With big movie franchises that go on for years and years, viewing order can be a tricky proposition for viewers just getting into it. Where to start? It’s certainly not always in release order. And with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with some 30 movies and countless TV shows at this point, it becomes absolutely daunting. So how should you watch the MCU in full? Well, don’t fret, we’re here to help. In today’s Nerdist Now, Hector Navarro gives us the very best MCU Phase One viewing order. And we promise you, it’s not what you think it is. You can take a look at the videos right here:
Most folks see Iron Man as the way to start, since it came out first, in 2008. Yup, Iron Man is now 15 years old, believe it or not. However, 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger largely takes place in the early ’40s, so many fans think the viewing order should start there. But recent developments have changed things. In our opinion, the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy is the place to start. After all, those films (along with the Amazing Andrew Garfield Spidey films) have now been retconned into the official Marvel Multiverse timeline by No Way Home. They are part of MCU canon now and absolutely should count in your watch.
However, given that logic, why not the first X-Men from 2000? After all, Patrick Stewart showed up in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as Professor Charles Xavier. While that may be true, he’s not the same Charles Xavier from the Fox X-Men films, but a variant. So, until the OG movie X-Men pop up in the MCU (In, say, Avengers: Secret Wars) the Raimi Spider-Man gets first place in the MCU timeline. We realize that all that may change in a few years, though. There are other fun timeline tidbits sprinkled throughout this video. Do you know that Iron Man takes place two years after it hit theaters? Now you do!
MCU Phase Two Watch Order
But don’t stop there, Phase Two of the MCU also needs to be watched, and it has an order all its own. All Hail the King, for instance, cannot be missed, but we’re willing to bet its not on most people’s to watch list. We’ll even guide you through which episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D take place when! (It’s no easy science.)
Phase Three Watch Order
From there, it’s time to embark on Phase Three. There’s a lot to consider when watching this phase of the MCU, especially the Netflix Marvel series. Here’s how the MCU makes the most sense.
Phase Four Watch Order
And now it’s time to conclude our tour of the MCU with some of the latest entries into the universe. As we head into Phase Five, you can rest easy knowing, you’ve seen it all.
As Kevin Feige is always fond of saying, “it’s all connected.”
For the interested, here is the best way to watch phase one of the MCU in list form:
MCU Phase One Watch Order List:
SPIDER-MAN (2002)
SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)
SPIDER-MAN 3 (2007)
IRON MAN (2008)
IRON MAN 2
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THOR’S HAMMER (MARVEL ONE-SHOT)
THOR
THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)
THE CONSULTANT
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER
AGENT CARTER (2015)
AGENT CARTER (MARVEL ONE-SHOT)
THE AVENGERS
ITEM 47
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012)
MCU Phase Two Watch Order List:
IRON MAN 3
ALL HAIL THE KING
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (FIRST SEVEN EPISODES)
THOR: THE DARK WORLD
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (EPISODES EIGHT THROUGH SIXTEEN)
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (EPISODES SEVENTEEN THROUGH TWENTY-TWO)
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
I AM GROOT SEASON ONE EPISODE, “GROOT’S FIRST STEPS”
DAREDEVIL (SEASON ONE)
JESSICA JONES
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (SEASON TWO, EPISODES ONE THROUGH NINETEEN)
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (SEASON TWO, EPISODES TWENTY THROUGH TWENTY-TWO)
DAREDEVIL (SEASON TWO)
LUKE CAGE (SEASON ONE)
IRON FIST
THE DEFENDERS
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (THIRD SEASON, EPISODES ONE THROUGH NINETEEN)
“WHIH NEWSFRONT” (YOUTUBE)
ANT-MAN
MCU Phase Three Watch Order List:
“WHIH NEWSFRONT” (SEASON TWO, SETS UP CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR)
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (SEASON THREE, EPISODES 20 THROUGH 22)
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
BLACK PANTHER
INHUMANS
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: SLINGSHOT. (WEB-SERIES ON YOUTUBE)
THE PUNISHER (SEASON ONE)
CLOAK & DAGGER (SEASON ONE)
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (FOURTH SEASON)
JESSICA JONES (SEASON TWO)
LUKE CAGE (SEASON TWO)
IRON FIST (SEASON TWO)
DAREDEVIL (THIRD SEASON)
CLOAK & DAGGER (SEASON TWO)
DOCTOR STRANGE
RUNAWAYS (ALL THREE SEASONS)
THE PUNISHER (SEASON TWO)
JESSICA JONES (SEASON THREE)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
I AM GROOT (SEASON ONE, EPISODES TWO THROUGH FIVE)
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (SEASON FIVE, EPISODES ONE THROUGH EIGHTEEN)
THOR: RAGNAROK
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (FIFTH SEASON, EPISODES NINETEEN TO TWENTY-TWO)
CAPTAIN MARVEL
VENOM (2018)
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (SIXTH AND SEVENTH SEASONS)
HELSTROM
AVENGERS: ENDGAME
MCU Phase Four Watch Order List:
LOKI
WHAT IF…?
WANDAVISION
ETERNALS
SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER
SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME
THE DAILY BUGLE (SEASON ONE, YOUTUBE)
VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE
SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
THE DAILY BUGLE (SECOND SEASON, TIKTOK)
MORBIUS
THE DAILY BUGLE (THIRD SEASON, TIKTOK)
STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
HAWKEYE (FIRST THREE EPISODES)
BLACK WIDOW
HAWKEYE (EPISODES FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX)
MOON KNIGHT
MS. MARVEL
SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HOLIDAY
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT
Originally published on January 26, 2023.