The Marvel Cinematic Universe is without a doubt one of the greatest superhero universes ever conceived, with a plethora of jaw-dropping films and a wonderfully solid storyline that follows up in each phase of the MCU. With an ever-growing audience, many new fans are perplexed as to what sequence they should see the massive pile of Marvel movies in order to understand what happened before the ultimate clash in Avengers: Endgame. So, welcome to the world of Marvel, and sit back, relax, and read on as I assist you figure out the ideal order to watch Pre-Endgame Marvel movies and TV episodes.
1. Captain America: The First Avenger
Director: Joe Johnston
Release Date: July 19, 2011
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 6.9 / 80%
Captain America may not be the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it is the film that sets the tone for everything else, you know, Marvel. This film takes place during World War II, when Steve Rogers was given the super soldier serum that transformed him into our beloved Captain America. This film also introduced us to the Tesseract, eventually identified as one of the Infinity Stones.
This is also the film in which we first meet HYDRA, a Nazi scientific organization that subsequently became independent and played a major antagonist role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
2. Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Nia DaCosta
Release Date: March 8, 2019
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 6.8/ 79%
“But this movie came out in 2019?” you may be wondering. It did, indeed. But hear me out: the release date is meaningless in this context because the film is set in 1995, predating any other Avenger film or even the Avengers project. This film is excellent for providing context and sheds light on numerous crucial MCU flashbacks, including the well-known account of how Nick Fury lost his eye.
3. Iron Man
Director: Jon Favreau
Release Date: May 2, 2008
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.9/94%
If you’re wondering where the MCU began, look no farther than 2008’s Iron Man. Despite the fact that Iron Man was released in 2008, the story revolved around Tony Stark, a great scientist, businessman, philanthropist, and playboy. Tony Stark was a wealthy weaponry manufacturer who was kidnapped by terrorists. While imprisoned, he witnessed his weapons being used to kill innocent people and had a flash of insight.
While imprisoned, he constructed a mechanical armor in order to escape and eventually improved it to become a fully functional Iron Man armor. This film is significant not just in the framework of the MCU, but it also introduces one of the most beloved characters in the MCU, who is also one of the most strong Avengers.
4. Iron Man 2
Director: Jon Favreau
Release Date: May 7, 2010
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.9/ 71 %
Iron Man 2 picks up where the original film left off, with Tony Stark facing the consequences of revealing his heroic persona. Following his revelation, the US government actively persuades him to hand over the Ironman suit, which they consider a weapon, but Stark refuses. A new enemy is also seen attempting to reproduce the Iron Man armor in order to profit from it. This pre-endgame Marvel film also introduced us to two of the Avengers’ most important members: Natasha Romanoff and War Machine (Rhodey).
Read Also: The Marvel Movies and TV Shows Coming out in 2023
5. The Incredible Hulk
Director: Louis Leterrier
Release Date: June 13, 2008
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 6.6/ 67%
Even though the events of The Incredible Hulk take place at the same time as those of Iron Man, Kevin Feige recommends watching the latter before The Incredible Hulk.
Anyway, the Hulk was originally played by Edward Norton, but he was eventually replaced by Mark Ruffalo. In The Incredible Hulk, we see Bruce Banner attempting to cure himself and remove himself of his alter ego, the Hulk.
6. Thor (2011)
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Release Date: May 2, 2011
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7 / 77%
Thor, Odin’s son and the God of Thunder, is the first supernatural character to appear in the MCU in this film. Thor has been banished to Earth by his father and must show his worthiness in order to reclaim his hammer and restore his powers. He is helped by Jane Foster, an earth-dwelling scientist who subsequently becomes his love interest. This film also introduces us to Loki and S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson.
7. The Avengers (2012)
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Joss Whedon
Release Date: May 4, 2012
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8/ 91%
The Avengers, which marked the end of MCU Phase One, featured a group of Earth’s mightiest heroes who had to work together to preserve the planet from Loki’s onslaught. In this Marvel film, we see the difficulties that these heroes face when attempting to function as a team. In this film, we witness Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye work together to save the Earth.
8. Iron Man 3
Director: Shane Black
Release Date: May 3, 2013
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.1/ 79 %
Iron Man 3 was the final standalone Iron Man film, taking place six months after the events of The Avengers, in which Tony Stark nearly perished. We watch him suffering from real shell shock when a new threat arrives at his door in the form of an international terrorist known as Mandarin. This film also introduces us to the Extremis Virus, which will play a significant role in forthcoming Marvel films and TV shows.
9. Agents of SHIELD Season 1
Director: Joss Whedon
Release Date: September 24, 2013
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.5/ 88%
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a web series that focuses on how S.H.I.E.L.D. functions and works, as well as providing insight into everything that occurred in S.H.I.E.L.D. after the events of Avengers. If you appreciate the character of Agent Phil Coulson, you will enjoy this series because it is centered on him and his team.
10. Thor: The Dark World
Director: Alan Taylor
Release Date: November 8, 2013
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 6.8 / 66%
Chris Hemsworth reprises his role as the Mighty Thor in his second standalone feature. Thor returns to Asgard in the film, but before he can settle back into his former life, another ancient menace known as the Dark Elves resurfaces. They returned to claim the Aether, a lethal weapon of mass destruction later revealed to be an infinite stone.
This Marvel film before Endgame also delves on Thor’s romantic life, as he attempts to rekindle his troubled relationship with Jane Foster as she becomes engaged in the war between Thor and the Dark Elves.
11. Captain America: Winter Soldier
Director: Anthony Russo
Release Date: April 4, 2014
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.8/ 90%
Captain America, the heroic soldier we all adore, is depicted in a quandary in this Captain America faction. We see the Captain questioning the motives of S.H.I.E.L.D., and his doubts become a reality as it is revealed that Captain America’s old foe, HYDRA, has been infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. The organization has now emerged from the shadows and begun fighting S.H.I.E.L.D. from within, eventually leading to its demise.
We also witness Captain America’s history return to haunt him with the appearance of the Winter Soldier, who turns out to be Bucky Barnes, Captain’s best friend whom he thought was dead a long time ago. By brainwashing him, HYDRA was able to recover him and transform him into an assassin. This film also introduces us to the Falcon, who is seen fighting alongside Captain America to stop HYDRA from infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D.
12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.1 (2014)
Director: James Gunn
Release Date: August 1, 2014
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8/ 92%
Guardians of the Galaxy features Peter Quill, a rogue Scavenger who discovers an Infinity Stone by accident on an undiscovered world. Peter is tasked with protecting the cosmos from the catastrophic powers of the Infinity Stone, and he gathers a team to assist him in this endeavor. Gamora, an assassin, Rocket, a talking, trigger-happy raccoon, Drax, a vengeful creature, and Groot, a talking, tremendously powerful tree-like entity, make up his crew. The Guardians of the Galaxy were a ragtag group of misfits. They are up against Ronan the Accuser, who intends to use the Infinity Stone to bring destruction to the entire universe.
13. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2
Director: James Gunn
Release Date: May 5, 2017
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.6 /85%
This episode of Guardians of the Galaxy takes place after Peter and his team have defeated Ronan. In this film, we witness Peter growing passionately entangled with Gamora, and while he was preoccupied exploring his emotions, his father, Ego, contacted him. His father is a sentient who explained to Peter how he was able to carry the infinity stone for so long without dying.
The second film is about Peter learning his true identity and what he stands for. This film is also crucial in connecting the Guardians of the Galaxy to the larger MCU.
14. Avengers: Age of Ultron
Director: Joss Whedon
Release Date: May 1, 2015
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 6.2/ 76%
In this Avengers: Age of Ultron episode, our heroes are seen defending themselves against an evil manufactured by Tony Stark. Ultron, an artificial intelligence computer, has gone rogue and is hell-bent on annihilating humanity.
The fight is furious, and the stakes are as high as they can get. This film also introduces viewers to several new Avengers, including Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Vision.
15. Ant-Man
Director: Peyton Reed
Release Date: June 29, 2015
IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.3 / 83%
Ant-Man, one of the MCU’s most popular superheroes, made his standalone film debut. Hank Pym, the developer of the Pym Particle, a substance that could convert things into small sizes, hired Scott Lang, a thief. He used his method to create a suit of armor capable of shrinking a human to the size of an ant. Meanwhile, Hank’s old protégé, Darren Cross, wishes to weaponize this technology and profit from it.
Hank intends to derail Darren’s attempts to reproduce the Pym Particle and use it for personal advantage with the help of Scott and his daughter.
