What order were the Marvel movies released?

A while back, I published a post that gave the “correct” order to watch the MCU movies in if you wanted to watch them chronologically. But, that’s not the only way to watch them. It is completely acceptable to watch them in the order they were released because of the little easter eggs and inside jokes that are made. Read on to discover the order that the movies were released in. But caution! Spoilers ahead!

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Iron Man

Iron Man was the first movie to be released as part of the MCU in 2008 and proved to be a massive hit with Robert Downey Jr playing the part of the playboy billionaire. Watching this on its own without knowing anything about the movies that are to come is easy to do. But if you watch all of the other movies and then come back to this one again (don’t look at me like that, I’ve watched these all several times) you will discover some little nuggets that will pique your interest. For example, when Stark is running diagnostics on the suit, Jarvis makes a seemly random comment about altering the suit in case of off-world travel. This was also the first time we see Stan Lee making a cameo appearance.

The Incredible Hulk

Ok, I know some people don’t like to include this movie but the simple fact is, it is part of the MCU, whether we like it or not. This movie was the second to be released in 2008 and saw Edward Norton play the part of Bruce Banner, the man that you wouldn’t want to get angry. There is a great cameo of Lou Ferrigno, the original Hulk from the 1970’s TV show. It’s a shame that this movie isn’t better, and I don’t know how they could have made it better, but it does fall a bit flat.

Iron Man 2

After shocking the world with his not-so-secret identity, Tony Stark has another life or death problem facing him, his health and a madman with links to Howard Stark. This movie sees a few new faces joining the ranks with Agent Natasha Romanoff keeping an eye on Stark, while Nick Fury and Agent Coulson aren’t so pleased to deal with him. There are a whole heap of easter eggs to spot if you know what you what is coming in the later movies. Keep your eyes peeled for them in the SHIELD safe house and in Tony’s workshop.

Thor

Now we are digging deeper into the MCU and we are introduced to one of the future Avengers. Thor is an arrogant warrior and future king of Asgard but his father is having none of it. After Thor crosses the line and nearly causes a war, Odin casts him out of Asgard to Midgard (or, as we know it, Earth) to live with humans. It’s not just Thor that we meet, another future Avenger, Hawkeye, makes a cameo appearance in the lab and is watching over everything. This movie is supposed to be taking place at the same time as Iron Man 2 and The Incredible Hulk. In fact, when Agent Coulson tells Tony that he has to leave in Iron Man 2, he is actually heading off to deal with what is going on here.

Captain America: The First Avenger

America’s favourite super-soldier finally appears in his own movie in 2011 and gets to beat Nazis all day long. Steve Rogers is a sick little man who wants to do his part in WW2 but can’t enlist because of his poor health. But what he can do is sign up to be a guinea pig and test out a serum that turns him into a super-soldier. Rogers teams up with his best friend Bucky and the Howling Commandos to beat Nazi Germany and Hydra before they destroy the world.

Avengers Assemble

This is where it all starts to come together and in 2012 we have the Avengers Assemble for the first time as a team to go up against Loki and his army. This was one of the best crossovers that brought together so many different characters from different movies. Mark Ruffalo was cast as the Hulk and replaced Edward Norton. Maybe this is why we all haven’t taken to The Incredible Hulk movie the way we would have liked to. This movie also marked the end of Phase One for the MCU.

Iron Man 3

Phase Two of the MCU kicks off with Iron Man 3 and is set seven months after the attacks in New York. Tony is suffering from PTSD and creates an army of Iron Man suits to help him feel better but nothing works. He has to face off against a terrorist known as the Mandarin who attacks him at his house and threatens Pepper Potts. This 2013 movie brings out Tony Starks humanity and makes him a humble man. You might even spot a familiar face from the first Iron Man movie at a party if you are paying attention.

Thor: The Dark World

Our favourite blond god returns to the big screen when he finds out that Jane is in trouble with some Dark Elves and the end of the world is near. Thor has to team up with Loki to save Jane and stop the Dark Elves from destroying the universe with a mystical element called the Aether. Chris Evans makes a cameo appearance as Loki in the form of Captain America who mocks Thor. This is a slightly darker movie compared to the first Thor movie but don’t skip it, the Aether is important to the future films.

Captain America: Winter Soldier

Captain America is back with his shield and this time he is going up against an old chum, Bucky. After WW2 when Rogers became a capsicle, his best buddy was put on ice too and became the Winter Soldier. An assassin so badass, he is the only person to ever to make a mark on Black Widow. This is another slightly darker film (which isn’t surprising after what they all saw in New York) but we get to meet Sam and learn the phrase, “on your left”.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Join Star-Lord, Rocket, Gamora, Drax, and Groot as they try to save the galaxy by not being dicks. This is the first MCU movie that is set in space and at first glance appears to have nothing to do with what has come before. The soundtrack to the film is one of the best and there are plenty of laughs throughout. James Gunn (director) has said that you should press pause on this movie during the Collectors scenes to see what you can spot in his museum, and you will not be disappointed with what you spot.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

After everything that has happened, Tony Stark is a bit worried about what might come next and develops Ultron with Bruce Banner. But it all goes horribly wrong when Ultron decides the best way to save the planet is to destroy the humans that live there. There are loads of easter eggs dropped in this movie and hint at what is to come with Thanos making a mid-credits scene appearance with the Gauntlet. We also learn that Loki had the Mind Stone in his scepter.

Ant-Man

Marking the end of Phase Two is Earths smallest hero, Ant-Man. We have a whole lot going on in this movie! First, we learn a bit about Peggy after WW2 and the work that Howard Stark has done for the government. We also have some teasers for future movies, including what happened to Bucky after Winter Soldier. We also get introduced to Luis, one of the finest storytellers in the universe and see how much fun a train set can really be.

Captain America: Civil War

Things start to go a bit pear shaped for our favourite heroes in Civil War. Politics start to cause a rift between Stark and Rogers as the governments demand more accountability after the events of Ultron and an unknown assassin attacks. This movie marks the beginning of phase three and sees some more new characters making their debut appearances. Black Panther pounces on to our screens and Spiderman does the most superhero flip ever! Fun fact: The little boy from Iron Man 2 that is saved at the Stark Expo has been confirmed as Peter Parker.

Doctor Strange

It’s time to dive into the world of mystic arts with Doctor Stephen Strange. Strange is a top neurosurgeon who loses everything after a car accident. Determined to recover and get his life back, he heads off to Nepal and learns about the secret world of magic. As he learns about this new world, he discovers he enjoys it more than he thought and helps defend the Earth from complete destruction. Keep an eye out the Time Stone and the mid-credits scene with Thor.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2

The Guardians are back to save the Universe again, and this time it is a family matter. Peter has always wondered about his dad and he finally gets the chance to meet the deadbeat. But this is a dad with a difference, he’s a planet with a planet sized ego. The family reunion doesn’t go as planned and the Guardians have to the save the Universe again and try to keep their new family unit together. Baby Groot is adorable and Yondu gives the best line. “I’m Mary Poppins y’all!”

Spiderman: Homecoming

We had our first look at Spiderman in Civil War, now he has his own movie. Not only does it give us some information about Spiderman, it tells us what happened to the people of New York in the aftermath of Lokis invasion. Peter Parker is the friendly neighbourhood Spiderman who just wants to help out, be an Avenger, and probably wants Tony and Pepper to adopt him.

Thor: Ragnarok

If you watched Captain America: Civil War, you probably wondered what happened to Thor and Banner. In case you have forgotten, at the end of Avengers: Rise of Ultron, Hulk disappeared in a jet and hasn’t been heard of since. And Thor was last spotted talking to Dr Strange about Odin. So, what happened? Ragnarok happened. Odin’s eldest child, Hela has appeared and wants what she thinks is hers. Thor and Loki end up finding a Valkyrior on a trash planet.

Black Panther

Ever since the first Marvel movies landed on our screens, we have had little hints about the mysterious country of Wakanda. Cut off from the outside world and its borders are closed to outsiders. Prince T’Challa must take the throne after the death of his father in Civil War and defend it from a secret from the past. This was one of the most anticipated movies and has been considered one of the most culturally diverse and a great representation for people of colour. It doesn’t matter about the politics behind the hype, this is a great movie and everyone loved regardless of the colour of their skin.

Avengers: Infinity War

This is were everything starts to make sense and we have one of the biggest crossovers in movie history. All of the MCU movies have been leading up to this point, facing off against Thanos and finding the last of the Infinity Stones. We also have “The Snap”, one of the most tearjerking moments for me in movie history. Yeah, even more than Bambi.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Scott Lang was missing from the drama of Infinity War and you were probably wondering what happened to him. Wonder no more! He teamed up with his former love interest, Hope, and her father Hank Pym to try and save Janet Pym from the Quantum Realm. The problem is that Scott has been on house arrest since his involvement with Captain America in Civil War. All I will say is make sure you watch the credit scenes, especially before the big finish of End Game.

Captain Marvel

Back in the 1990’s, when women were still fighting for the right to fly in combat, Vers is a warrior that has memory loss but has strange dreams of a life on Earth. She ends up traveling to Earth after an alien war heads to the planet. It is here that she meets Nick Fury, a cat called Moose, and discovers the truth about her past and her powers. Captain Marvel is one of the universes mightest heroes and Fury has her on speed dial.

Avengers: Endgame

Everything has lead to this moment. The Endgame. After the Snap, everyone was left broken but after the appearance of Scott Lang after being missing for five years, the Avengers have a new plan. It’s so crazy, it might just work. I’m just gonna leave it at that. Go watch it.

• What order should you watch the Marvel movies in?
• Iron Man
• Avengers: Infinity War