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So it took nearly a decade of the interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe for Captain America to finally utter the words 'Avengers Assemble' - who cares? Even so, the Marvel Comics superteam has taken over the cultural landscape in the same way they did the pages of the comics that inspired them. And from where we're sitting, they're showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. 

The Avengers film franchise is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which can be a bit intimidating for new viewers. With multiple films and television shows, you might not know where to start, but that’s why we’re here. Watching the Avengers doesn’t have to be confusing or intimidating. In fact, we think you’ll find the experience enjoyable. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide to help get you started. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about watching the Avengers in release order, chronological order, and answer any burning questions you may have.

Are you ready?

How to watch the Avengers film series in release order

Does Avengers: Endgame come before Avengers: Age of Ultron? What other films have the Avengers appeared in? These are the types of questions you might be asking. Just follow this handy watch order guide, and you’ll be all set. This section lists all of the Avengers films in release order.

Please note, this list only covers films that feature the Avengers as a team. For example, Spider-Man: Homecoming features a subplot where Peter Parker wants to join the Avengers. In addition, Captain America appears on video PSAs, while Iron Man shows up in person. However, the group doesn’t appear together, so for the purposes of this list, Spider-Man: Homecoming isn’t considered an Avengers film. The same goes for projects like WandaVision.

Oh, and as a secondary note - this list is going to cover every time a group called 'The Avengers' appears in the MCU. In the expansive, multiversal saga of Marvel's What If...? series, that could include some groups that look very different than the ones you're familiar with if you've only seen the movies

If you’re looking for a watch order that covers all of the MCU, please refer to this guide.

• The Avengers (2012)
• Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
• Captain America: Civil War (2016)
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
• Captain Marvel (2019)
• Avengers: Endgame (2019)
• What If…? season 1 episode 3
• What If…? season 1 episode 5
• What If…? season 1 episode 8
• What If…? season 1 episode 9
• What If…? season 2 episode 2
• What If…? season 2 episode 3
• What If…? season 2 episode 5
• What If…? season 2 episode 8
• What If…? season 3 episode 1
• Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
• Avengers: Secret Wars (2027)

OK, one last note - The Avengers only appear in the Captain Marvel mid-credits sequence. But feel free to watch the rest of the film anyway. It’s got Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and an awesome cat.

How to watch the Avengers film series in chronological order

If you prefer watching Avengers in chronological order, here is how you would do it. Please note, some films take place over multiple years. In fact, some Avengers projects don’t even take place in the same timeline. Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. Just follow this list, and you’ll be good to go.

• 2012: The Avengers
• 2015: Avengers: Age of Ultron
• 2016: Captain America: Civil War
• 2018: Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel (mid-credits scene), and Avengers: Endgame (prologue)
• 2023: Avengers: Endgame (everything after the prologue)

The timeline placement for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are currently uncertain. However, it’s safe to assume that each film will take place a few years after Avengers: Endgame. Of course, with Doctor Doom involved, the films will probably contain some eschewing of the Sacred Timeline.

What If…? is an animated series streaming on Disney+. Each episode spotlights an alternate reality within the MCU where key events played out differently. You don’t need to watch these episodes to understand the live-action Avengers films, but if you’re a completist, it’s an enjoyable viewing experience. Don’t worry about continuity too much, because these episodes are largely self-contained.

• Alternate reality 1602: What If…? season 2 episode 8
• Alternate reality 1988: What If…? season 2 episode 2
• Alternate reality 2010: What If…? season 1 episode 3
• Alternate reality 2012: What If…? season 2 episode 5
• Alternate reality 2014: What If…? season 2 episode 3
• Alternate reality 2015: What If…? season 1 episode 8
• Alternate reality 2018: What If…? season 1 episode 5
• Alternate reality 2024: What If…? season 3 episode 1
  
  

When is the next Avengers movie?

Avengers: Doomsday is the next film in the Avengers franchise. The film is slated to release December 18, 2026. In it, mainstream MCU heroes Thor, Captain America, Bucky Barnes, Shuri, Ant-Man, USAgent, Namor, Shang-Chi, Yelena Belova, Sentry, Falcon, Red Guardian, M'Baku, Ghost, and Loki will join forces with characters from across the multiverse including Invisible Woman, The Thing, Beast, Human Torch, Professor X, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Mystique, Cyclops, Gambit, and Mr. Fantastic to go toe-to-toe with the Biggest Bad the Marvel Universe has ever seen - Victor von Doom.

What happened to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty?

As you know if you've been following MCU news, Doctor Doom's addition as the MCU's next great threat (and casting as Robert Downey Jr.), came after the Studio fired Jonathan Majors from the role of Kang the Conqueror. Originally intended to be the heart of a film called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Majors was let go after being convicted of two misdemeanor charges in a domestic violence case. The MCU's plans for the Kang plotline have been scrapped.

Why is Spider-Man not in Avengers: Doomsday?

That's a great question! And though we're technically not talking about the Spider-Man movies (we have a Spider-Man movie watch order to do that), we'll answer it due to Tom Holland's Peter Parker becoming such a bright spot in the Avengers films ever since Captain America: Civil War. As of this writing, the MCU's Peter Parker is going to be dealing with his own problems in the film Spider-Man: Brand New Day. That said, we expect that movie and Avengers: Doomsday to at least inform each other, if nothing else because they'll both be dealing with the ramifications of Doctor Doom's multiverse meddling.

Or, of course, Spider-Man could be a surprise part of Avengers: Doomsday.

What should I watch before Avengers?

The Avengers (2012) is the first Avengers film, but it is the sixth film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a result, the movie contains some characters and concepts that were introduced in prior MCU films. Should you watch all of them before starting The Avengers? That’s up to you. Think of it like comic books, where nobody is expected to read decades of material before diving into the latest issue.

If you’re curious, here are all the MCU films released before Avengers. (Remember, for a full MCU watch order, please refer to this guide.)

• Iron Man (2008) – The film introduces Iron Man and sets up the world of the MCU. You don’t have to watch it before starting The Avengers, but it will enhance your experience.
• The Incredible Hulk (2008) – Of all the films released before The Avengers, this is probably the most skippable. Not because of its quality, but because none of the supporting characters or concepts are used in The Avengers. In fact, this film has Edward Norton playing the Hulk. Norton would be replaced by Mark Ruffalo for the Avengers films. Watch this one if you’re a completist.
• Iron Man 2 (2010) – A fun Tony Stark adventure, but if you’ve already seen Iron Man, there is no urgency to watch this one before starting The Avengers. However, this film does introduce us to Black Widow.
• Thor (2011) – Probably the most essential film to watch before The Avengers. In addition to introducing Thor, this movie also serves as an introduction to Loki. The mischievous Loki serves as the main villain for the first Avengers film.
• Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) – This film introduces Captain America, and a powerful artifact known as the Tesseract. Due to the presence of the Tesseract, I would rate this as the second most essential film to watch before The Avengers.

Or you could just dive into The Avengers right away if you want. But if you have the time, these are all great movies to watch.

Where else have the MCU Avengers appeared?

The Avengers have also had some adventures that haven’t been captured on film. Marvel has released a series of tie-in comics set within the MCU. Some of the comics are adaptations of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, while others bridge the gap between the movies, telling untold stories. According to Marvel, each of these comics are canon. However, some of the older comics have been contradicted by recent MCU films, so take it all with a grain of salt. You don’t need to read all these comics to understand the Avengers MCU story, but they are a fun way to supplement your viewing experience.

• Iron Man 3 Prelude – A prequel to the 2013 film. The Avengers briefly appear.
• Thor: The Dark World Prelude – This comic focuses on Thor’s activities in the aftermath of the 2012 Avengers film.
• The Avengers Adaptation – An adaptation of the 2012 Avengers film.
• Avengers: Age of Ultron Prelude – This Scepter’d Isle - A prequel to Avengers: Age of Ultron, focusing on the activities of Baron von Strucker.
• Avengers: Operation HYDRA – The new team of Avengers search for former agents of HYDRA.
• Captain America: Civil War Prelude Infinite Comic – The Avengers hunt down Crossbones, a former HYDRA operative. This leads into the events of Captain America: Civil War.
• Captain America: Road to War – This comic focuses on Black Widow and Captain America training the new Avengers team seen at the end of Age of Ultron.
• Spider-Man: Homecoming Prelude – A retelling of Captain America: Civil War told from Spider-Man’s point of view.
• Avengers: Infinity War Prelude – This comic bridges the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.
• Captain Marvel Prelude – This comic details Nick Fury’s activities after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron.
• Avengers: Endgame Prelude – An adaptation of Avengers: Infinity War, titled to cash in on the Endgame hype.
• Black Widow Prelude – A prequel to the Black Widow film. The Avengers briefly appear.
  
  

Where can I watch the Avengers series?

Avengers assemble….onto Disney+! That’s right, Disney’s streaming service is home to every Avengers film. If you have a subscription to Disney+, then you’re good to good. There are no extra fees involved, making this the most economic way to watch each Avengers film.

However, if you prefer owning your films outright, then you can purchase digital versions of the Avengers films from a variety of video-on-demand platforms. The Avengers movies are available on Prime Video, Vudu, Google Play, iTunes and more. If you’re looking for physical copies, most of your major home media retailers should have the films as well.

And with that, you have everything you need to start the Avengers saga! Don’t be surprised if you find yourself shouting Avengers Assemble during key action scenes (I know I did).

Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:

• How to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe in release or chronological order
• The best Marvel Comics stories of all time
• All the MCU movies ranked from best to worst
• Our weekly Marvel insider's column, Marvel Matters