Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
A year ago, we boldly laid out your Ultimate Guide To Streaming The Marvel Streaming Universe (or MCU). As you know, Marvel started making its own films and television shows in 2008. The first film out the gate was Iron Man. Since then, we’ve met the Avengers, met the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., danced on distant planets with Star-Lord, gone back in time with Peggy Carter, and defended Hell’s Kitchen with Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Punisher.
It’s time to update our original list — and address a few seismic hiccups.
Last year something happened behind-the-scenes that threatens to tear the once unified Marvel film and TV universes apart. Disney separated Marvel Studios (the film branch run by Kevin Feige) from Marvel Entertainment (Ike Perlmutter’s NYC-based group that produces television shows). This backroom deal was intended to streamline productions, but it might have separated the two worlds for good. TCase in point: Alfre Woodard is playing a very different character in Netflix’s upcoming Marvel’s Luke Cage from who she is in this weekend’s Captain America: Civil War.
Still, the shows do work in (some sort of) tandem with the films. With that in mind, our streaming guide still weaves the narratives together. We’ve tried to fit in the television shows where we feel they make the most sense in terms of storytelling and tone.
So, here it is. After vast amounts of research and more than a few heated arguments amongst friends, Decider is pleased to present our [updated] official guide to streaming Marvel:
If you’re wondering how this all makes sense, where you can stream everything, or why we put Daredevil season one after Guardians of the Galaxy, but before Marvel’s Agent’s of S.H.I.E.L.D., then you can click through our gallery below for detailed explanations:
It is our humble opinion that you should start your streaming adventure with the very first film that was ever made for the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Iron Man. It's the perfect mix of action, humor, and skepticism. In short, it's the film that helps casual comic book fans become Marvel fanatics. [Where to Stream Iron Man]Everett Collection
It's weird that Ed Norton was the Hulk, right? Isn't that weird? Well, ignore that for a moment and check out this film that sets up the idea that there are other super-powered people in this world.[Where to Stream The Incredible Hulk]Everett Collection
Once Marvel began to realize that people went crazy for their film stingers (aka those scenes attached to the end of the film credits that tease the next film or expand the universe), they figured that they could attach short films to the DVDs and Blu-Ray packages that fleshed out the characters even more. Enter: "The Consultant." It's a scene that helps bridge The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2. Oh! And it introduces an agent named Jasper Sitwill. [Watch "The Consultant"]Marvel
Iron Man 2 is simultaneously a sequel to the first Iron Man and the place where we first start to see the Avengers come together. We get to spend more time with Nick Fury and we're introduced to Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow. [Where to Stream Iron Man 2]Everett Collection
Iron Man 2's stinger shows Agent Coulson in New Mexico next to Thor's legendary hammer. This one-shot tells you how Coulson got there. [Watch "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Thor's Hammer"]Marvel
Thor is the first Marvel film that takes us to other worlds. We're introduced to alien races and the power of the Tesseract. We also get meet the God of Thunder, but more importantly, we meet his emotionally-bruised, power-hungry, and conniving brother, Loki. [Where to Stream Thor ]Everett Collection
When we were initially planning this list, we thought, "Well, maybe Captain America: The First Avenger should come first. After all, it takes place before all the other Avengers' stories." Yes, except this is the film that fully explores what the Tesseract can do. Captain American: The First Avengers is also bookended by modern scenes and ends right where Cap's introduction in The Avengers begins... [Where to Stream Captain America: The First Avenger]Everett Collection
This is it, guys. This is what "Phase One" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was all leading up to. It's also the blockbuster that set the fuse for everything that was to follow... [Where to Stream The Avengers] Everett Collection
"Item 47" takes a look outside the world of SHIELD and the Avengers and examines what happens when ordinary people stumble upon the otherworldly weapons introduced to Earth by the Chitauri in The Avengers. [Watch "Item 47"]Marvel
Iron Man 3 tackles the PTSD-side of being a Marvel superhero. Tony Stark is still reeling from the physical and mental anguish of The Avengers and must deal with the sins of the past. Oh! And a little thing thing called "Extremis" is introduced. [Where to Stream Iron Man 3] Everett Collection
"All Hail The King" follows up on what happened to the Mandarin (and a few other Marvel baddies) after the dust settled on Iron Man 3. [Watch "All Hail The King"]Marvel
If Phase One was all about introducing the Avengers so that they could come together in The Avengers, Phase Two was where the Marvel Universe started to slowly introduce the concept of "Infinity Stones." We see Thor and his cohorts contain the Aether and then drop it off with The Collector at the end of the film. [Where to Stream Thor: The Dark World]Everett Collection
Hey? Remember The Collector? Did you want more information on whatever Infinity Stones are? Then it's time to watch Marvel's most audacious (and, arguably, it's most beloved) film, Guardians of the Galaxy. Not only do we get more intel on those pesky Infinity Stones, but here's where we finally get some actual dirt on the big bad that we meet at the end of The Avengers: Thanos. [Where to Stream Guardians of the Galaxy]Everett Collection
Here's where we're mixing things up a bit: Welcome to the Netflix/Hulu Marvel "Cul de Sac!" You can skip these shows if you just want the scoop about everything leading up to Infinity War. If you are a total completist, though, here's where we'd squeeze in Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and all their friends. All we know for sure about where Marvel's Netflix Universe fits is that it exists after the first Avengers -- we're now suggesting binging these darker stories after you've made it through ABC's much more upbeat adventure serials. [Watch Daredevil]Netflix
You could argue that Captain America: The Winter Soldier offers one of the biggest and most important twists in the Marvel universe. Everything changes, and so you can firmly define the Marvel universe by what happens before, and what happens after... [Where to Stream Captain America: The Winter Soldier]Everett Collection
The last six episodes of season one of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. deal directly with the aftermath of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. [Watch Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Episodes 17-22] ABC/Marvel
We debated where it would be best to put Marvel's Agent Carter on this timeline. Much like Captain America: The First Avenger, it takes place in the past, but its Easter Eggs don't make sense unless you've already watched everything else. Furthermore, it hints at the foundation of HYDRA, Black Widow's origins, and other important plot points that don't rear their head in any other media until 2014 or 2015. [Watch Marvel's Agent Carter]ABC/Marvel
We're putting the 2013 One Shot that inspired Marvel's Agent Carter after the television series because, well, from what we can tell, it takes place afterwards. [Watch "Agent Carter"]Marvel
Complete the Peggy Carter saga with the latest season of her electric ABC series. Rumor has it that Hayley Atwell's got another show in development on the network so this may be the last we'll see of this awesome series. [Watch Marvel's Agent Carter]ABC
Finally, get caught up to speed with the remaining members of S.H.I.E.L.D. and prep yourself on the history of the Inhumans and that pesky Terrigen Mist before seeing The Avengers: Age of Ultron.[Where to Stream Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2]ABC/Marvel
The last major Avengers film saw the team rumble with Ultron and each other. Tensions between Cap and Iron Man are rising -- and team lines are being drawn. Reminisce about the good old days when all your favorite heroes got along. [Where to Stream The Avengers: Age of Ultron]Everett Collection
They're back! By season 3, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had finally found its own groove -- and its own superhero. Forget about the Avengers, this series is all about the Inhumans. (With that in mind, you may want to binge through it all in one go.) [Where to Stream Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3]ABC
This Peabody Award-winning series revolted against the superhero genre by presenting a world where characters traditionally victimized by the system rise up against their abusers. It's also the place where Daredevil's little Hell's Kitchen-centered Marvel universe starts to expand to include more heroes, more villains, and more juicy drama. [Watch Marvel's Jessica Jones]Netflix
Daredevil's first two seasons work well as a back-to-back binge. (You know, because they're back-to-back seasons of the same show.) [Watch Daredevil]Netflix
There are a lot of places you could stick this joyous and irreverent look at being a superhero, but we feel that Ant-Man makes a perfect prelude for Captain America: Civil War. Not only does this film end with a stinger that sets up the latest major motion picture, but Ant-Man also has a breezy attitude that serves as a breather between the seriousness of all those Netflix shows you just binged and Civil War. [Where to Stream Ant-Man]Everett Collection
Starz is the only premium streaming service that regularly has Marvel films in its streaming library. At the time of publication, you can watch the following Marvel movies on the Starz app (or with the Amazon Prime Starz add-on):
[Watch Ant-Man on Starz]
[Watch Avengers: Age of Ultron on Starz]
[Watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier on Starz]
[Watch Guardians of the Galaxy on Starz]
