TheMarvel Cinematic Universeis in the middle of it’s fifteen-year anniversary. It has been a wonder to see how the franchise has grown from a small independent operation into one ofthe biggest blockbuster franchisesof all time (in part due to the early acquisition by the Walt Disney Company). With a big, sprawling universe filled with various heroes, villains, and plot threads spanning the vast cosmos to alternate realities and fourth wall breaks, it is hard to believe this franchise was ever just a couple of movies and an idea.
Before the big sprawling events of The Infinity Saga united the various MCU Phases, there was only the road toThe Avengers,which is now dubbed Phase 1. The plan was simple — create solo movies for various heroes and finally unite them in one massive team-up film. It was not a guaranteed hit, but it was a gamble that paid off.
While it has been so culturally omnipresent, it might still be hard to imagine how the various films fit together. Some might be coming into the franchise new, either now deciding to see what the hype is about or being born after the initial film’s release. Here is Phase 1 of the MCU in chronological order, or if you prefer to watch byorder of release, just click here.
Update August 18, 2025: With the upcoming release ofThe Marvels, this article has been updated with the proper timeline information following the release of the book, The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline.
MCU Phase 1 Movies in Chronological Order
Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America
Captain America: The First Avengerwas the last solo film released beforeThe Avengers, although the original plan was for it to be the MCU’s first release. While the film is bookended by an opening prologue and epilogue that takes place in the modern day, the majority of the film takes placeduring World War 2. It is the MCU film primarily set the furthest in the past (although other films would establish key events taking place before World War 2).
Captain America, Peggy Carter, Bucky Barnes, Red Skull, and Arnim Zola are all introduced in this film and will become significant players in the MCU moving forward, on both the big and small screen. The movie also picks up on a single line fromIron Manabout how Tony Stark’s father worked on the Manhattan Project and incorporated Howard Stark into the movie.
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The film that started it all,Iron ManseesRobert Downey Jr.’s Tony Starksuit up as the armored Avenger after being taken captive in Afghanistan (an update from his comic book origin where he was injured in Vietnam).Iron Mantakes place in the spring of 2008, the same time the movie opened in theaters.
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Iron Mansets the tone and style for the MCU moving forward. Breezy, clever, and an all-around crowd-pleaser, it also is the first indication of a larger universe, with the appearance of Phil Coulson, who will be the glue that connects many of the Phase 1 movies. It also is the first reference to S.H.I.E.L.D. and contains a moment which changed Hollywood movies forever — the film’s final moment of Nick Fury meeting Tony Stark and letting him know he is part of a larger universe.
Iron Man 2
WhileThe Incredible Hulkwas released betweenIron ManandIron Man 2,Iron Man 2immediately follows its predecessor. While the film says it takes place six months after the first film, the recent novel, The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline, says that Iron Man 2 and the two following MCU films take place two years later in 2010. In the time since revealing himself as Iron Man, the world has stabilized for a period of peace, but that will not last as more superpowered individuals enter the picture. The movie further establishes more about Nick Fury, Tony Stark’s father, Howard, and his connection to S.H.I.E.L.D. allows Rhodey to suit up as War Machine and, most importantly, introduced Black Widow into the MCU.
Iron Man 2also takes place in a time period called “Nick Fury’s Big Week” which has the events ofIron Man 2,Thor, andThe Incredible Hulkall happening at the same time.Iron Man 2takes place first, as Coulson leaves in the middle ofIron Man 2to deal with events duringThorwhile the campus attack duringThe Incredible Hulkis on the news at the end of the movie.
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Thorwas a big shift for the MCU, introducing cosmic aliens and teasing magical elements that will become more fleshed out in later phases.Thornot only introduces the title hero but also Loki, who will become one of the key villains of the MCU and unite the various heroes inThe Avengers. It also introduces important supporting players like Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, andDarcy Lewis, who will pop upthroughout the franchise. It also features a quick cameo by Hawkeye.
RegardingThor’s specific place in the timeline, the animated seriesWhat If…?established that Thor attempting to retrieve his hammer from the S.H.I.E.L.D. base happened before The Hulk’s fight on a college campus. At the time, many thought the Hulk reacting to a thing of thunder in his movie was a hint at Thor, yet that seems more like a coincidence. It is also worth noting that the film’s prologue features a battle between Odin and the Forst Giants in Tønsberg in the year 965, which will be the future site of where the Red Skull finds the Tesseract and where the Asgardians will set up New Asgard.
The Incredible Hulk
The last entry in “Fury’s Big Week,“The Incredible Hulk,actually starts earlier thanThorbut encompasses so much time that the majority of its action takes place later The movie establishes that Bruce Banner’s origin as theHulk in the MCUtook place five years before the events of this film, meaning Bruce Banner has been on the run since 2005. The Hulk was a result of trying to recreate the super soldier that made Captain America, making the film a great bookend beforeThe Avengers. The college campus battle and the fight with Abomination in New York are close together and happen followingIron Man 2andThor. While the films after the credit scene were retconned later, Tony Stark’s arrival was the first major indication to audiences that these movies were connected.
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While at first,The Incredible Hulkwas often the overlooked film in the franchise given that Edward Norton was replaced byMark Ruffalo as the Hulkin the MCU, in recent years, the film has become foundational in setting up many new projects. William Hurt reprised his role as Thunderbolt Ross inCaptain America: Civil WarandBlack Widowbefore his passing, and nowHarrison Ford will take over the role. Tim Roth returned as Abomination first as a cameo inShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsand then as a full supporting player inShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Finally, Samuel Sterns teased that transformation into The Leader will finally get paid off inCaptain America: Brave New World.
The Avengers
Marvel’s The Avengers
The Avengerswas the film Phase 1 of the MCU was building to. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Nick Fury were all featured in previous films and are now brought together to fight Loki and an invading alien army, and little do they know that Thanos is the real mastermind behind this whole attack.
The Avengersis the moment where the MCU truly changes. By this point, it has been a fairly recognizable version of the audience’s everyday world, butThe Avengersmarks a turning pointwhere a new age of heroes has begun. While the world knew about Iron Man, following the Battle of New York heroes like Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and even the Hulk became major celebrities in the universe. Phase 1 ended with the experiment working, connecting these various heroes and franchises together into one cohesive whole. The next phase would deal with the fallout of that.
