How to Watch MCU in Order? [Free & Paid Sites]

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the world’s biggest movie franchise. MCU’s total revenue of $26.6 billion says a lot about its massive popularity, and there is more story to tell.

Thirty-one films and several TV series make up the MCU so far. While its interconnected universe got us all hooked up, it is becoming harder to follow as more movies add to the pool.

We’ll save you all the research work by giving you the best watching order to buckle up your MCU knowledge.

In What Order Should I Watch MCU?

Fans have different ways of watching the whole Marvel cinematic universe. Some prefer to watch according to the release order, while most follow the chronological order. 

Order of release or time — whatever you want to follow, here are lists you can use as a guide: 

MCU in Release Order

Watching MCU by order of release is arguably the best if you’re a first-time watcher. If you don’t want to avoid post-credit scenes deliberately, this prevents spoilers.

Here’s how to watch MCU by order of release divided into phases corresponding to main story arcs:

Phase One

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)

Phase Two

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)

Phase Three

13. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
14. Doctor Strange (2016)
15. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)
16. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
17. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
18. Black Panther (2017)
19. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
20. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
21. Captain Marvel (2019)
22. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
23. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Phase Four

24. WandaVision (Disney Plus series, 2021)
25. Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney Plus series, 2021)
26. Loki season 1 (Disney Plus series)
27. Black Widow (2021)
28. What If...? (Disney Plus series, 2021)
29. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
30. Eternals (2021)
31. Hawkeye (Disney Plus series, 2021)
32. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
33. Moon Knight (Disney Plus series, 2022)
34. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
35. Ms. Marvel (Disney Plus series, 2022)
36. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
37. I Am Groot (Disney Plus series, 2022)
38. She-Hulk (Disney Plus series, 2022)
39. Werewolf By Night (Disney Plus special, 2022)
40. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
41. Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special (Disney Plus special, 2022)

Phase Five

42. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

MCU in Chronological Order

Watching the movies and shows in chronological order of events can also be an exciting experience, especially for re-watchers who want to piece everything together.

Sadly, Tony Stark is not the starter in this one. Below is a list you can follow to watch the MCU in order of time:

1. Captain America: The First Avenger (1942-1943)
2. Captain Marvel (1995)
3. Iron Man (2010)
4. Iron Man 2 (2011)
5. The Incredible Hulk (2011)
6. Thor (2011)
7. The Avengers (2012)
8. Iron Man 3 (2012)
9. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
11. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
12. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2014)
13. I Am Groot (2014)
14. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
15. Ant-Man (2015)
16. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
17. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016)
18. Doctor Strange (2016-2017)
19. Black Widow (2017)
20. Black Panther (2017)
21. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
22. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2017)
23. Avengers: Infinity War (2017)
24. Avengers: Endgame (2018-2023)
25. Loki (Unsure of the year, but immediately after End Game)
26. What If...? (The same with Loki)
27. WandaVision (2023)
28. Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2023-2024)
29. Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings (2023-2024)
30. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2024)
31. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2024)
32. Eternals (2024)
33. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2024)
34. Hawkeye (Christmas 2024)
35. Moon Knight (2025)
36. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2025)
37. She-Hulk (2025)
38. Ms. Marvel (2025)
39. Thor: Love and Thunder (2025)
40. Werewolf By Night (2025)
41. Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Christmas 2025)
42. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2025)

Now, the problem is where to watch them. Let’s talk about that in the next section. 

Free and Paid Streaming Sites for MCU

You can watch most MCU titles in Disney Plus for only $7.99 to $10.99 monthly. Other streaming platforms will cost you the following per month:

• HBO Max – $9.99 to $15.99
• Prime Video – $8.99 to $14.99
• Hulu – $7.99 to $14.99
• STARZ – $8.99 

Here are paid and free options for each title:

The Best Way to Watch the MCU for Free

You can watch the MCU on free streaming sites. However, they come with annoying ads and the risk of getting malware on your device. 

Using a VPN will give you the security you need. A virtual private network (VPN) is needed to tweak your IP address if the sites are blocked in your location. 

Pirate sites may also earn you a copyright infringement notice from your internet service provider (ISP). That’s why a VPN masks your real-life location. Some of the best VPNs for streaming are SurfShark, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN. 

SurfShark is the most budget-friendly provider, with a monthly subscription that costs as low as $2.30. It also has more than 3,200 servers in 100 countries. Express VPN avoids geo-restrictions in Hulu and Netflix with less internet-speed reduction.

NordVPN has the largest server network, with 5,595 in 60 countries. It also has ad-blocking and anti-virus features. You can subscribe to NordVPN for as low as $3.99 per month. 

Here’s how you can watch MCU for free using NordVPN: 

1. Download the NordVPN app. 

2. Install and launch the app.

3. Once the app is installed, log in. If you do not have an account yet, sign up for one and subscribe to the plan that best suits you. 

4. Select a server by clicking on the map. You can also use the dropdown button to type your preferred server/country. 

5. Go to any free streaming site and watch MCU content

Conclusion

Marvel has mostly revealed the in-universe timelines for several MCU movies/shows. Following the in-universe MCU timeline helps make the most sense of how the movies fit together, but with confusing spoilers.

Try the in-universe chronological order if you just want to piece everything. Watch by release order if you’re new to the franchise to enjoy a lot of surprises.