The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The franchise also includes television series, short films, digital series, and literature. The shared universe, much like the original Marvel Universe in comic books, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.
Marvel Studios releases its films in groups called "Phases", with the first three phases collectively known as "The Infinity Saga" and the following three phases as "The Multiverse Saga". The first MCU film, Iron Man (2008), began Phase One, which culminated in the 2012 crossover film The Avengers. Phase Two began with Iron Man 3 (2013) and concluded with Ant-Man (2015). Phase Three began with Captain America: Civil War (2016) and concluded with Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). Phase Four began with Black Widow (2021) and concluded with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) began Phase Five, which will end with Blade (2025), and Phase Six will begin with Fantastic Four (2025). Phase Six and "The Multiverse Saga" will conclude with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).
Marvel Television expanded the universe to network television with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC in 2013 before further expanding to streaming television on Netflix and Hulu and to cable television on Freeform. They also produced the digital series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot. Marvel Studios began producing their own television series for streaming on Disney+, starting with WandaVision in 2021 as the beginning of Phase Four. They also expanded to television specials in Phase Four, known as Marvel Studios Special Presentations, the first of which was Werewolf by Night (2022). The MCU also includes tie-in comics published by Marvel Comics, a series of direct-to-video short films called Marvel One-Shots, and viral marketing campaigns for the films featuring the faux news programs WHIH Newsfront and The Daily Bugle.
The franchise has been commercially successful, becoming one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, and generally received positive reviews. It has inspired other film and television studios to attempt similar shared universes, and has also inspired several themed attractions, an art exhibit, television specials, literary material, multiple tie-in video games, and commercials.
The Infinity Saga (2008-2019)
Phase One (2008-2012)
The films star Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub, Gwyneth Paltrow, Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, William Hurt, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, Jaimie Alexander, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Rene Russo, Anthony Hopkins, Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, Stanley Tucci, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Clark Gregg and Cobie Smulders.
| # | Title | Release Date | Director | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iron Man | May 2, 2008 | Jon Favreau | Released |
| 2 | The Incredible Hulk | June 13, 2008 | Louis Leterrier | |
| 3 | Iron Man 2 | May 7, 2010 | Jon Favreau | |
| 4 | Thor | May 6, 2011 | Kenneth Branagh | |
| 5 | Captain America: The First Avenger | July 22, 2011 | Joe Johnston | |
| 6 | The Avengers | May 4, 2012 | Joss Whedon |
Phase Two (2013-2015)
The films star Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stéphanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano, Anthony Mackie, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Robert Redford, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio del Toro, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, James Spader, Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Tip "T.I." Harris, Wood Harris, Judy Greer, David Dastmalchian and Michael Douglas.
| # | Title | Release Date | Director | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Iron Man 3 | May 3, 2013 | Shane Black | Released |
| 8 | Thor: The Dark World | November 8, 2013 | Alan Taylor | |
| 9 | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | April 4, 2014 | Anthony and Joe Russo | |
| 10 | Guardians of the Galaxy | August 1, 2014 | James Gunn | |
| 11 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | May 1, 2015 | Joss Whedon | |
| 12 | Ant-Man | July 17, 2015 | Peyton Reed |
Phase Three (2016-2019)
The films star Chadwick Boseman, Tom Holland, Daniel Brühl, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, Tyne Daly, Marisa Tomei, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, Josh Brolin, Walton Goggins, Carrie Coon, Michael James Shaw, Hannah John-Kamen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Randall Park, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Brie Larson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Jude Law, J. B. Smoove, Martin Starr, Angourie Rice and Jake Gyllenhaal.
| # | Title | Release Date | Director | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Captain America: Civil War | May 6, 2016 | Anthony and Joe Russo | Released |
| 14 | Doctor Strange | November 4, 2016 | Scott Derrickson | |
| 15 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | May 5, 2017 | James Gunn | |
| 16 | Spider-Man: Homecoming | July 7, 2017 | Jon Watts | |
| 17 | Thor: Ragnarok | November 3, 2017 | Taika Waititi | |
| 18 | Black Panther | February 16, 2018 | Ryan Coogler | |
| 19 | Avengers: Infinity War | April 27, 2018 | Anthony and Joe Russo | |
| 20 | Ant-Man and the Wasp | July 6, 2018 | Peyton Reed | |
| 21 | Captain Marvel | March 8, 2019 | Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck | |
| 22 | Avengers: Endgame | April 26, 2019 | Anthony and Joe Russo | |
| 23 | Spider-Man: Far From Home | July 2, 2019 | Jon Watts |
The Multiverse Saga (2021 present)
Phase Four (2021-2022)
The films star Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, Olga Kurylenko, Ray Winstone, Rachel Weisz, Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Meng'er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, Ronny Chieng, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Gil Birmingham, Harish Patel, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx, Thomas Haden Church, Rhys Ifans, Hannibal Buress, Xochitl Gomez, Christian Bale and Russell Crowe.
| # | Title | Release Date | Director | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Black Widow | July 9, 2021 | Cate Shortland | Released |
| 25 | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | September 3, 2021 | Destin Daniel Cretton | |
| 26 | Eternals | November 5, 2021 | Chloé Zhao | |
| 27 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | December 17, 2021 | Jon Watts | |
| 28 | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | May 6, 2022 | Sam Raimi | |
| 29 | Thor: Love and Thunder | July 8, 2022 | Taika Waititi | |
| 30 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | November 11, 2022 | Ryan Coogler |
Phase Five (2023-2025)
The films star Kathryn Newton, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Park Seo-joon, Jonathan Majors, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Maria Bakalova, Saagar Shaik, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Zawe Ashton, Danny Ramirez, Carl Lumbly, Harrison Ford, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Ayo Edebiri, Mahershala Ali, Delroy Lindo, Aaron Pierre, Milan Ray.
| # | Title | Release Date | Director | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania | February 17, 2023 | Peyton Reed | Released |
| 32 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | May 5, 2023 | James Gunn | |
| 33 | The Marvels | November 10, 2023 | Nia DaCosta | |
| 34 | Deadpool & Wolverine | July 26, 2024 | Shawn Levy | Released |
| 35 | Captain America: Brave New World | February 14, 2025 | Julius Onah | Post-Production |
| 36 | Thunderbolts | May 2, 2025 | Jake Schreier |
Phase Six (2025 present)
The films star Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Mahershala Ali
| # | Title | Director | Release Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | The Fantastic Four: First Steps | Matt Shakman | July 25, 2025 | Post-Production |
| 38 | Avengers: Doomsday | Anthony and Joe Russo | May 1, 2026 | Pre-Production |
| 39 | Spider-Man 4 | Destin Daniel Cretton | July 24, 2026 | |
| 40 | Avengers: Secret Wars | Anthony and Joe Russo | May 7, 2027 | In Development |
Films in Development
Television Series
The series stars Debra Jo Rupp, Fred Melamed, Kathryn Hahn, Evan Peters, Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Danny Ramirez, Georges St-Pierre, Adepero Oduye, Florence Kasumba, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Eugene Cordero, Tara Strong, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Sasha Lane, Jack Veal, DeObia Oparei, Richard E. Grant, Hailee Steinfeld, Tony Dalton, Fra Fee, Vera Farminga, Alaqua Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio.
| # | Title | First Released | Last Released | Created by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WandaVision | January 15, 2021 | March 5, 2021 | Jac Schaeffer | Released |
| 2 | The Falcon and the Winter Soldier | March 19, 2021 | April 23, 2021 | Malcolm Spellman | |
| 3 | Loki | June 9, 2021 | November 9, 2023 | Michael Waldron | |
| 4 | What If...? | August 11, 2021 | December 30, 2023 | A. C. Bradley | |
| 5 | Hawkeye | November 24, 2021 | December 22, 2021 | Jonathan Igla | |
| 6 | Moon Knight | March 30, 2022 | May 4, 2022 | Jeremy Slater | |
| 7 | Ms. Marvel | June 8, 2022 | July 13, 2022 | Bisha K. Ali | |
| 8 | She Hulk: Attorney at Law | August 17, 2022 | October 13, 2022 | Jessica Gao | |
| 9 | Werewolf by Night | October 7, 2022 | Michael Giacchino | ||
| 10 | The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special | November 25, 2022 | James Gunn | ||
| 11 | Secret Invasion | June 21, 2023 | July 26, 2023 | Kyle Bradstreet | |
| 12 | Echo | January 9, 2024 | Marion Dayre | ||
| 13 | Agatha All Along | September 18, 2024 | October 30, 2024 | Jac Schaeffer | |
| 14 | Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man | January 29, 2025 | Jeff Trammell | In Production | |
| 15 | Daredevil: Born Again | March 4, 2025 | Dario Scardapane | Post-Production | |
| 16 | Ironheart | June 24, 2025 | Chinaka Hodge | ||
| 17 | Eyes of Wakanda | August 6, 2025 | Todd Harris | ||
| 18 | Marvel Zombies | October 3, 2025 | Zed Wells | In Production | |
| 19 | Wonder Man | December 2025 | Andrew Guest | Post-Production | |
| 20 | Vision Quest | 2026 | Terry Matalas | In Development | |
Television Series In Development
- Nova
Short Films
- Marvel One-Shots
- Team Thor
- I Am Groot
Trivia
See Also
- X-Men (film series)
- Captain America (film series)
- Blade (film series)
- Fantastic Four (film series)
- Sony's Spider-Man Universe
- Spider-Man (film series)
- Kingsman (film series)
- Sam Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy
- The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 film series)
- Deadpool (film series)
- Wolverine (film series)
- Iron Man (film series)
- Thor (film series)
- The Avengers (film series)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (film series)
- Ant-Man (film series)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (film series)
- Doctor Strange (film series)
- Black Panther (film series)
- Captain Marvel (film series)
- Kick-Ass (film series)
- Men in Black (film series)