The Marvel Cinematic Universe, otherwise known as The MCU, has been around since 2008, when its first film, Iron Man, started Phase One and the start of the universe. In Phase One, we have movies that consist of Iron Man, like previously stated, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Iron Man 2, and finally, Avengers. In Phase One, the origin stories of most of the six members we see in Avengers are Steve Rogers or Captain America, Tony Stark or Iron Man, Bruce Banner or Hulk, and Thor Odinson, the God of Thunder.
While not the next movie in the timeline, Iron Man is the next movie in Phase One. We get introduced to Howard Stark’s son, Anthony Edward Stark, or Tony Stark—a genius inventor like his father and just as egotistical. When kidnapped by a terrorist group after getting hit by one of Tony’s inventions, he works with Yinsen to build a suit and escape. However, only Tony would escape. Tony Stark would announce after being gone for three months that he was going to stop making weapons and then spend his time focusing on the arc reactor that had been installed in his chest to save his life from the shrapnel inside him. He would create an Iron Man suit and defeat one that he thought of as a friend, Obadiah Stane or Iron Monger, with the help of James Rhodes or Rhodey, Virginia Potts or Pepper, and S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony later revealed that he was Iron Man and later, in Iron Man 2, defeated Ivan Vanko or Whiplash.
The Incredible Hulk also came out in 2008 and happened at the same time as Iron Man. In it, we follow Bruce Banner, a scientific genius who gets into an accident with radiation and gets the power to turn into a green, raging monster known as the Hulk. Emil Blonsky, who would later become Abomination, is the main antagonist who is defeated by the Hulk.
Thor came out in 2011 and happens right after or simultaneously as Hulk. Follows an arrogant-headed God named Thor Odinson, who is eager to become King of his homeland, Asgard; however, after hosting an attack planned and done behind the back of his father, Odin, he is banished to Earth without power. He meets Jane Foster and her family, who take him in and try to teach him the ways of Earth. After discovering he was a frost giant, Thor’s brother, Loki, takes Asgard and later tries to take over Earth using a machine called The Destroyer. Thor gains his power back after being defeated by The Destroyer and defeats Loki, who ends up dying.
The next movie would be Avengers, released in 2012. In it, Loki, who turns out to have survived, gains control over an alien army and plans to take over Earth. Nick Fury activates his Avengers Initiative and gathers the World’s Greatest Defenders: Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, and Thor Odinson. These are a group of those who fight more than they get along. However, despite their differences, they band together to defeat Loki and be ready for the next threat.
In Phase 2, we have the movies Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Ant-Man from 2013 to 2015.
Guardians of the Galaxy, released in 2014, follows Peter Quill as he meets a group of criminals and has to defend the Galaxy from a guy named Roman who wants to use the power stone to destroy Xandar and then take over the universe. Later in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, which happens next in the timeline but not in this phase, they defeat Peter’s Dad, Ego. The next movie is Avengers Age of Ultron, released in 2015, where the Avengers band together to defeat a robot who wants to destroy humanity with the help of two new Avengers, Wanda Maximov and Vision. Next in the phase and timeline is Ant-Man, also released in 2015, following an ex-criminal named Scott Lang, who is recruited by Hank Pym and his daughter Hope Van Dyne to defeat Darren Cross, who becomes Yellow Jacket. Then, in Ant-Man and the Wasp, we’re introduced to Janet, who has to defeat Ghost while Scott is on house arrest, in Ant-Man and the Wasp, Quantumania shrinks down with Scott’s daughter Cassey to defeat Krang.
Captain America: Civil War, released in 2016, divides the Avengers over the accords and Bucky Barnes. However, Black Panther, released in 2018, happens right after the Civil War, following T’Challa having to fight his cousin to stop him from sending weapons out from Wakanda and revealing them to the World, but does reveal Wakanda at the end. Spider-Man Homecoming, released in 2017, follows a young Peter Parker who struggles to get the approval of his mentor/idol, Tony Stark, who has to defeat his prom date’s dad, Adrian Tomes, known as Vulture. Doctor Strange, also released in 2016, follows a neurosurgeon who gets into an accident, seeks out magic to fix his hands, defeats Dormammu, and becomes Sorcerer Supreme and the keeper of the Time Stone. Thor: Ragnarok follows Thor and Loki, who find out that they have a sister who sets out to rule over Asgard. They defeat her with the help of Valkyrie and Bruce Banner, but Asgard is destroyed in the process, and they run into a ship.
Avengers: Infinity War follows immediately after Thor: Ragnarok released in 2018. The Avengers and others, the G, guardians of the Galaxy, have to band together to defeat Thanos, who wishes to wipe out half the universe. It is the first movie where the Avengers and Co. lose. Avengers: Endgame is five years after Avengers: Infinity War but released in 2019 where Tony Stark creates time travel to get back Peter Parker and half the universe and they get back those who were wiped out. Still, they do have to defeat Thanos from the past. They succeed at the cost of Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark.
Spider-Man Far from Home, released in 2019, happens after Peter Parker, missing Tony Stark, goes on a field trip and gets manipulated by Quinton Beck or Mysterio, who is using illusions to trick everyone who reveals Peter’s identity to the World and pins what happened at London on him. Captain Marvel, while in phase 3, occurs right after Captain America: The First Avenger. Carol Danvers gets into a plane accident involving the Tesseract, is taken to space, and hunts down the Kree back to Earth, where she regains her memories and discovers the people she was with were evil.
Loki, released in 2021, follows Loki from Avengers, who uses the Tesseract that had dropped to escape and gets caught by The T.V.A. or Time Variance Authority, who is hunting another variant of Loki. Loki learns there is more to it than it seems and finds The One Who Remains, which Slyvie kills and creates the multiverse. WandaVision, released in 2021, deals with Wanda, who is mourning the death of Vision, so she makes a sitcom show, creating a family that eventually she has to stop and set the town free to stop a witch, Agatha.
Shang-Chi, released in 2021, follows Shang-Chi, who has to confront his past to defeat the Ten Rings. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, also released in 2021, follows Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, who have to put aside their differences to stop an organization that wants things the way they were during the blip. Eternals, also released in 2021, follows a race of immortal beings with powers who unite to battle evil deviants.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is after Far From Home, released in 2021, where Peter goes to Dr. Strange to reverse what Mysterio did and instead opens the multiverse and has to stop their universe from being destroyed. Hawkeye, also released in 2021, follows Clint Barton dealing with the death of Natasha and has to stop Kingpin while training the next Hawkeye and make it home in time for Christmas.
Moon Knight, released in 2022, follows Steven Grant and Marc Spector, who investigate the Egyptian Gods as they share the same body. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, released in 2022, follows Shuri, who mourns the death of T’Challa, having to defeat Namur and protect Wakanda. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, released in 2022, follows Bruce Banner’s cousin, Jennifer Walters, who is a lawyer and recently turned into Hulk. Ms. Marvel, released in 2022, follows Kamala Khan, who looks up to Captain Marvel and gains superpowers. Thor: Love and Thunder, released in 2022, follows Thor as he finds himself again and finds out Jane can wield a broken Mjolnir but is also dying while dealing with a God Killer.
Phase 5 lasts from 2023 to the present. Movies included so far in this phase are Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, The Marvels, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The T.V. series included Secret Invasion and season two of Loki.
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, released in 2023, follows Peter Quill, who mourns the death of Gamora and the disappearance of Gamora from the past. However, the Guardians must come together to face someone from Rocket’s past. Secret Invasion, released in 2023, follows Nick Fury as he has to stop the Skrulls from taking over while figuring out if those around him are Skrulls. The Marvels, released in 2023, follows Carol Danvers’s struggle to deal with an unstable universe and figure out why her powers are connected to Kamala Khan and Maria Rambeau. Loki season 2 was released in 2023 following what happened after Sylvie killed The One Who Remains. Loki has to work with Mobius and other members of the T.V.A. to find Sylvie and save every universe.
