Last Updated: January 17, 2020
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been dominating pop culture for the past decade - building a sprawling superhero universe that spans movies and TV shows. With 23 MCU movies released so far, and plenty more already planned, it can be difficult to keep track of all the different superheroes and their respective franchises and team-ups. To help fans out, here's our breakdown of every Marvel movie released so far (in chronological order).
In addition to a breakdown of the films, we're also including release info and the final global box office total (unadjusted for inflation). Previously, we put together a complete MCU Movie & TV viewing guide; however, our new breakdown is the easiest way to keep track of all the movies, characters, and storylines that Marvel Studios has released in the ten-plus years they've been building a shared universe.
Iron Man
- Director: Jon Favreau
- Release Date: May 2, 2008
- Box Office: $585.2 million
In many ways, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark is the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He made his debut in the first ever MCU movie, and Tony's journey from selfish billionaire to flawed superhero has in many ways become the blueprint for MCU origin stories. Jon Favreau's Iron Man received rave reviews and delighted comic book fans, especially when the post-credits scene teased the eventual arrival of the Avengers.
The Incredible Hulk
- Director: Louis Leterrier
- Release Date: June 13, 2008
- Box Office: $263.4 million
You'd be forgiven for not realizing that Louis Letterier's The Incredible Hulk is an MCU movie. It was the first and only MCU entry to be distributed by Universal Pictures, who still hold the Hulk solo movie rights (which is why Hulk has since only appeared in team-ups and guest spots). Bruce Banner actor Edward Norton was recast with Mark Ruffalo when Hulk returned in The Avengers, and Ruffalo has held the role ever since. Though plenty of fans enjoyed The Incredible Hulk, it remains the least successful MCU movie financially, and received mixed reviews from critics.
Iron Man 2
- Director: Jon Favreau
- Release Date: May 7, 2010
- Box Office: $623.9 million
Iron Man 2 is notable for including the first appearance of Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow, and also the first appearance of Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes (played by Terrence Howard in Iron Man). It starred Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko, the first in a long line of MCU villains whose main motivation was getting revenge upon Tony Stark. Sam Rockwell played Justin Hammer, a rival weapons manufacturer who eventually teams up with Vanko.
Thor
- Director: Kenneth Branagh
- Release Date: May 6, 2011
- Box Office: $449.3 million
In the fourth MCU movie, little-known Australian actor Chris Hemsworth beamed down from Asgard to steal hearts (and smash cups), with his infectious grin and blond locks. True to the Tony Stark formula, Thor Odinson is a powerful and arrogant figure who is brought low, and learns a few important life lessons on his path to becoming a superhero. Thor introduced Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, in the start of a sweeping romance that would eventually end in an off-screen break-up. It also included the first appearance of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, as well as debuting fan-favorite villain Loki (Tom Hiddleston).
Captain America: The First Avenger
- Director: Joe Johnston
- Release Date: July 22, 2011
- Box Office: $370.6 million
After four present-day movies, Marvel went back in time to World War II and introduced a skinny kid called Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), who was determined to fight for his country despite being physically unfit to do so. Fortune shone down on Steve in the form of a super-soldier serum, which granted him incredible strength, speed, and agility, but left his good heart unchanged. The First Avenger also saw the first appearance of Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, who would later return as the Winter Soldier. Meanwhile, Steve's love interest Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) went on to star in her own TV show. The movie also featured the first of the Infinity Stones: the Space Stone, which is contained in a vessel called the Tesseract.
The Avengers
- Director: Joss Whedon
- Release Date: May 4, 2012
- Box Office: $1.519 billion
The crowning glory of the MCU's Phase One, The Avengers brought together every superhero that had been introduced in previous entries for a massive battle against Loki and his Chitauri army. It also marked the first appearance (in a mid-credits scene) of cosmic baddie Thanos (Josh Brolin). The Avengers crystallized the cinematic universe model and, due to its success, has been perhaps the most influential movie event of the past decade. In the wake of The Avengers, everyone wanted to get in on the cinematic universe game: Warner Bros. announced a slate of connected DC movies; Universal put together plans for a shared monster universe; and Legendary Pictures planned another "MonsterVerse" that would bring together behemoths like Godzilla and King Kong.
Iron Man 3
- Director: Shane Black
- Release Date: May 3, 2015
- Box Office: $1.214 billion
Marvel kicked off Phase Two with a movie that remains the most controversial entry in the MCU. Many comic book fans were outraged by a mid-movie twist that, they felt, did a great disservice to an iconic Iron Man villain. Beyond the audience of hardcore fans, however, Iron Man 3 was generally quite well received, with critics praising its blend of action and comedy. It created a connective tissue between Phase One and Phase Two by showing Tony Stark struggling to deal with the lingering trauma from the Battle of New York - a character arc that would continue to play out in Phase Two's team-up movie, Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Thor: The Dark World
- Director: Alan Taylor
- Release Date: November 8, 2013
- Box Office: $644.6 million
Thor: The Dark World had a somewhat difficult road to the big screen. Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins was officially attached to the project for two months before she parted ways with Marvel, citing creative differences. Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor was then hired to direct, but difficulties during production culminated in Joss Whedon being flown in to work on certain scenes. Thor: The Dark World was a commercial success, far outperforming the first movie at the box office, but is generally regarded as one of the weaker entries in the MCU. It featured Christopher Eccleston as the villain, Malekith, and also introduced one of the five Infinity Stones: the Aether, or Reality Stone.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo
- Release Date: April 4, 2014
- Box Office: $714.3 million
Captain America's second solo outing was the first MCU movie directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, and its critical and commercial success led to the duo being handed the reins to three major team-up movies: Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4. The Winter Soldier saw Steve Rogers reunited with his old friend Bucky Barnes, who had been put in cryogenic stasis by Hydra and brainwashed into carrying out terrible deeds. The movie also introduced Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon, who (along with Black Widow) was one of Steve's only allies while he was on the run from a Hydra-corrupted SHIELD, and who would later go on to the Avengers.
Guardians of the Galaxy
- Director: James Gunn
- Release Date: August 1, 2014
- Box Office: $773.3 million
After a team-up movie and three sequels, Marvel took what many saw as a big risk with Guardians of the Galaxy. The movie featured a superhero team that basically no one outside of comic book circles had heard of, which included a talking raccoon and a sentient alien tree who could only say "I am Groot." It should have been too weird to work, but in the end its weirdness was exactly what made it work (well, that and an awesome soundtrack). Guardians of the Galaxy is also notable for giving the first proper, detailed explanation of what the Infinity Stones are and where they came from, as well as introducing the Power Stone.
