‘Infinity War’: The Best Order To Stream The Marvel Movies (And TV Shows)

By Meghan O'Keefe @megsokay

Published April 19, 2018, 8:00 a.m. ET

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*Iron Man* (2008)
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

*The Incredible Hulk* (2008)
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

**"One Shot: The Consultant" (2011)**
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* (2010)
*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

**"One Shot: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Thor's Hammer" (2011)**
*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* (2011)
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

*Captain America: The First Avenger* (2011)
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

*The Avengers* (2012)
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

**"One Shot: Item 47" (2012)**
"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* (2013)
*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

**"One Shot: All Hail The King" (2013)**
"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

*Thor: The Dark World* (2013)
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

*Guardians of the Galaxy* (2014)
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

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. — Photo: ABC/Marvel

cap2 — *Captain America: The Winter Soldier* (2014)
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

*Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* Episodes 17-22 (2014)
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

*Marvel's Agent Carter* (2015)
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

**"One Shot: Agent Carter" (2013)**
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

*Marvel's Agent Carter* Season 2 (2016)
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

*Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* Season 2 (2014 - 2015)
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 Avengers: Age of Ultron* (2015)
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

*Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* Season 2 (2014 - 2015)
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

*Marvel's Inhumans* (2017)
Hahahaha, you don't really have to watch this stinker of a show. (But if you are a purist, *here* is where we would slot it. Right after the revelation of the Terrigen Mist.) [Where to Stream *Marvel's Inhumans*] Photo: ABC

*Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* Seasons 4-5 (2016-Now)
The last two seasons of *Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* have largely shied away from big MCU crossover events, which means you can freely binge them in a block. That also ironically means that this is about when the show gets kind of good. As in, it finds its own legs, pays off on long-standing promises, and even engages in some slick time travel. [Where to Stream *Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.*]Photo: ABC

*Marvel's Daredevil* (2015)
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

*Marvel's Daredevil* Season 2 (2016)
*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

*Marvel's The Punisher* Season 1(2017)
While this breath-taking dive into pain and trauma hit Netflix *after* *Marvel's The Defenders*, we think the best place to put it is right after the second season of *Daredevil*. You'll likely want to know what's going to happen to the broken Frank Castle next, and this show not only answers that, but then gets out of the way for the larger "Defenders" narrative. [Where to Stream *Marvel's The Punisher*] Photo: Netflix

*Marvel's Jessica Jones* Season 1 (2015)
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

*Marvel's Luke Cage* Season 1 (2016)
Mike Colter's Luke Cage ran away with the first season of *Marvel's Jessica Jones*. Now get the lowdown on his backstory and simmer in the sumptuous drama of Marvel's Hell's Kitchen. [Where to Stream *Marvel's Luke Cage*]Photo: Netflix

*Marvel's Iron Fist* Season 1(2016)
Though you might be loathe to wade into Danny Rand's controversial soap opera of a backstory, it is essential viewing for understanding what's coming next. Without slogging through this ultra-campy series, you're likely to be lost when it comes to understanding the threat that unites Netflix's disparate heroes. [Where to Stream *Marvel's Iron Fist*]Photo: Netflix

*Marvel's The Defenders* (2017)
It's (almost) all leading up to this. Your detour into "Decider's Marvel TV Cul De Sac" is mostly all about setting up *Marvel's The Defenders*. This crossover event finally gets Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist in the same room -- and on the same side -- as they face down their biggest threat yet. [Where to Stream *Marvel's The Defenders*]Photo: Netflix

*Marvel's Jessica Jones* Season 2 (2018)
Pick up the pieces of *Marvel's The Defenders* with the second season of *Marvel's Jessica Jones*. It's the first Netflix/Marvel series to take place after the fallout of the big battle against Elektra and it finds Jessica coping with the specters of her past. [Where to Stream *Marvel's Jessica Jones*]Photo: Netflix

*Marvel's Runaways* (2017)
Hulu's one intoxicating entry into the MCU doesn't necessarily fit in with the rest of the expansive Marvel universe. We think it slides nicely into the narrative post *Defenders* and acts as a great palate cleanser. It will get rid of the angst of the Netflix universe and set you up for your final run towards Infinity War. [Where to Stream *Marvel's Runaways*]Photo: Hulu/Greg Lewis

*Ant-Man* (2015)
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

*Captain America: Civil War* (2016)Arguably the most momentous Marvel film to date, this ambitious drama pits Earth's Mightiest Heroes against...each other. The ensuing fray also introduces us to some key players for Marvel's Infinity War: Black Panther and Spider-Man. [Where to Stream *Captain America: Civil War*]Everett Collection

*Spider-man: Homecoming* (2017)
Theories abound about where *exactly* *Spider-man: Homecoming* fits in the MCU timeline, but in terms of sheer narrative flow, we would recommend watching it immediately after *Captain America: Civil War*. That way, Peter's little video diary of his Avengers audition makes all the more sense. [Where to Stream *Spider-man: Homecoming*]Photo: Everett Collection

*Black Panther* (2018)
*Black Panther* might be the most recent Marvel mega-hit, but we would argue that, like Spidey's first solo MCU flick, it is a spiritual sequel to *Captain America: Civil War*. Plus, it wraps up all the loose ends of that chapter for the earthbound Avengers ahead of Infinity War... [*Black Panther* is currently still in theaters.]Photo: Everett Collection

*Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2* (2017)
Remember these guys? The Guardians of the Galaxy have been off in outer space literally doing their own thing, but now's the moment to catch up with Peter Quill, Gamora, Rocket, Groot, Drax, and the gang. [Where to Stream *Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2*]Photo: Everett Collection

*Doctor Strange* (2016)
The one last big key to the Infinity War puzzle might be the role of the mystical arts. *Doctor Strange* bends time to catch us up on how magic -- and the Time Stone -- fit into the battle ahead. Plus, one of this film's stingers moves directly into the last flick you have to watch pre-Infinity War... [Where to Stream *Doctor Strange*]Photo: Everett Collection

*Thor: Ragnarok* (2017)
Sure it's a bracingly fun adventure that zips through the universe with a punk rock sense of humor, but *Thor: Ragnarok* manages to set up the final showdown between Thanos and the Avengers. The film's wit belies its doomsday storyline and the movie's final scene leads us to our heroes' first brush with the dreaded Thanos....[Where to Stream *Thor: Ragnarok*]Photo: Everett Collection

Where to Stream:

Iron Man

Marvel

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Just ten years ago, Marvel Studios released its very first film: Iron Man. At the time, the movie was something of a curiosity: a comic book company was partnering with a once-disgraced star (Robert Downey, Jr.) and a popular indie film director (Jon Favreau) to bring one of their “lesser-known” heroes to life. But what started out as an experiment soon evolved into one of the most influential entertainment empires ever.

In just one decade, Marvel Studios and Marvel Television have produced almost 20 hit movies and almost a dozen shows for ABC, Netflix, and Hulu. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU as its known, is literally epic in scope. Watching the overarching story in any sort of rational order is nigh on impossible…but we at Decider believe it can be done.

When Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters next Friday it will mark the culmination of ten years of storytelling. To help you prepare, we’ve updated our ultimate guide to stream the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Now, there are many ways you could approach this monster task. You could be a stickler and watch everything in the order it was released. The problem there is that the shows and films refract in on one another. Movies are released out of the order in which their events take place, and some shows are deeply invested and built around what’s unfolding on the big screen (while others are completely stand alone).

We could have also lined everything up according to what fans now believe is the appropriate chronology. However, this would be, in our estimation, absolutely maddening, and potentially confusing.

So we decided that the best way to tackle the MCU would be in a way that delivered the most fulfilling story. We start with Iron Man because it’s a down-to-earth introduction to this wider universe of literal gods and monsters. We weave in the old school “One Shots” according to where the digital shorts fit chronologically. We considered which film’s final bonus scenes, aka “stingers,” led best into which other movie. We gave Netflix (and Hulu) their own mini-neighborhood that you can detour into at your own discretion. We paved the most rational, deliriously dramatic, and emotionally satisfying road to Infinity War that we could.

[Click here to download the PDF]

If you’re wondering how this all makes sense, where you can stream everything, and why we mixed up the order of every flick that’s come out since Captain America: Civil War, you can check out the gallery above.

(P.S.: We only considered films and shows produced by Marvel Studios and/or Marvel Entertainment. That means that Fox’s X-Men universe and Sony’s old Spidey flicks don’t count.)

Where to Stream Iron Man