
Binge Watcher’s Guide
Marvel Cinematic Universe
A guide to what is good, what is important, what is skippable, and what do I need to know.
Use the following guide to plan which movies to enjoy on your trip through the MCU.
Rating Scale
- 5 – Great : Generally a very good movie that stands on its own.
- 4 – Solid : Enjoyable for most audiences.
- 3 – Decent : A good flick, but results may vary from person to person.
- 2 – Meh : Okay I guess, but only hardcore fans watch it more than once.
- 1 – Woof : It’s something…
Importance Scale
- 5 – Cornerstone : Critical world building and character development.
- 4 – Foundational : Major events and information referenced in future movies.
- 3 – Lore : Adds to the existing world with minor references later on.
- 2 – Peripheral : Story that exists at the edges of what is officially cannon.
- 1 – Technically : Inconsequential details, and mostly ignored as context.
MCU Movies
Release | Title | Rating | Importance | Guide |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 2, 2008 | Iron Man | 5 – Great | 5 – Cornerstone | Must Watch |
June 13, 2008 | Incredible Hulk | 2 – Meh | 1 – Technically | Skippable |
May 7, 2010 | Iron Man 2 | 4 – Solid | 2 – Peripheral | Optional |
May 6, 2011 | Thor | 4 – Solid | 4 – Foundational | Must Watch |
July 22, 2011 | Captain America: The First Avenger | 4 – Solid | 4 – Foundational | Must Watch |
May 4, 2012 | The Avengers | 5 – Great | 5 – Cornerstone | Must Watch |
May 3, 2013 | Iron Man 3 | 3 – Decent | 2 – Peripheral | Optional |
November 8, 2013 | Thor: The Dark World | 2 – Meh | 2 – Peripheral | Skippable |
April 4, 2014 | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | 4 – Solid | 3 – Lore | Must Watch |
August 1, 2014 | Guardians of the Galaxy | 5 – Great | 5 – Cornerstone | Must Watch |
May 1, 2015 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | 4 – Solid | 4 – Foundational | Must Watch |
July 17, 2015 | Ant-Man | 4 – Solid | 3 – Lore | Optional |
May 6, 2016 | Captain America: Civil War | 5 – Great | 5 – Cornerstone | Must Watch |
November 4, 2016 | Doctor Strange | 4 – Solid | 4 – Foundational | Must Watch |
May 5, 2017 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | 4 – Solid | 3 – Lore | Optional |
July 7, 2017 | Spider-Man: Homecoming | 4 – Solid | 4 – Foundational | Must Watch |
November 3, 2017 | Thor: Ragnarok | 5 – Great | 4 – Foundational | Must Watch |
February 16, 2018 | Black Panther | 5 – Great | 4 – Foundational | Must Watch |
April 27, 2018 | Avengers: Infinity War | 5 – Great | 5 – Cornerstone | Must Watch |
July 6, 2018 | Ant-Man and the Wasp | 3 – Decent | 4 – Foundational | Optional |
March 8, 2019 | Captain Marvel | 3 – Decent | 3 – Lore | Must Watch |
April 26, 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | 5 – Great | 5 – Cornerstone | Must Watch |
July 2, 2019 | Spider-Man: Far From Home | 4 – Solid | 3 – Lore | Must Watch |
July 9, 2021 | Black Widow | 3 – Decent | 3 – Lore | Optional |
September 3, 2021 | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | 4 – Solid | 3 – Lore | Optional |
November 5, 2021 | Eternals | 3 – Decent | 2 – Peripheral | Optional |
December 17, 2021 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | 5 – Great | 3 – Lore | Must Watch |
May 6, 2022 | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | 4 – Solid | 3 – Lore | Must Watch |
July 8, 2022 | Thor: Love and Thunder | 2 – Meh | 2 – Peripheral | Optional |
November 11, 2022 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | 3 – Decent | 3 – Lore | Optional |
February 17, 2023 | Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantomania | 2 – Meh | 3 – Lore | Skippable |
May 5, 2023 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | 4 – Solid | 3 – Lore | Must Watch |
November 10, 2023 | The Marvels | 2 – Meh | 2 – Peripheral | Skippable |
July 26, 2024 | Deadpool & Wolverine | 4 – Solid | 3 – Lore | Optional |
February 14, 2025 | Captain America: Brave New World | ? | ? | ? |
May 2, 2025 | Thunderbolts | ? | ? | ? |
TV Shows
Marvel TV shows have not yet shown to be critical for following the MCU. If there’s a corner or aspect of the Marvel Universe that really resonates with you, the TV Shows give you another bite at the apple.
Recommended Series
These shows require minimum MCU content to enjoy. While there will be references to the MCU content, the bulk of the materiel stands well enough on it’s own to be enjoyed.
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Agent Carter
- Daredevil
- Jessica Jones
- Luke Cage
- Iron Fist
- The Defenders
- The Punisher
- Moon Knight
Requires MCU Context
These shows require some initial knowledge or lore from the MCU to follow and enjoy.
- WandaVision
- The Falcon and Winter Soldier
- Loki
- What If…?
- Hawkeye
- Moon Knight
- Ms. Marvel
- She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
- Secret Invasion
- Echo
- Agatha All Along