Marvel Release Order on Disney+: Watch Chronologically or by Release Date?

Want to watch all the Marvel movies and shows on Disney+ but not sure where to start? You’ve got two clear paths: watch them in the order they came out, or in the order they happen in the story. Both ways work - but they give you totally different experiences. And if you’re trying to get the most out of your Disney+ subscription, choosing the right order matters.

Why the Order Matters

The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t just a bunch of movies. It’s a sprawling, 15-year-long story with over 30 films and 20 TV shows. Characters appear across multiple titles. Plot points from one show change how you see the next movie. Miss something in WandaVision? You’ll be lost in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Watch Iron Man after Avengers: Endgame? You’ll miss why Tony Stark’s sacrifice hits so hard.

There’s no single right way - but knowing the difference between release order and chronological order helps you decide what kind of experience you want.

Release Order: The Original Experience

This is how the world saw Marvel unfold. Fans waited years between releases. Each movie dropped with hype, post-credit scenes, and cultural moments you couldn’t predict.

Watching in release order means you get the same surprise as audiences did in 2008 when Tony Stark built his suit in a cave. You feel the same shock when Nick Fury shows up at the end of Iron Man. You don’t know who Black Widow is yet when she shows up in Iron Man 2. You don’t know Loki’s real plan when he first appears in Thor.

This is the way Marvel intended you to experience it. It’s the order used in official Disney+ watchlists and the one most fans recommend for first-timers. You’re not just watching a story - you’re reliving a cultural phenomenon.

Here’s the basic release order for the main films:

1. Iron Man (2008)
2. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
3. Iron Man 2 (2010)
4. Thor (2011)
5. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
6. The Avengers (2012)
7. Iron Man 3 (2013)
8. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
10. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
11. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
12. Ant-Man (2015)
13. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
14. Black Panther (2018)
15. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
16. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
17. Doctor Strange (2016)
18. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
19. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
20. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
21. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
22. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
23. Black Widow (2021)
24. Eternals (2021)
25. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
26. The Marvels (2023)

Don’t forget the Disney+ shows. They’re not just spin-offs - they’re essential. WandaVision drops right after Endgame. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier picks up months later. Loki branches off from Endgame and reshapes the whole multiverse.

Chronological Order: The Storyline Timeline

If you care more about the story than the hype, chronological order makes sense. This is how the events line up inside the Marvel universe - not when they were released.

It starts with Captain America: The First Avenger - set in 1942. Then Agent Carter (TV series) fills in the 1940s. After that, you jump to Iron Man in 2008. But here’s the catch: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. starts in 2013, but its first season overlaps with The Avengers and Iron Man 3. So you can’t just go by year.

Here’s a simplified chronological order:

1. Captain America: The First Avenger (1942-1945)
2. Agent Carter (Season 1, 1946)
3. Agent Carter (Season 2, 1947)
4. Iron Man (2008)
5. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
6. Iron Man 2 (2010)
7. Thor (2011)
8. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011 - post-credits scene)
9. The Avengers (2012)
10. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season 1, 2012-2013)
11. Iron Man 3 (2013)
12. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
13. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season 1, 2013)
14. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
15. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
16. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
17. Ant-Man (2015)
18. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
19. Doctor Strange (2016)
20. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
21. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
22. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
23. Black Panther (2017)
24. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
25. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
26. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
27. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2020)
28. WandaVision (2023 - set weeks after Endgame)
29. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2023 - set months after Endgame)
30. Loki (2021 - branches from 2012)
31. What If...? (2021 - alternate timelines)
32. Black Widow (2021 - set after Civil War, before Infinity War)
33. Eternals (2021 - set after Endgame)
34. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
35. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
36. The Marvels (2023)

Notice how Loki and What If...? break the timeline? That’s the point. The multiverse changes everything. Chronological order doesn’t fix that - it just shows you where things started.

What You Lose in Chronological Order

Watching in chronological order feels like reading a textbook. You get the story - but you lose the buildup.

For example: If you watch Thor: Ragnarok right after Thor, you miss the emotional weight of Thor losing his home and his brother. You don’t feel the shock of Loki’s death in Infinity War if you’ve already seen him alive in Loki (2021). The surprise is gone.

And what about post-credit scenes? In release order, they’re rewards. In chronological order, they’re spoilers. The mid-credits scene of Iron Man introducing Nick Fury? If you watch it after The Avengers, you already know who he is. The mystery is gone.

What You Gain in Chronological Order

If you’ve already seen everything, chronological order lets you see how the universe fits together. You notice how Black Widow (2021) fills the gap between Civil War and Infinity War. You see how WandaVision sets up Doctor Strange 2. You realize that the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man isn’t just a gimmick - it’s the key to Endgame.

It’s also the best way to understand the multiverse. Loki and What If...? make no sense unless you know the original timeline. Chronological order gives you the baseline to compare the branches.

Disney+’s Official Watchlist: Release Order

Disney+ doesn’t let you sort by chronological order. The platform groups content by release date and phase. That’s intentional. Marvel Studios wants you to experience the story as it was meant to be - with surprises, buildups, and cultural moments intact.

They even created a “Marvel Cinematic Universe” playlist that follows release order. It includes all the movies and the key shows: WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If...?, and Ms. Marvel.

For new viewers, this is the safest path. You won’t miss anything. You won’t get confused by time jumps or alternate realities. You’ll feel the same awe fans felt in 2008.

Who Should Watch Chronologically?

If you’re a hardcore fan who’s seen everything, chronological order is a deep dive. It’s for people who want to map out character arcs, track the evolution of the multiverse, or analyze how Marvel built its world over time.

It’s also great for rewatching. You’ll notice details you missed before - like how Steve Rogers’ shield appears in Iron Man 2 during a news report, or how the Tesseract shows up in Thor before The Avengers.

But if you’re new? Don’t start here. You’ll be overwhelmed. You’ll miss the emotional beats. You’ll wonder why everyone’s so upset about Thanos when you haven’t seen him build his army yet.

What About the TV Shows?

The shows aren’t optional. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was once considered canon - but now Marvel treats it as a side story. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and the other Netflix shows? They’re not part of the main timeline anymore. Disney+ has officially moved on.

Stick to the Disney+ originals: WandaVision, Loki, What If...?, Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, Secret Invasion, and Agatha All Along. These are canon. They directly affect the movies.

Watch them right after the movie they follow. WandaVision after Endgame. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier after that. Loki after Endgame - but before Doctor Strange 2.

Final Recommendation

For most people: Watch in release order. It’s the way Marvel designed it. You’ll feel the journey. You’ll get the jokes, the callbacks, the surprises. You’ll understand why Tony Stark’s last line in Endgame - “I am Iron Man” - brings the whole universe full circle.

For fans who’ve seen it all: Try chronological order on your next rewatch. You’ll see connections you never noticed. You’ll understand how the multiverse was planted in Thor and exploded in Loki.

Either way - you’re not just watching movies. You’re living through one of the biggest storytelling experiments in history. And Disney+ is your time machine.