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A streaming media service (also simply called a streaming service) is an online platform that allows users to watch or listen to content, such as movies, TV shows, music, or podcasts, over the internet. Instead of downloading the content to their device, users can stream it in real-time, which means they can start watching or listening immediately without having to wait for the entire file to download. Popular examples of streaming services include Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube.
An over-the-top media service (OTT) is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as controllers or distributors of such content. Most of these services are owned by a major film studio. Some streaming services started as an add-on to Blu-ray offerings, which are supplements to the programs watched.
Digital streaming acts in a similar way to on-demand television in that the program to watch is selected. But the program is not recorded or stored like it might be on TiVo, etc. Digital video purchases grant a user indefinite access to a show or film, but the terms and conditions vary as to whether the file can be downloaded or must be streamed.
A client end-user can use a media player, computer, smartphone, or smart TV to start and continue playing digital video content before the entire file has been transmitted. Users will need an Internet connection to stream or download video content. Users lacking compatible hardware or software systems may be unable to stream or download certain content.
Hulu: Hulu Originals,[g] 20th Television, FX Networks, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, Blue Sky Studios, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, licensed content from other vendors
Max: HBO, Max Originals, Cinemax, Warner Bros.,[m] The CW, Discovery Channel, Food Network, TLC, Asian Food Network, Eurosport, HGTV, ID, Travel Channel, Animal Planet, Magnolia Network, New Line Cinema, DC Studios, Turner Entertainment, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, CNN, HLN, BBC Studios, Sesame Workshop,[n] Comedy Central,[o] Studio Ghibli,[o] Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, Boomerang, Adult Swim, TBS, TNT, TruTV, Wizarding World
The following services are owned and operated by television networks, cable channels, or other conglomerates in that market. They are major content producers, and their streaming services serve as the primary means of distributing the content that often first airs on their networks or channels.
Are you about to watch the Marvel movies in order? At first glance, the prospect of watching every single MCU film and TV show is daunting. However, we're here to break things down for you in simple fashion - all thanks to our release date and chronological order guides.
With Deadpool & Wolverine now out in cinemas and a Captain America: Brave New World trailer whetting our appetites elsewhere, it's clearly the right moment to start an MCU marathon and watch all of the Marvel movies and Disney Plus shows from start to finish. Failing that, now's a good a time as any to either refresh your memory on how everything connects after 16 years and almost 50 projects.
For the veterans among you, we then head back to the beginning of the Marvel timeline with Captain America in the 1940s for a trip down memory lane as we revisit the Marvel movies in chronological order. That even includes which year each MCU movie and show is set in. It's a small detail but a significant one when it comes to Marvel Studios' grand tapestry.
If you have more questions, the answers are waiting for you here. There's also the latest on how to watch the Marvel movies in order on Disney Plus, whether Spider-Man, Daredevil, or X-Men are considered canon, and so much more.
For everything else coming soon, check out our full rundown on the upcoming Marvel movies. If you're seeking extra watch orders, check out our guides on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order, how to watch Demon Slayer in order, and how to watch The Walking Dead in order.
First up, here's how to watch the Marvel movies and shows in release date order. This is the best order for MCU newcomers and those who want to keep things simple and straightforward. To make the release date order easier to read, we've divided the list into Phases, beginning with 2008's Iron Man.
Need more context? The MCU is split into Phases, with the end of a Phase typically indicating a natural end to a story arc. The beginning of a Phase, therefore, signals the introduction of new, important characters.
Phases 1-3 are often referred to as the Infinity Saga, while Phases 4-5 form part of the new Multiverse Saga with Kang and the Multiverse. Deadpool & Wolverine is the most recent entry in terms of release date order, for more on that new movie, check out our Deadpool & Wolverine review.
You might also notice the above MCU watch order list includes the Disney Plus shows, such as WandaVision, Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and so on. They're not movies, but the series are just as important to the overarching story being told in the MCU; everything canon-wise from 2008 to 2023 is on the list.
Netflix's Defenders Saga (Daredevil, The Punisher, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders) are not considered part of the Phases but do fit into the Marvel timeline and are now back to being part of the MCU canon. Check out the chronological order below, as well as the Defenders Saga section further down, for more info.
Recent delays mean that The Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four have shifted around again, with one theory suggesting Reed Richards and company are going to mess up the chronological order further by coming from the Sixties. So, who knows where these upcoming films take the timeline?
We can thank Marvel itself for making things much clearer with the release of their 'Official Timeline' book as well as its own updated chronological order on the Marvel website. Both have eased many of our temporal-based headaches.
Better yet, this chronological list will make you see the MCU in a different light. We're going to start with Captain America: The First Avenger in the 1940s and work our way up to the MCU present day in 2026. That now includes Netflix's Marvel shows and Marvel's One Shots for the full picture.
We've now reached 2025 and 2026. She-Hulk, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania seemingly all taking place in that not-so-far-flung future year. Secret Invasion and Guardians 3, more or less, come after in 2026, but that isn't part of the official timeline book, so we're going on the Disney Plus order here. The most recent series release is Echo, which takes place five months after Hawkeye.
Marvel has also revealed the exact months or rough windows of when things happened in the MCU but, honestly, that doesn't specifically matter if you're just planning to sit down and consume them without doing what amounts to homework. All you need to know is everything is now officially correct above if you want to watch the Marvel movies in chronological order.
We should warn you, however: Marvel doesn't always take the best care with its chronological order. As such, our own timeline takes into account Marvel's official order on Disney Plus, its new book, and some calculated guesswork. Some things might not make sense in terms of canon or don't have exact details to pin down their years. Our advice? Try not to think too hard about it.
But, wait, there's more! Just before you dive into our guide into how to watch the MCU in chronological order there's some housekeeping and notes to take in: The I Am Groot short 'First Steps' takes place before Guardians 2, while the rest of the shorts happen after that sequel.
For now, we've put Secret Invasion as the latest project in chronological order as we're trusting Marvel Studios on that one. Thanks to its dabbling in the multiverse and timelines, respectively, What If...? and Loki take up arbitrary slots on the list, but Loki comes after Endgame with how the timelines have branched off.
The vast majority of the Marvel movies are available on Disney Plus, but not everything. Currently, only Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Incredible Hulk are not available to stream on Disney Plus in the US. Even so, Disney Plus is by far the easiest way to watch the MCU in order. Let's dive into the list.
Some things to note: You will also not find The Incredible Hulk on Disney Plus. This is because the rights to Hulk belong to Universal. As a bonus, both The Amazing Spider-Man movies are available in the US.
On top of that, The Defenders saga (Daredevil seasons 1-3, Jessica Jones seasons 1-3, Luke Cage seasons 1-2, Iron Fist, and Marvel's Defenders) are now on Disney Plus, but are separate from the list to avoid any confusion over the 'main' MCU movies and shows.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 are also now available on Disney Plus after their cinema releases in 2023. The Marvels followed suit in February 2024. Deadpool & Wolverine isn't on Disney Plus yet and won't be for a while, as it's still playing in cinemas. We'll keep you updated as soon as a streaming release date for the Merc with the Mouth is announced!
The simple answer is only Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home are in the MCU. Spider-Man-centric properties such as Venom or the upcoming Kraven are part of Sony's Spider-Man universe and should be treated as a separate entity, even if there is some occasional crossover.
Now we're getting to the confusing bit: the multiverse. Thanks to Spider-Man: No Way Home, we have had various Spider-Man villains from through the multiverse in the MCU. To fully understand everyone's motives and intentions in No Way Home, you need to have watched a fair few older Spider-Man movies.
These take place on three alternate timelines: one where Tobey Maguire is Spider-Man, another where Andrew Garfield is Spidey, and a third where Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock becomes the villain Venom. For a full deep dive into watching these movies, then check out our guide to how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order.
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