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← Avengers: Doomsday guide

MCU Watch Order: Every Marvel Movie and Show Before Avengers: Doomsday

Four lists, one for every kind of fan: movies only, movies plus shows, the X-Men and Spider-Man films folded in, and the full everything run. Posters, dates, and the handful of spots where the order matters.

This is the order I'd hand a friend who wants to be caught up for Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026). It's release order with a few deliberate swaps: Captain Marvel and The First Avenger go first because they're the prologue, Black Widow goes right after Civil War because that's when it's set, and Ant-Man and the Wasp gets split around Infinity War so its post-credits scene lands where it's supposed to. Pick the tab that matches how much time you have. Want the story in the order it happens instead? That's the MCU chronological order.

Every MCU movie and special, nothing else. The fastest way to be ready for Doomsday. 42 titles.

  1. 1 Captain Marvel

    Captain Marvel poster

    Movie Mar 8, 2019

  2. 2 Captain America: The First Avenger

    Captain America: The First Avenger poster

    Movie Jul 22, 2011

  3. 3 Iron Man

    Iron Man poster

    Movie May 2, 2008

  4. 4 Iron Man 2

    Iron Man 2 poster

    Movie May 7, 2010

  5. 5 The Incredible Hulk

    The Incredible Hulk poster

    Movie Jun 13, 2008

  6. 6 Thor

    Thor poster

    Movie May 6, 2011

  7. 7 The Avengers

    The Avengers poster

    Movie May 4, 2012

  8. 8 Iron Man 3

    Iron Man 3 poster

    Movie May 3, 2013

  9. 9 Thor: The Dark World

    Thor: The Dark World poster

    Movie Nov 8, 2013

  10. 10 Captain America: The Winter Soldier

    Captain America: The Winter Soldier poster

    Movie Apr 4, 2014

  11. 11 Avengers: Age of Ultron

    Avengers: Age of Ultron poster

    Movie May 1, 2015

  12. 12 Ant-Man

    Ant-Man poster

    Movie Jul 17, 2015

  13. 13 Captain America: Civil War

    Captain America: Civil War poster

    Movie May 6, 2016

  14. 14 Black Widow

    Black Widow poster

    Movie Jul 9, 2021

  15. 15 Spider-Man: Homecoming

    Spider-Man: Homecoming poster

    Movie Jul 7, 2017

  16. 16 Black Panther

    Black Panther poster

    Movie Feb 16, 2018

  17. 17 Thor: Ragnarok

    Thor: Ragnarok poster

    Movie Nov 3, 2017

  18. 18 Doctor Strange

    Doctor Strange poster

    Movie Nov 4, 2016

  19. 19 Guardians of the Galaxy

    Guardians of the Galaxy poster

    Movie Aug 1, 2014

  20. 20 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 poster

    Movie May 5, 2017

  21. 21 Ant-Man and the Wasp

    Ant-Man and the Wasp poster

    Movie Jul 6, 2018

    Stop before the post-credits scene. It spoils the next movie.

  22. 22 Avengers: Infinity War

    Avengers: Infinity War poster

    Movie Apr 27, 2018

  23. Now watch the Ant-Man and the Wasp post-credits scene.

  24. 23 Avengers: Endgame

    Avengers: Endgame poster

    Movie Apr 26, 2019

  25. 24 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

    Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings poster

    Movie Sep 3, 2021

  26. 25 Eternals

    Eternals poster

    Movie Nov 5, 2021

  27. 26 Spider-Man: Far From Home

    Spider-Man: Far From Home poster

    Movie Jul 2, 2019

  28. 27 Spider-Man: No Way Home

    Spider-Man: No Way Home poster

    Movie Dec 17, 2021

  29. 28 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness poster

    Movie May 6, 2022

  30. 29 Thor: Love and Thunder

    Thor: Love and Thunder poster

    Movie Jul 8, 2022

  31. 30 Werewolf by Night

    Werewolf by Night poster

    Special Oct 7, 2022

  32. 31 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever poster

    Movie Nov 11, 2022

  33. 32 Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania poster

    Movie Feb 17, 2023

  34. 33 The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special poster

    Special Nov 25, 2022

  35. 34 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 poster

    Movie May 5, 2023

  36. 35 The Marvels

    The Marvels poster

    Movie Nov 10, 2023

  37. 36 Deadpool & Wolverine

    Deadpool & Wolverine poster

    Movie Jul 26, 2024

  38. 37 Captain America: Brave New World

    Captain America: Brave New World poster

    Movie Feb 14, 2025

  39. 38 Thunderbolts*

    Thunderbolts* poster

    Movie May 2, 2025

  40. 39 The Punisher: One Last Kill

    The Punisher: One Last Kill poster

    Special May 12, 2026

  41. 40 Spider-Man: Brand New Day

    Spider-Man: Brand New Day poster

    Movie Jul 31, 2026

  42. 41 The Fantastic Four: First Steps

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps poster

    Movie Jul 25, 2025

  43. 42 Avengers: Doomsday

    Avengers: Doomsday poster

    Movie Dec 18, 2026

Where the order actually matters

What to watch if you're short on time

If Doomsday is the goal and you have a weekend, not a month: Infinity War, Endgame, Loki season 1 and 2, No Way Home, Multiverse of Madness, Deadpool & Wolverine, Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Brave New World. That covers the multiverse, Doom's introduction, the New Avengers, and both Captains America. Then read our Doomsday guide for everyone else.

Think you know who's not making it out of Doomsday? See what fans are predicting for all 50 characters, or check any character's page, like Professor X or Loki.

Questions

What is the best order to watch the Marvel movies?
For a first watch, release order with a few swaps: start with Captain Marvel and Captain America: The First Avenger, then Iron Man, and watch Black Widow right after Civil War. That's the Movies-only list on this page, 42 titles ending with Avengers: Doomsday.
Do I need to watch the Disney+ shows before Avengers: Doomsday?
Not all of them. Loki (both seasons) matters most because the multiverse plot runs through it, and WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Thunderbolts* set up characters who are in Doomsday. Secret Invasion can be skipped.
Should I watch the MCU in release order or chronological order?
Release order, with the small swaps in these lists, for a first watch. If you've seen everything once and want the story straight through, use the MCU chronological order page.
Which non-MCU Marvel movies should I watch before Doomsday?
The Fox X-Men films, because Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Kelsey Grammer, Alan Cumming, and Rebecca Romijn return as their X-Men. X-Men, X2, Logan, and both Deadpools are the essentials; the rest are on the Essentials tab.
How long does it take to watch every MCU movie?
The 42 movies and specials run roughly 90 hours. Add the Disney+ shows and it's closer to 170. The full Everything list with the Netflix shows and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is over 300 hours.
When does Avengers: Doomsday come out?
December 18, 2026. Avengers: Secret Wars follows on December 17, 2027.