A Look at the Marvel Universe’s Expansion: From Screen to Screen
You’re probably no stranger to the phenomenon that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). With four complete phases already under its belt and a fifth one recently kicking off, Marvel Studios has continuously outdone itself. And guess what? They’ve even branched out into TV shows streaming on Disney+.
Meet the New Villains and Heroes
Phase Five has launched, adding two more jewels to the MCU crown: “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” which brings Jonathan Majors as the new formidable villain Kang the Conqueror, and the highly anticipated “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”
“So far in this run of content, we have been treated to two cinematic releases in the form of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which introduced us to our new MCU big bad Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), and the epic sequel film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”
But if you think that’s all they’ve got, you’re in for a surprise.
The Marvel TV Universe Is Expanding Too
Not just limiting themselves to the silver screen, Marvel has been invading our living rooms with Disney+ series like “Secret Invasion,” a conspiracy thriller that kept us on the edge of our seats, and the quirky escapades of our favorite talking tree in “I Am Groot.”
“Elsewhere, this year we have been treated to the latest in Disney+ television series from Marvel in the form of conspiracy thriller Secret Invasion and the latest batch of stories from I Am Groot.”
What’s Around the Corner?
But hold onto your hats, because there’s more. “The Marvels,” a sequel to “Captain Marvel,” is slated for release later this year, along with the second season of “Loki” and the new Hawkeye spin-off series, “Echo.”
“Thankfully, that’s not all, as there is so much more to come later this year in the form of Captain Marvel sequel film The Marvels, the second season of Disney+ series Loki, and the new Hawkeye spin-off series Echo.”
The Ongoing Debate: Chronological Order Vs. Release Order
Every MCU fan has faced this dilemma: Do you watch the movies and TV shows in chronological order or in the order they were released? While watching chronologically allows for an in-depth understanding of character development, it also risks spoiling some of the surprises. On the flip side, watching in release order gives you the same exhilarating ride millions of fans have already experienced.
“Some fans believe that this is the best way to watch the MCU movies as elements are introduced as the characters in the story encounter them.”
- Captain America: The First Avenger (1942)
- Captain Marvel (1995)
- Iron Man (2010)
- Iron Man 2 (2011)
- The Incredible Hulk (2011)
- Thor (2011)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Iron Man 3 (2012)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Ant-Man (2015)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Black Widow (2016, excluding post-credits scene)
- Black Panther (2016)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016)
- Doctor Strange (2016-2017)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (2017)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2017)
- Avengers: Endgame (2017-2022)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2023)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2023)
- Eternals (2023, excluding flashbacks)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2024)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2025)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2026)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2026)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2026)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2026)
- Werewolf By Night (TBC)
- Loki (after Endgame, but outside of the main timeline – read more on Loki’s timeline)
- WandaVision (2023)
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2023)
- Hawkeye (2024)
- Moon Knight (2025)
- She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (2025)
- Ms Marvel (2025)
Your Marvel Journey Doesn’t Have to End
Even if you’ve consumed every bit of Marvel’s content, they’ve got plenty more coming down the pipeline. From new seasons of existing TV shows to the introduction of new characters in upcoming movies, the Marvel Universe is continually expanding.
“So, we still have a wealth of Marvel series left to enjoy in the next few years – and beyond!”
Get ready, Marvelites. Your superhero journey is far from over. Whether it’s on the big screen or the small one, in chronological order or release date sequence, the Marvel Universe has something for everyone. Strap in for the ride because Phase Six is just around the corner, and it promises to be a doozy!
Marvel’s Upcoming Releases
The Infinity Saga
Phase One
Phase Two
- Iron Man 3 (May, 2013)
- Thor: The Dark World (November, 2013)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April, 2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (August, 2014)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (May, 2015)
- Ant-Man (July, 2015)
Phase Three
- Captain America: Civil War (May, 2016)
- Doctor Strange (November, 2016)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May, 2017)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (July, 2017)
- Thor: Ragnarok (November, 2017)
- Black Panther (February, 2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (April, 2018)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (July, 2018)
- Captain Marvel (March, 2019)
- Avengers: Endgame (April, 2019)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (July, 2019)
- The Multiverse Saga
Phase Four
- WandaVision (TV series) (January, 2021)
- The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (TV series) (March, 2021)
- Loki season 1 (TV series) (June, 2021)
- Black Widow (9th July 2021)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (3rd September 2021)
- Eternals (5th November 2021)
- Hawkeye (24th November 2021)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (17th December 2021)
- Moon Knight (TV show -30th March 2022)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (5th May 2022)
- Ms Marvel (TV show – 8th June 2022)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (8th July 2022)
- She-Hulk (TV show – 18th August 2022)
- Werewolf By Night (TV special – 7th October 2022)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (11th November 2022)
- The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (TV special – 25th November 2022)
Phase Five
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (17th February 2023)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (5th May 2023)
- Secret Invasion (TV show – 21st June 2023)
- Loki season 2 (TV show – 6th October 2023)
- The Marvels (10th November 2023)
- Echo (TV show – 29th November 2023)
- Deadpool 3 (3rd May 2024)
- Captain America: Brave New World (26th July 2024)
- Thunderbolts (20th December 2024)
- Blade (14th February 2025)
- Ironheart (TV show – 2024)
- Agatha: Darkhold Diaries (TV show – 2024)
- Daredevil: Born Again (TV show – 2024)
Phase Six
- Fantastic Four (2nd May 2025)
- Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (1st May 2026)
- Avengers: Secret Wars (7th May 2027)
Future MCU movies and TV shows
- Armour Wars (Movie- TBC)
- Eternals sequel (Movie – TBC)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings sequel (Movie – TBC)
- Untitled Wakanda Series (TV show – TBC)
- Wonder Man (TV show – TBC)
- Vision Quest (TV show – TBC)
- Untitled X-Men movie (Movie – TBC)
And many more…
Marvel has laid out an expansive roadmap, guaranteeing that we’re in for a rollercoaster of emotions, action, and of course, iconic superhero landings. So, what are you waiting for? The Marvel Cinematic Universe is your playground. Dive in!
