The greatest movie universe of all time!
If you would prefer a vastly more detailed version of this timeline – going right down to what happens on what day – I suggest you look at this site. It’s a brilliant work.
If you would prefer a sillier version of this timeline that includes all the other characters and stories implied to exist in this universe by the various other parts of it, go here instead.
If you just want to know which characters turn up where, check The Marvel Cinematic Universe Character Guide.
1942-1945
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- The film on Blu-ray. Takes place primarily during World War Two.
- Captain America: First Vengeance
- comic set before and in parallel to the movie, but best read after.
1946
Marvel One Shot – Agent Carter- short feature appearing on the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray. Due to contradictions between this story and the television series, it is possible that it is no longer canonical.
- Marvel’s Agent Carter: Season 1
- Date specified in show.
1947
- Marvel’s Agent Carter: Season 2
- Date specified in show.
2010
- Iron Man
- The film on Blu-ray.
- Iron Man: I Am Iron Man!
- Tie-in comic retelling Iron Man with additional scenes.
- Iron Man 2: Public Identity
- Tie-in comic occurring between the two Iron Man films.
2011
Iron Man 2- The film on Blu-ray.
- The Incredible Hulk
- The film on Blu-ray. According to the Director’s Commentary on Iron Man 2, Tony Stark’s appearance in this film is his third appearance, chronologically.
- Marvel One-shot – The Consultant
- short feature appearing on the Thor Blu-ray.
- Marvel One-Shot – A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Thor’s Hammer
- short feature appearing on the Captain America: The First Avenger Blu-ray.
- Thor
- The film on Blu-ray. Dialogue in the film clearly places it after both Iron Man 2 and The Incredible Hulk.
- Marvel’s The Avengers Prelude: Fury’s Big Week
- Comic. Lines up the three previous films a little better and ties off some loose ends from them.
- Marvel’s the Avengers: Black Widow Strikes
- Comic. Takes place between Fury’s Big Week and The Avengers.
2012
- Marvel’s The Avengers
- The film on Blu-ray.
Marvel One-Shot – Item #47- short feature appearing on the Marvel’s The Avengers Blu-ray.
- Marvel’s Iron Man 3: The Movie Prelude
- Comic. Overlaps The Avengers and sets up Iron Man 3.
- Iron Man 3
- The film on Blu-ray.
- Marvel One-Shot: All Hail The King
- short feature appearing on the Thor: The Dark World Blu-ray.
2013
- Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World Prelude
- Comic. Overlaps Thor and The Avengers and sets up Thor: The Dark World.
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Season One, Episodes 1-7
- Television series on Blu-ray.
- Thor: The Dark World
- The film on Blu-ray.
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Season One, Episodes 8-16
- Television series on Blu-ray.
- Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier Prelude
- Comic.
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- The film on Blu-ray.
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Season One, Episodes 17-22
- Television series on Blu-ray.
2014
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude- Comic.
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- The film on Blu-ray.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- The film on Blu-ray.
Takes place 2 months after the first Guardians film. - Daredevil: Season 1
- The series on Blu-ray.
Specified to be 2 years after the events of The Avengers. - Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Season Two, Episodes 1-10
- The series on Blu-ray.
2015
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Season Two, Episodes 11-19
- The series on Blu-ray.
- Avengers: Age of Ultron Prelude
- comic.
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- The film on Blu-ray.
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Season Two, Episodes 20-22
- The series on Blu-ray.
- Ant-Man Prelude
- comic.
- Ant-Man
- The film on Blu-ray.
- Jessica Jones: Season 1
- The series on Blu-ray.
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season Three, Episodes 1-10
- The series on Blu-ray.
- Daredevil, season two
- The series on Blu-ray. Takes place around Christmas 2015.
2016
- Luke Cage, season one
- The series on Blu-ray.
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season Three, Episodes 11-19
- The series on Blu-ray.
- Captain America: Civil War Prelude
- comic.
Captain America: Civil War- The film on Blu-ray.
- Spider-Man: Homecoming – Prelude
- Comic retelling the events of Civil War from Spider-Man’s perspective.
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season Three, Episodes 20-22
- The series on Blu-ray.
- Black Panther
- The film on Blu-ray. Takes place shortly after Civil War.
- Iron Fist, season one
- The series on Blu-ray.
- The Defenders, season one
- not yet available
- Spider-Man: Homecoming
- The film on Blu-ray. Takes place about 3 months after Civil War.
- The Punisher, season one
- The series on Blu-ray.
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season Four, Episodes 1-8
- The series on Blu-ray.
2017
- Doctor Strange Prelude
- comic.
- Doctor Strange
- The film on Blu-ray.
- Inhumans
- The series in digital format.
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season Four, Episodes 9-22
- The series on Blu-ray.
- Jessica Jones, season two
- not yet available
- Luke Cage, season two
- not yet available
- Agents of SHIELD Season 5, episodes 1-13
- The series on DVD.
- Runaways
- The series in digital format.
- Thor: Ragnarok
- The film on Blu-ray.
2018
- Cloak and Dagger
- The series in digital format.
- Agents of SHIELD Season 5, episodes 14-22
- The series on DVD.
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- The film on Blu-ray.
- Avengers: Infinity War
- The film on Blu-ray.
Please reply to this when something has been added after Doctor Strange. Would love an up to date timeline! Thanks!
Hi Dylan. I’ve been waiting for the latest season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to end, but now that it has, the timeline has been updated to include everything currently on sale or available for pre-order at Amazon.