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The Marvels: How (and where) to watch Captain Marvel's MCU adventures in release and chronological order

Want to get started on watching the MCU’s Captain Marvel? Here’s how to do it!

The Marvels
Image credit: Marvel Studios
Joshua Lapin-Bertone avatar
How to by Joshua Lapin-Bertone Contributing writer
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The Marvels is finally in theaters — buy tickets on Fandango or Atom Tickets, if you haven’t already seen it — giving Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers the chance to demonstrate why she’s the MCU’s mightiest hero in a way that she’s never managed before… which means it’s the ideal time to revisit her intergalactic journey to date.

The world was introduced to Carol in the 2019 film Captain Marvel, and since then she’s taken the Marvel Universe by storm. If you want to watch all of Captain Marvel’s appearances in the MCU, Popverse has you covered! Let’s break it down…

How to watch Captain Marvel in release order

Captain Marvel still
Image credit: Marvel Studios

If you want to watch all of Captain Marvel’s MCU appearances in release order, here is how you would do it. Please note, this list only covers Captain Marvel’s story in the MCU. For a full Marvel Cinematic Universe watch list, please check out read our MCU watch guide.

How to watch Captain Marvel in chronological order

Brie Larson as Carol Danvers
Image credit: Marvel Studios

If you want to follow Captain Marvel’s story in chronological order, here is how you would do it. For the most part, the list is almost the same as the release order, with the What If…? episodes placed elsewhere. We’ll elaborate on that point in a bit.

Alternate timelines

Captain Marvel has also made appearances in What If…?, an animated series streaming on Disney+. Each episode explores an alternate timeline within the MCU where a key event played out differently. If you get a look at the episode titles, that should give you an idea. Alexandra Daniels voices Carol Danvers in the series. While these episodes aren’t essential to understanding Carol’s MCU story, they are a fun diversion.

What should I watch before Captain Marvel?

Captain Marvel in Avengers: Endgame
Image credit: Marvel Studios

You might be wondering how much MCU knowledge you need to have before watching Captain Marvel. The good news is Captain Marvel is set in 1995, which places it before most of the other MCU films chronologically. This means you don’t have to worry about the events in franchises like Thor or Iron Man. In fact, you could watch Captain Marvel as your first MCU film, and you won’t be lost.

However, once you get to Avengers: Endgame, you might have some questions. For that reason, I would suggest at least watching Avengers: Infinity War (2018) before you watch Avengers: Endgame. Although Carol isn’t in it, there is a small tease for her in the post credits scene. Plus, the scene adds extra context to the Captain Marvel post credits scene. Either way, you don’t need to have heavy MCU knowledge to enjoy Captain Marvel. Just dive in and have fun.

What about Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan?

Monica Rambeau in WandaVision
Image credit: Marvel Studios

After checking out The Marvels, you might be curious about Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan. In the comics, both characters have close ties to Carol Danvers, and the MCU is exploring its own version of that relationship. If you want to include Monica and Kamala in your Captain Marvel watch order, it isn’t hard to do.

Beyond The Marvels, Monica Rambeau has only appeared in two MCU projects. The character can be seen as a child in Captain Marvel, where she’s played by Akira Akbar. The character is then seen as an adult in the Disney+ series WandaVision, where she is played by Teyonah Parris. Iman Vellani starred as Kamala Khan in the Disney+ streaming series Ms. Marvel.

If you want to include Monica and Kamala in your watch order, you just need to add WandaVision and Ms. Marvel. Watch WandaVision between Avengers: Endgame and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Then watch Ms. Marvel after Shang-Chi. This should give you the best possible context to enjoy The Marvels when it hits theaters in November.

Wasn’t Captain Marvel a man? Is Captain Marvel in the DC Universe?

Brie Larson in The Marvels
Image credit: Marvel Studios

Carol Danvers isn’t the only hero named Captain Marvel, which has led to some confusion. In 1939 Fawcett Comics began publishing comics starring a superhero named Captain Marvel. The series starred a young orphan named Billy Batson, who transformed into the adult hero Captain Marvel whenever he shouted the magic word ‘Shazam.’ National Comics (DC’s predecessor) accused Fawcett Comics of copying Superman, and a long lawsuit ensued. When the dust settled, Fawcett Comics settled with National, and ceased publishing Captain Marvel.

DC Comics eventually acquired the rights to the character and integrated him into the greater DC Universe. Today he is called Shazam, which is probably the name most of you are more familiar with.

By 1967 the copyright to the name Captain Marvel had lapsed, which suited Marvel Comics just fine. The company created their own Captain Marvel, who debuted in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (1967). The version of the character was a Kree warrior named Mar-Vell. Since his debut, many heroes in the Marvel Universe have also taken on the mantle, including Carol Danvers. In fact, you would need a scorecard to keep track of the various Marvels (and Popverse has one!).

The important takeaway is that both Marvel and DC have had characters that have taken the name Captain Marvel. However, the one in the DC Universe is now called Shazam, and Carol Danvers currently holds the mantle in the Marvel Universe.

Where can I stream the MCU’s Captain Marvel?

Ms. Marvel still
Image credit: Marvel Studios

If you want to stream Captain Marvel, the cosmic heroine’s movies are available on most video-on-demand platforms to buy or rent. You can find the movies on Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, and Google Play. However, if you’re already subscribed to Disney+, then there is no need to spend any extra money. All the films and television shows mentioned in this article are available to stream on Disney+.

Now you have everything you need to begin your Captain Marvel journey! If you want more superhero film guides, keep your eyes peeled to Popverse.

Got time on your hands? Here's our guide to watching (or rewatching) all of the MCU.

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