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Stephanie Ornelas
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Marvel Movies in Release Date Order
SEE ALSO: Marvel Movies & TV Shows In Chronological Order | All Marvel MCU Movies Ranked | The Essential Marvel Cinematic Universe Guide
We’re all about the Marvel Cinematic Universe here at Rotten Tomatoes (can you tell?), and that means making sure you’re equipped with all the tools you need to dive into the world of the MCU… and know where you’re going. Because even if you’re not the biggest Marvel fanatic, you know you’ve been a little curious. And if you are a massive Marvel fan, well, this should be a fun refresher for you, even if you are the go-to Marvel expert in your friend group.
While you might be familiar with our other articles, Marvel Movies Ranked and MCU Movies in Order, this time, we’re starting all the way back from Phase One and listing every movie by release date, from the iconic Iron Man to the audience-beloved The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Read on for the complete lineup, and be sure to explore our full slate of MCU lists above. — Stephanie Ornelas
Phase One
Six Certified Fresh films make up the list below, from Iron Man to Marvel’s The Avengers. Who can forget when the world saw RDJ step into the role of Iron Man back in 2008? Critics praised the film as “an exceptionally well-made debut for Marvel Studios.”
Iron Man (2008)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow
Directed By: Jon Favreau
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt
Directed By: Louis Leterrier
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson
Directed By: Jon Favreau
Thor (2011)
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston
Directed By: Kenneth Branagh
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones
Directed By: Joe Johnston
Marvel's the Avengers (2012)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth
Directed By: Joss Whedon
Phase Two
The next five movies make up phase two and include the critically-acclaimed Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a movie that some audiences called “undeniably one of the MCU’s best films.”
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce
Directed By: Shane Black
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård
Directed By: Alan Taylor
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Starring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Sebastian Stan
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel
Directed By: James Gunn
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans
Directed By: Joss Whedon
Phase Three
This next phase has an epic lineup of 11 movies — all Certified Fresh. From Captain America: Civil War to Doctor Strange to Spider-Man: Homecoming, there’s no question that the films below have continued to elevate and shape the MCU.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Doctor Strange (2016)
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong
Directed By: Scott Derrickson
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista
Directed By: James Gunn
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei
Directed By: Jon Watts
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba
Directed By: Taika Waititi
Black Panther (2018)
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira
Directed By: Ryan Coogler
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin, Chadwick Boseman
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Peña
Directed By: Peyton Reed
Captain Marvel (2019)
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou
Directed By: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Starring: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei
Directed By: Jon Watts
Phase Four
Phase Four was a phase of double badges when three epic films won over critics and audiences. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Black Widow are all Certified Fresh and Verified Hot.
Black Widow (2021)
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz
Directed By: Cate Shortland
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Starring: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen
Directed By: Destin Daniel Cretton
Eternals (2021)
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan
Directed By: Chloé Zhao
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon
Directed By: Jon Watts
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams
Directed By: Sam Raimi
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson
Directed By: Taika Waititi
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Starring: Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong'o, Tenoch Huerta
Directed By: Ryan Coogler
Phase Five
The world saw Deadpool & Wolverine break box office records as it became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time and the second-highest-grossing film of 2024. Also on this list are the surprisingly emotional Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Certified Fresh Thunderbolts*.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Bill Murray
Directed By: Peyton Reed
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan
Directed By: James Gunn
The Marvels (2023)
Starring: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Samuel L. Jackson
Directed By: Nia DaCosta
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin
Directed By: Shawn Levy
Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez
Directed By: Julius Onah
Thunderbolts* (2025)
Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell
Directed By: Jake Schreier
Phase Six
Last year, audiences were blessed with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. When Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach came together as the iconic quartet, audiences flocked to see it in IMAX and praised it as “a faithful take on the Galactus saga.” See what else is on the menu so far through 2027!
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn
Directed By: Matt Shakman
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon
Directed By: Destin Daniel Cretton
Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Sebastian Stan
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Avengers: Secret Wars (2027)
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
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