The Amazing Spider-ManFilmThis is a total reboot of Spider-Man, unrelated to the previous trilogy.
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2014
The Amazing Spider-Man 2FilmSadly, this film ends with some unresolved plot threads because the third film in the trilogy was never made.
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T H E I N F I N I T Y S A G A
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P H A S E 1
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Okay, now we can get into the MCU proper!
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2008
Iron ManFilmWhere it all began!
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2008
The Incredible HulkFilm"Incredible Hulk", "Iron Man 2", and "Thor" all actually take place at the same time during a single week, known as "Fury's Big Week".
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2010
Iron Man 2Film-
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2011
Marvel One-Shot: The ConsultantShortMarvel One-Shots are not films, but short episodes that take place between films. DO NOT SKIP THEM. This one expands upon the credit scene in "The Incredible Hulk".
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2011
Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's HammerShortThis takes place before "Thor", leading up to the post-credit scene from "Iron Man 2".
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2011
ThorFilm-
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2011
Captain America: The First AvengerFilmTakes place during WWII, before all other movies, but must be watched here. There is technically a post-credit scene in this film, but it's actually just a trailer for Avengers, not an original scene. Skip it if you don't want to see that.
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2013
Marvel One-Shot: Agent CarterShortTakes place shortly after Captain America.
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2012
AvengersFilmThe big teamup you've been waiting for!
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2012
Marvel One-Shot: Item 47ShortTakes place shortly after Avengers.
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P H A S E 2
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NOTE: If you plan to incorporate the Darkhold Saga (Agents of SHIELD, Runaways, etc.) into your viewing order, in part or in whole, this would be where you start watching that. Personally, I do not recommend it. But if you want to, see the "MCU-Adjacent" tab for details.
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2013
Iron Man 3Film-
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2014
Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the KingShortTakes place shortly after Iron Man 3. Remember this one, it will become important much later.
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2013
Thor: The Dark WorldFilm-
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2014
Captain America: The Winter SoldierFilm-
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2015
Agent Carter [Season 1]TV Series8 episodes. This series is produced by Marvel Television, not Marvel Studios, but it is actually canon. Well, the first season is canon. Season 1 is entirely self-contained, and you can watch it any time after Captain America 1. Disregard season 2 unless you are including Agents of SHIELD in your MCU viewing (see "MCU-Adjacent" tab for details).
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2014
Guardians of the GalaxyFilm-
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2015
Avengers: Age of UltronFilm-
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P H A S E 2 . 5 - T H E D E F E N D E R S S A G A (ABRIDGED)
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NOTE: The following TV series were produced by Marvel Television, not Marvel Studios. They originally aired on Netflix, so they're often referred to as the "Marvel-Netflix" series. They were ostensibly written to take place in the MCU, but the relationship is very low-key. Only vague references to MCU events are made. The shows reference each other a great deal, and have several shared supporting characters and interlocking storylines leading up to the "Defenders" crossover. You can watch all of them any time after "Avengers", but before "Avengers: Infinity War".

So here's the deal. I'm normally a completionist with this sort of stuff, but I really can't recommend you spend so many hours watching EVERY Marvel-Netflix series. Some are truly fantastic, several are mediocre, and some were outright cancelled early for being bad. Thankfully, you can cut out a lot of the fluff without causing any confusion at all. Below I have listed an "abridged" Defenders Saga with only the important and high quality material, with optional material for a fuller experience, but excluding the waste. This way, you will get the best experience without having to suffer through 100+ hours of slop. If you really want to watch the ENTIRE Defenders Saga, warts and all, see the "MCU-Adjacent" tab for details.
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2015
Daredevil [Season 1]TV Series13 episodes.
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2015
Jessica Jones [Season 1]TV Series13 episodes. Jessica Jones has more seasons, but S1 is an entirely self-contained story, and much higher quality than the rest. You can skip S2-3 if you want.
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2016
Daredevil [Season 2]TV Series13 episodes.
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2017
DefendersTV Series8 episodes. This is a miniseries where all the characters of the Netflix shows team up. If you're following my recommendation, don't worry, it's not necessary to watch Luke Cage or Iron Fist to understand and enjoy this series. However, it is necessary to watch Defenders in order to understand Daredevil S3.
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2017
Punisher [Season 1]TV Series13 episodes. OPTIONAL. If you really liked Punisher's character in Daredevil S2, watching this series couldn't hurt.
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2018
Jessica Jones [Season 2]TV Series13 episodes. OPTIONAL. If you just can't get enough Jessica Jones, the rest of her show is okay, but never reaches the heights of S1.
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2018
Daredevil [Season 3]TV Series13 episodes.
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2019
Punisher [Season 2]TV Series13 episodes. OPTIONAL. If you liked Punisher S1, go ahead and watch this.
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2019
Jessica Jones [Season 3]TV Series13 episodes. OPTIONAL. If you liked Jessica Jones S2, go ahead and watch this.
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P H A S E 3
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2015
Ant-ManFilmThe post-credit scene of this film is actually a cut down scene from the upcoming "Captain America: Civil War", so skip that if you don't want to see it.
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2016
Captain America: Civil WarFilm-
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2016
Marvel One-Shot: Team ThorShortThe "Team Thor" shorts are possibly non-canon, as they are meant to be comedic and absurd. Ostensibly, they take place during "Captain America: Civil War".
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2017
Marvel One-Shot: Team Thor Pt.2Short
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2016
Doctor StrangeFilmThe mid-credit scene of this film is actually a cut down scene from the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok, so skip it if you don't want to see it.
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2017
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2FilmThis film has many mid-credit scenes, be sure to stay for them all.
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2022
I Am Groot [Season 1]Shorts5 shorts. These are just fun little shorts that take place at various points before and after GotG Vol.2
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2017
Spider-Man: HomecomingFilm-
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2017
Thor: RagnarokFilm-
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2018
Marvel One-Shot: Team DarrylShortTakes place after "Thor: Ragnarok". Sequel to "Team Thor".