William J. Ferrand

The annex · Dossier 03

The Marvel universe, mapped.

Every Marvel film and show worth sequencing, MCU and beyond, in the order that makes the story make sense. Watching by release order builds the universe the way audiences discovered it; this file keeps that order so you do not have to.

I. Early Marvel Films (Non-MCU)

These films were produced before the establishment of the MCU and feature iconic characters. Watching them first provides historical context and showcases the evolution of superhero cinema.

  1. Blade (1998)Introduces the half-vampire, half-human vampire hunter, Blade.
  2. Blade II (2002)
  3. Blade: Trinity (2004)
  4. X-Men (2000)Introduces the mutant team, setting the stage for future X-Men films.
  5. X2: X-Men United (2003)
  6. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
  7. Daredevil (2003)Centers on Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer with heightened senses.
  8. Hulk (2003)Explores Bruce Banner’s transformation into the Hulk.
  9. The Punisher (2004)Follows Frank Castle’s quest for vengeance.
  10. Spider-Man (2002)Directed by Sam Raimi; introduces Peter Parker’s origin story.
  11. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
  12. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
  13. Fantastic Four (2005)Introduces the superhero family after a cosmic accident.
  14. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
  15. Ghost Rider (2007)Follows Johnny Blaze, a stunt motorcyclist who becomes the Ghost Rider.

II. Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Phases One to Three

The MCU is an interconnected universe produced by Marvel Studios. Watching the films and shows in this order aligns with the timeline and enhances narrative flow.

  1. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)Set during World War II; introduces Steve Rogers and the origin of the super-soldier.
  2. Captain Marvel (2019)Set in 1995; introduces Carol Danvers and the Kree-Skrull conflict.
  3. Iron Man (2008)The film that launched the MCU; introduces Tony Stark.
  4. Iron Man 2 (2010)Continues Tony Stark’s journey and introduces Black Widow.
  5. The Incredible Hulk (2008)Reboots Hulk’s story within the MCU framework.
  6. Thor (2011)Introduces Thor and the realm of Asgard.
  7. The Avengers (2012)Brings together the core heroes to form the Avengers team.
  8. Iron Man 3 (2013)Explores Tony Stark’s PTSD after the Battle of New York.
  9. Thor: The Dark World (2013)Introduces the Reality Stone and delves into Asgardian lore.
  10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)Unveils a conspiracy within S.H.I.E.L.D.; introduces the Winter Soldier.
  11. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)Expands the MCU into the cosmic realm.
  12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)Set shortly after the first film; explores Peter Quill’s heritage.
  13. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)Introduces Vision and Scarlet Witch; the Avengers face a new threat.
  14. Ant-Man (2015)Introduces Scott Lang as Ant-Man and explores the Quantum Realm.
  15. Captain America: Civil War (2016)The Avengers are divided over the Sokovia Accords; introduces Black Panther and the MCU’s Spider-Man.
  16. Black Widow (2021)Set between “Civil War” and “Infinity War”; explores Natasha Romanoff’s past.
  17. Black Panther (2018)Focuses on T’Challa’s rise as King of Wakanda.
  18. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)Peter Parker balances high school life with superhero duties.
  19. Doctor Strange (2016)Introduces Stephen Strange and the mystic arts.
  20. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)Thor faces Hela and teams up with Hulk on Sakaar.
  21. Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)Explores the Quantum Realm further.
  22. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)Thanos seeks the Infinity Stones; heroes unite to stop him.
  23. Avengers: Endgame (2019)The survivors attempt to undo Thanos’s actions.
  24. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)Peter Parker deals with the aftermath of “Endgame.”

III. MCU Phase Four Films and TV Shows

Phase Four introduces new characters and explores the multiverse concept.

  1. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Introduces Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings organization.
  2. Eternals (2021)Explores immortal beings who’ve lived on Earth for thousands of years.
  3. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)Peter Parker deals with the fallout of his identity being exposed; features characters from previous Spider-Man films.
  4. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Delves deeper into the multiverse; connects to “WandaVision.”
  5. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Thor seeks inner peace but must return to action to stop Gorr the God Butcher.
  6. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)Explores Wakanda’s future following T’Challa’s death.
  7. WandaVision (2021)Explores Wanda Maximoff’s reality-altering abilities.
  8. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021)Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes deal with the legacy of Captain America.
  9. Loki (2021)Follows an alternate version of Loki who escaped during “Endgame.”
  10. What If…? (2021)Animated Series
  11. Hawkeye (2021)Clint Barton mentors Kate Bishop during the holidays in New York.
  12. Moon Knight (2022)Introduces Marc Spector and his dissociative identity disorder.
  13. Ms. Marvel (2022)Centers on Kamala Khan, a teenage superhero fan who gains powers.
  14. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)Jennifer Walters navigates her career and superhuman abilities.
  15. Werewolf by Night (2022)TV Special
  16. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)A festive adventure with the Guardians.
  17. Secret Invasion (2023)Focuses on Nick Fury uncovering a Skrull infiltration on Earth.
  18. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Explores the Quantum Realm further and introduces Kang the Conqueror.
  19. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Concludes the Guardians’ story arc and explores Rocket’s backstory.

IV. Additional Marvel Films and Series

X-Men Prequel and Spin-offs

  1. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)Delves into Wolverine’s past.
  2. X-Men: First Class (2011)Set in the 1960s; explores the origins of the X-Men.
  3. The Wolverine (2013)Wolverine travels to Japan.
  4. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)Combines original and prequel casts; involves time travel.
  5. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
  6. Logan (2017)Set in the future; an emotional conclusion to Wolverine’s story.
  7. Deadpool (2016)Introduces the irreverent mercenary Deadpool.
  8. Deadpool 2 (2018)
  9. The New Mutants (2020)Focuses on a group of young mutants in a secret facility.
  10. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013)Follows S.H.I.E.L.D. agents dealing with strange cases.
  11. Agent Carter (2015)Centers on Peggy Carter’s missions post-World War II.
  12. Marvel Netflix Series
  13. Daredevil (2015)
  14. Jessica Jones (2015)
  15. Luke Cage (2016)
  16. Iron Fist (2017)
  17. The Defenders (2017)
  18. The Punisher (2017)These series are darker and more grounded, focusing on street-level heroes.
  19. Historical Context
  20. Narrative Continuity
  21. Character Development

New to the file: 2024 to 2026

Entries logged since this dossier was first opened.

  1. The Marvels (2023) New to the fileCarol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan get their powers entangled.
  2. Echo (2024) New to the fileMaya Lopez leaves the Kingpin’s shadow; the MCU’s first street-level spotlight series.
  3. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) New to the fileThe multiverse gets its mouthiest mercenary; Fox and the MCU finally shake hands.
  4. Agatha All Along (2024) New to the fileThe WandaVision witch takes the Witches’ Road.
  5. What If…? Season 3 (2024) New to the fileThe animated multiverse closes its final season.
  6. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025) New to the fileAn animated Peter Parker origin on a fresh timeline.
  7. Daredevil: Born Again (2025) New to the fileMatt Murdock returns to the MCU proper.
  8. Captain America: Brave New World (2025) New to the fileSam Wilson carries the shield into a presidential crisis.
  9. Thunderbolts* (2025) New to the fileThe antiheroes assemble; mind the asterisk.
  10. Ironheart (2025) New to the fileRiri Williams builds her own legacy in Chicago.
  11. Eyes of Wakanda (2025) New to the fileAnimated missions of Wakandan agents across history.
  12. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) New to the fileMarvel’s first family finally lands in the MCU, retro-future and all.
  13. Marvel Zombies (2025) New to the fileThe What If…? plague gets its own animated series.
  14. Wonder Man (2026) New to the fileSimon Williams and a Hollywood satire inside the MCU.
  15. Madame Web (2024) New to the fileSony’s clairvoyant detour; non-MCU, filed for completeness.
  16. Venom: The Last Dance (2024) New to the fileEddie and the symbiote’s farewell; non-MCU.
  17. Kraven the Hunter (2024) New to the fileSony closes its villain era; non-MCU.

On the horizon

Announced and dated; files open on arrival.

  1. Avengers: Doomsday (2026)The next assembly, with Doom waiting at the end of it.
  2. Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)Peter Parker’s next chapter after No Way Home.