What started with a small, ambitious, B-character film in 2008’s Iron Man, has expanded to something so much larger and epic than anyone could have every imagined. This is the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline.
What’s in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Timeline?
This is our Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. It takes all of the media in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and places it in chronological order. The default timeline lists each work in chronological order. An item is placed based on where most of it takes place. We don’t break up stories so that portions of a film take place elsewhere. This list includes media from the following elements of the MCU:
- The MCU Films: These make up the backbone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. The films started with Iron Man in 2008. However, the first chronological film is Captain America: The First Avenger. Marvel Studios has since continued to release these films at an alarming rate.
- MCU Television: This timeline includes the shows from ABC that are part of the MCU. These include Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (AOS), Agent Carter, Inhumans and others.
- MCU Netflix Television: Though they may seem like a completely different universe, the Marvel Netflix shows are also part of the MCU. However, they take place in isolation compared to the rest of the Marvel Universe. These shows include Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders, and The Punisher.
- MCU Tie-in Comics: This timeline includes the tie-in comics that are canonical in the MCU timeline. Usually, these are short preludes to the main films.
- One-shots: Marvel has produced a few one-shot short films for the MCU. We include these as well.
How to Watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
The core of the MCU will always be the films. Therefore, television shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. come second. Iron Man was the first film released in the MCU, but Captain America: The First Avenger takes place first chronologically. It’s actually okay to watch either first. Additionally, if you want something different than the films, we recommend watching the Netflix series, starting with Daredevil. They have little to do with the films, though they do technically take place in the same universe.
Feel free to click on individual items to see more information! As always, if you have questions or comments about this timeline, we recommend you visit our contact page. We hope you enjoy.
| Chronological | Series | Buy | Title | Type | Author | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Preludes |
| 2011-06-29 | |||
2 | Phase 1 |
| 2011-07-22 | |||
3 | Preludes |
| 2013-12-11 | |||
Adaptation of the film. | ||||||
4 | ABC |
| 2015-01-06 | |||
5 | ABC |
| 2015-01-06 | |||
6 | ABC |
| 2015-01-13 | |||
7 | ABC |
| 2015-01-27 | |||
8 | ABC |
| 2015-02-03 | |||
9 | ABC |
| 2015-02-10 | |||
10 | ABC |
| 2015-02-17 | |||
11 | ABC |
| 2015-02-24 | |||
12 | ABC |
| 2016-01-19 | |||
13 | ABC |
| 2016-01-19 | |||
14 | ABC |
| 2016-01-26 | |||
15 | ABC |
| 2016-02-02 | |||
16 | ABC |
| 2016-02-09 | |||
17 | ABC |
| 2016-02-16 | |||
18 | ABC |
| 2016-02-16 | |||
19 | ABC |
| 2016-02-23 | |||
20 | ABC |
| 2016-02-23 | |||
21 | ABC |
| 2016-03-01 | |||
22 | One-Shot |
| 2013-09-24 | |||
In lieu of the show, this may not be canon. | ||||||
23 | Preludes |
| 2015-03-04 | |||
24 | Phase 3 |
| 2019-03-08 | |||
25 | Phase 1 |
| Iron Man + | 2008-05-02 | ||
26 | Preludes |
| 2010-02-24 | |||
Adaptation of the film. | ||||||
27 | Preludes |
| 2010-05-12 | |||
28 | Preludes |
| 2010-09-01 | |||
29 | Preludes |
| 2017-11-15 | |||
30 | Other | 2010-04-27 | ||||
A multimedia website with various videos related to Iron Man 2. Available online. | ||||||
31 | Phase 1 |
| 2008-06-13 | |||
32 | One-Shot |
| 2011-09-13 | |||
Included in the Thor Blu-ray/DVD | ||||||
33 | Phase 1 |
| 2010-05-07 | |||
34 | Preludes |
| 2012-12-05 | |||
Adaptation of the film. | ||||||
35 | One-Shot |
| 2011-10-25 | |||
Included in the Captain America: The First Avenger Blu-ray/DVD | ||||||
36 | Phase 1 |
| Thor + | 2011-05-06 | ||
37 | Preludes |
| 2013-02-20 | |||
Adaptation of the film. | ||||||
38 | Preludes |
| 2012-04-18 | |||
39 | Preludes |
| 2012-06-06 | |||
40 | Phase 1 |
| 2012-05-04 | |||
41 | One-Shot |
| Item 47 + | 2012-09-25 | ||
Included in the Avengers Blu-ray/DVD | ||||||
42 | Preludes |
| 2013-02-06 | |||
43 | Phase 2 |
| 2013-05-03 | |||
44 | One-Shot |
| 2014-02-25 | |||
Included in the Thor: The Dark World Blu-ray/DVD | ||||||
45 | ABC |
| 2013-09-24 | |||
46 | ABC |
| 2013-10-01 | |||
47 | ABC |
| 2013-10-08 | |||
48 | ABC |
| 2013-10-15 | |||
49 | ABC |
| 2013-10-22 | |||
50 | ABC |
| 2013-11-05 | |||
Jason Hamilton- 14 Comments
- Featured Timelines, Film Timelines, Marvel Comics Timelines, Marvel Film, Marvel Main
- May 8, 2020
When will this list be updated next?
Very soon
This update to the MCU timeline don’t work on the iOS app. It only shows the timeline before this update. Maybe the app needs an update?
Yeah, the app is still synced with the old site. It’s a technical jumble. We’re actively working on an app update to rename it and sync it with this site.
It’s so hard to place Agents of SHIELD season 6 in the timeline … but what did you put it after FFH knowing that season 6 is a year after season 5?
I appreciate this very valuable service! Looks like the release date for the one-shots are off.
Greetings:
Note that Punisher 2.3: “Trouble the Water” is misspelled as “Trouble the Wate”.
When are you putting season 3 of Runaways on the list?
Just letting you know that Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders, Inhumans, Cloak and Dagger, Runaways, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, have all been confirmed Non-Canon by Marvel President Kevin Feige who is in charge of Movies, Comics, and shows, and only the new Disney+ shows will be canon such as Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, and What If?, so that means all the netflix shows are in their own universe, Agents of Shield, Agent Carter. and Inhumans are their own due to Agent Carter flashback cameos, and Inhumans being AoS spinoff, and Runaways and Cloak and Dagger are their own due to crossover.
In the website column I left the link to the proof.
The release dates have gone all wrong… it’s showing season 5 episodes of AoS ahead of season 4, and the rest is all jumbled up!
Yeah, having some technical issues. We’re working on it.
I want to say that iron Man 2 should be before Incredible Hulk and the consultant cause the events in the Hulk on the campus are on the news at the end of the movie when Fury is talking to stark and naming Stark ‘The Consultant’
Hi man. Some of the Marvel “Infinite Comics” that are a part of the MCU are included here but not all of them. Can you include the rest that are part of it?
Kevin Feige DID NOT confirm that the tv shows are not canon, he said for the first time they will be connected which is kind of stupid as Agents of SHIELD has been connected to the movies multiple times in earlier seasons, Nick Fury, Sif & Maria Hill have all made cameos, they cleaned up after Thor Dark Worlds, hell the whole reason the Avengers: Age of Ultron starts with them attacking that base to get the Tesseract is because SHIELD found the location in a previous episode, Agent Carter is directly linked to Captain America, you could argue that the other shows only have subtle references but to say that ‘for the first time’ shows will be linked to movies just makes him look stupid