With 40+ movies and Disney+ shows now in the MCU, the "where do we even start?" question has gotten legitimately complicated. The good news? You've got two clear paths, and both have their merits depending on your family's viewing style.

Release order is how the MCU was designed to be experienced. Each movie and show builds on what came before, with post-credit scenes teasing the next installment. The surprises land the way Marvel intended. When Nick Fury shows up at Tony Stark's house in 2008, it was mind-blowing. When WandaVision dropped in 2021, nobody knew what the hell was happening for three episodes—and that was the point.

Chronological order tells the story as it unfolds in Marvel's fictional timeline. You start in World War II with Steve Rogers, jump to the 1990s for Captain Marvel, then move through the modern era. It's a different kind of satisfaction—watching all the puzzle pieces slot into place.

About 50% of families in our Screenwise community watch Disney+ content together as a family activity, and Marvel marathons are a big part of that. The watch order you choose actually matters for how those viewing sessions feel.

Phase 1 (2008-2012): The origin story of the MCU itself

Phase 2 (2013-2015): Things get darker

Phase 3 (2016-2019): The Infinity Saga concludes

Phase 4 (2021-2022): Disney+ enters the chat

Phase 5 (2023-2025): The multiverse saga continues

If your family includes a kid who needs to understand every timeline detail (you know who you are), chronological order scratches that itch. It starts with Captain America: The First Avenger in the 1940s, jumps to Captain Marvel in the 1990s, then settles into the modern era with Iron Man.

The full chronological order through 2025:

Fair warning: this order can feel choppy. You'll jump from Phase 1 to Phase 4 and back. Some reveals land weird when you already know what's coming.

Most MCU films are PG-13, but that rating covers a LOT of ground. Iron Man and Ant-Man are lighter fare—action-comedy with minimal blood. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame have emotionally devastating moments (ask any parent who had to explain The Snap to a sobbing 8-year-old).

Ages 7-9: Stick with the lighter entries

Ages 10-12: Most of the MCU opens up

Ages 13+: Everything except...

WandaVision deserves special mention—it's TV-PG but explores grief, trauma, and mind control in ways that younger kids won't fully grasp. Great for teens, confusing for elementary schoolers.

Short answer: not really, not anymore.

In Phase 4 and 5, the Disney+ shows aren't optional side content—they're essential to understanding what's happening in the movies. WandaVision leads directly into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Loki sets up the entire multiverse saga. Ms. Marvel introduces Kamala Khan before The Marvels.

About 80% of families in our community use either Disney+ or Netflix (or both), with 50% watching Disney+ content together as a family. If you're doing a full MCU marathon, budget for the shows—they're 6-9 episodes each, roughly 4-6 hours per series.

The shows also tend to be more kid-friendly than the movies. Hawkeye is a holiday adventure. Ms. Marvel is a coming-of-age story. She-Hulk is a legal comedy (though it's meta as hell and might confuse younger viewers).

If you're starting from Iron Man and watching everything through 2025, you're looking at 150+ hours of content. That's not a weekend project—it's a year-long family tradition.

Our Screenwise community data shows families average 4.2 hours of screen time daily (4 hours weekdays, 5 hours weekends). A Marvel movie night once a week means you'll finish the full MCU in about 9-10 months. Totally doable, but know what you're signing up for.

Some families do "Marvel Mondays" or "Phase Fridays"—one movie or show per week as a standing family event. Others binge entire phases during school breaks. Both work. The key is not trying to cram everything in before the next theatrical release drops.

Choose release order if:

Choose chronological order if:

Either way:

Check out our guide to Disney+ parental controls to set age ratings and create kid-friendly profiles. And if you're looking for alternatives to superhero content, we've got you covered there too.

The MCU is a massive, sprawling, occasionally brilliant, sometimes exhausting franchise. It's also become a shared cultural language for millions of families. Whether you watch in release order or chronological order, you're giving your kids access to stories about teamwork, sacrifice, and trying to do the right thing—even when it's really, really hard.

Just maybe skip the three-hour runtime of Avengers: Endgame on a school night.