Complete Marvel MCU Timeline Guide: Films & TV Shows

Understanding the Marvel timeline is essential for fans who want to grasp the full scope of the MCU's expansive narrative. This timeline offers a comprehensive overview of every MCU film and TV show, presented in the order they chronologically occur. With over 40 individual projects to consider, piecing together the MCU's timeline is a complex task, especially given that these projects weren't released in the order of their in-universe events. Moreover, the MCU's storyline is set a few years ahead of real-time. The release of "Loki" season 2, a part of Marvel Phase 5, makes it even more pertinent for fans to stay updated with the Multiverse Saga's major happenings.

We're here to simplify this for you. Below, you'll find a detailed guide to the Marvel timeline, where each project is organized in the sequence they take place within the universe. This includes those projects whose canonical status is ambiguous, such as "Agents of Shield," along with non-MCU Spider-Man films and the alternate realities explored in "What If…?"

Marvel Chronology: 1931-1995

• Agents of Shield season 7 (1931-2019)*
• Captain America: The First Avenger (1943-45)
• One Shot: Agent Carter (1944)
• Agent Carter Season 1 (1946)
• Agent Carter season 2 (1947)
• Captain Marvel (1995)

At the outset, the Marvel timeline seems straightforward. Notably, the journey of Steve Rogers in "Captain America: The First Avenger" mostly unfolds between 1943 and 1945, during World War II, despite a scene set in 2011. For ease of understanding, we've categorized it in this earlier period (a common trend you'll notice).

Following this, the "Agent Carter One Shot" takes place in 1944, laying the groundwork for the formation of S.H.I.E.L.D. The subsequent seasons of "Agent Carter" unfold in the aftermath of this event. Fast forward about half a century, and we're introduced to "Captain Marvel" in 1995, where she dramatically enters a Blockbuster and encounters Nick Fury. After this, there's a significant chronological leap before the emergence of a well-known Iron Man.

Intriguingly, in "Agents of Shield" season 7, the team embarks on a journey starting in 1931 and traverses through to 2019, with several stops in different decades. It remains unconfirmed whether this forms a part of the core Marvel timeline or represents an alternate timeline from the multiverse. The series opted to sever most connections with the broader MCU, focusing instead on a more direct narrative path. As it stands, it functions more like a parallel multiverse narrative alongside the primary Marvel timeline.

Marvel Chronology: 2010-2012

• Iron Man (2010)
• Iron Man 2 (2011)
• The Incredible Hulk (2011)
• One Shot: The Consultant (2011)
• One Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer (2011)
• Thor (2011)
• Avengers (2012)
• One Shot: Item 47 (2012)
• Iron Man 3 (2012)

In this phase of the Marvel timeline, the pace picks up. Contrary to previous beliefs, "Iron Man" is set in 2010, as revealed in the "10 Years of Marvel Studios" publication. The following year is bustling with activity, featuring "Iron Man 2," "The Incredible Hulk," and "Thor" - all occurring within the same eventful week. During this period, two One Shots emerge, bridging the gap between "The Incredible Hulk" and "Thor's" advent on Earth. These shorts were particularly popular in the early 2010s and served as an extra lure for DVD purchases. The climactic Battle of New York in "Avengers" happens in 2012, followed by "Iron Man 3" in the latter part of the same year, marking a Phase 2 film that occurred in 2012.

Marvel Timeline: 2013-2015

• One Shot: All Hail the King (2013)
• Agents of Shield season 1, episodes 1-7 (2013)
• Thor: The Dark World (2013)
• Agents of Shield season 1, episodes 8-16 (2014)
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
• Agents of Shield season 1, episodes 17-22 (2014)
• Daredevil season 1 (2014)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
• Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2014)
• Agents of Shield season 2, episodes 1-19 (2015)
• Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
• Agents of Shield season 2, episodes 20-22 (2015)
• Ant-Man (2015)
• Jessica Jones season 1 (2015)
• Daredevil season 2 (2015)
• Luke Cage season 1 (2015)
• Agents of Shield season 3 episodes 1-10 (2015)

As the timeline progresses, "All Hail the King" One Shot follows after "Iron Man 3," firmly placing it in 2013. "Thor: The Dark World" occurs concurrently with events following the eighth episode of "Agents of Shield" season 1. A similar pattern is observed with "The Winter Soldier," where Marvel TV sought to interlace their series with the films, a strategy they later abandoned. Post-Hydra revelations in "Winter Soldier" set the stage for the remainder of "Agents of Shield" season 1.