Introducing my GF to the MCU for the first time — here’s the release-order timeline I’m using. What would you skip or add?

I'm following release order, because for a newcomer I think this would be the best way to introduce her. Bold for the movies.

**PHASE 1**

**Iron Man**
**The Incredible Hulk**
**Iron Man 2**
**Thor**
**Captain America: The First Avenger**
*The Consultant*
*A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer*
**The Avengers**
*Item 47*

**PHASE 2**

**Iron Man 3**
*Agent Carter*
Agents of SHIELD | S1 (E1 - E6)
**Thor: The Dark World**
*All Hail the King*
Agents of SHIELD | S1 (E7 - E15)
**Captain America: The Winter Soldier**|
Agents of SHIELD | S1 (E16 - E22)
**Guardians of the Galaxy**
Agents of SHIELD | S2 (E1 - E10)
Agent Carter | S1
Agents of SHIELD | S2 (E11 - E15)
Daredevil | S1
**Avengers: Age of Ultron**
Agents of SHIELD | S2 (E16 - E22)
**Ant-Man**

**PHASE 3**

Agents of SHIELD | S3 (E1 - E19)
Jessica Jones | S1
Agent Carter | S2
Daredevil | S2
**Captain America: Civil War**
Agents of SHIELD | S3 (E20 - E22)
*Team Thor*
Luke Cage | S1
Agents of SHIELD | S4 (E1- E6)
**Doctor Strange**
Agents of SHIELD | S4 (E7- E15)
*Team Thor: Part 2*
Iron Fist | S1
Agents of SHIELD | S4 (E16- E20)
**Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2**
Agents of SHIELD | S4 (E21- E22)
**Spider-Man: Homecoming**
The Defenders | S1
Inhumans | S1
**Thor: Ragnarok**
The Punisher | S1
Runaways | S1
Agents of SHIELD | S5
**Black Panther**
*Team Darryl*
Jessica Jones | S2
**Avengers: Infinity War**
Cloak & Dagger | S1
Luke Cage | S2
**Ant-Man and the Wasp**
Iron Fist | S2
Daredevil | S3
Runaways | S2
The Punisher | S2
**Captain Marvel**
Cloak & Dagger | S2
**Avengers: Endgame**
Agents of SHIELD | S6
Jessica Jones | S3
**Spider-Man: Far From Home**
Runaways
Agents of SHIELD | S7

**PHASE 4**

WandaVision
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Loki | S1
**Black Widow**
What If...?| S1
**Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings**
**Eternals**
Hawkeye
**Spider-Man: No Way Home**
Moon Knight
**Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness**
Ms Marvel
**Thor: Love and Thunder**
I Am Groot | S1
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Werewolf By Night
**Black Panther: Wakanda Forever**
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
**Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania**
**Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3**
Secret Invasion| |I Am Groot | S2
Loki | S2
**The Marvels**
What If...? | S2
Echo
**Deadpool & Wolverine**
Agatha All Along
What If...? | S3
**Captain America: Brave New World**
Daredevil: Born Again
**Thunderbolts**
Ironheart | S1
**The Fantastic Four: First Steps**
Eyes of Wakanda
Marvel Zombies

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Commentaires

Gorguf622025-10-09 00:00

That's way too much for an introduction. Start with just the Phase 1 movies, then if there's still interest, do Phase 2 and Phase 3 movies, then go into the TV series and the Multiverse Saga after that if they're still interested.

jrodfantastic2025-10-09 00:01

Giving your girlfriend homework consisting of 400+ hours of nerd movies sounds like a great way to no longer have a girlfriend.

aquarius642025-10-09 01:14

she's actually very into it haha we already watched the whole phase 1. but it's the tv shows from phase 2 that i'm more concerned about, cuz they're too much, so i was wondering what could i skip without losing much context

Bish_Fantastic2025-10-09 01:36

Movies only, my guy. She could go back and watch the shows if she wanted but they aren’t required viewing and really add nothing to the movies.

__wasitacatisaw__2025-10-09 01:41

That’s a sound advice up to multiverse saga.

Wandavision and Loki is a can’t-miss for starters

Bish_Fantastic2025-10-09 02:46

Agree, but let’s get her to the multiverse saga first

shellexyz2025-10-09 03:03

Those shows are also a dozen hours, not 400+. The killer there is Agents of SHIELD, 7 seasons and 150+ episodes. Not that it isn’t good or worth watching, because it totally is, but aside from showing some of the fallout of Winter Soldier and explaining where Fury got the helicarrier in Ultron, it doesn’t really connect well to the larger MCU.

It’s a shame, because there are some very compelling and interesting characters and stories there, but if a goal is to get to Endgame with some anticipation and excitement, it’s not necessary.

__wasitacatisaw__2025-10-09 03:23

It’s like I said up to multiverse saga

It’s a sound advice to skip shows up to multiverse saga.

After multiverse saga, some of the shows is a must watch.

shellexyz2025-10-09 04:00

There is very little that isn’t worth watching. I was a big fan of the Defenders saga, the casting in it is just magnificent. But Netflix required 13-episode seasons and they would have been better off with 8-10. By the time they got to Defenders, I kind wished *that one* was actually longer.

__wasitacatisaw__2025-10-09 04:20

I’ll say it again, I said the multiverse saga.

All the Netflix shows and other shows you listed ran during the infinity saga.

I’m talking about shows like WandaVision and Loki.

Read more carefully buddy

marvelcomics222025-10-09 09:27

It's 136

eagc72025-10-09 05:11

Right now i would advise skipping Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, Inhumans, Cloak and Dagger and Runaways until/unless we see them crossover with the films

I would stick with the Netflix shows considering they will show up in the Multiverse Saga projects, but do ask her if she's interested on any of the non-Netflix shows.

wholesomescott2025-10-09 00:07

Just stick to the movies man. That's more than enough.

If she shows interest then you can get her into the tv shows.

Argylesox952025-10-09 00:31

1. Go ahead and skip all of the tv shows and shorts from phase 1-3, even if one or two of them are still cannon, its not worth the time sink. Daredevil might be the only exception worth it. (about 40 min in phase 1, at least 3 days in 2, and probably a weeks or mores worth in 3 just in watch time)

2. Go ahead and skip any tv shows phases 4-6 that are animated (for now). They are not in the main timeline (except maybe EOW) but they may be worth it afterwards (if they are still interested). (another week+ worth of time saved)

Just go in phases, It will be easier to digest. also phase 5 is quantumania to ironheart. F4 is the start of 6.

To add: maybe the spiderman films if she wants context for NWH, same for the deadpool films. maybe revisit after watching relevant film.

Otherwise, i feel like everything else either matters for future films, or are at least fun projects. the two i can think as of now not worth watching is quantumania and secret invasion where they are both not great and are most likely not going to lead anywhere.

Scary-Command22322025-10-09 00:36

I would echo others to start, stick to the movies in the infinity saga. Then I would follow up with Wanda vision and far from home then straight into no way home, guardians Xmas special and guardians 3. They all feel the best follow ons from the infinity saga imo.

If she is still on board, try Jessica Jones S1 and the original Daredevil series. After that there is Hawkeye, loki and falcon and the winter soldier to watch, and if she's still interested, rest of the multiverse films and TV to watch.

DragonzordR2025-10-09 00:36

I would never make someone watch the pre-Disney+ era shows. Not because they're bad or anything, but because they don't matter at all to the main MCU (movies) and they're TOO MUCH. They should only watch the movies and the Disney+ shows related to them (WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, Loki, FatWS, Hawkeye I guess...) and then, only if they want more, you can show them Agents of SHIELD, the Netflix shows and the rest of Disney+ shows if they're interested in those characters.

AdultSWIMDeep2025-10-09 00:38

The fact that you threw in non-canon series like Agents of M.I.D. and The Runaways in this list already shows you're doing way too much. Give her some room to breathe and just watch the movies first.

ObviousAnswerGuy2025-10-09 05:21

AoS was awesome, not sure what you're on. But I agree to just give her the movies and then go back.

elstephe2025-10-09 01:03

Unless she's dead set on watching the entire thing, absolutely don't do this. I would focus on your personal favorites, the stuff in her favorite genre, or show her a bunch of the trailers and determine what seems most interesting to her. You absolutely can watch things out of order to expand from there.

M_R0N2025-10-09 01:19

[removed]

aquarius642025-10-09 11:28

i'm not forcing anything tbh she's actually the one who asked me to introduce her and she's been really into it so far 😁

Void_Warden2025-10-09 16:57

don't bother with them. They're just a troll and have been spamming negative comments all over the sub

drnprz2025-10-09 01:24

Id say start with the movies first

skateboardude7612025-10-09 01:38

Nah go timeline makes the universe feel much better and leave out agents of shield

marvelcomics222025-10-09 09:27

That is a horrible idea for first time viewers.

skateboardude7612025-10-09 13:45

How so?

marvelcomics222025-10-09 14:04

Release Order is the way to go because with chronological, you watch things in the order that they take place in the timeline, and then have a million projects before they become important again. Since OP is including all the shows, let's say that you start with Captain America: The First Avenger, you don't see Cap for six more projects after that, and because the first thing in the MCU timeline is Eyes Of Wakanda, that sets up something that you don't watch until sitting through about fifteen movies and almost 25 seasons of television.

skateboardude7612025-10-09 14:06

Nah cut out the pre Disney+ and animated shows

Positive-Poetry-27352025-10-09 01:39

If you want to skip some because it’s just wayyyy too much and you want her to be up-to-date without seeing it all:

Iron Man
The Avengers
Captain America: Winter Soldier
Gardians of the galaxy
Captain America: Civil War
Spiderman: Homecoming
Thor: Ragnarok
Black Panther
Avengers Infinity War
Avengers Endgame
Shang-Chi
Spider-Man No way home
The Marvels
Thunderbolts
Fantastic Four

Ronenthelich2025-10-09 01:45

I wouldn’t skip anything right away, but if the shows feel like a slog I’d start to skip them.

Jereboy2162025-10-09 02:04

I would honestly just skip all the tv shows unless she really seems interested in them. The movies give enough context to fill in any gaps missing from the shows. Cause if you dont that is many many more hours to get through and depending on interest level it will burn her out

bangarang902102025-10-09 02:04

If she saw this lineup and is still interested, you take a break in phase 3 to ask her to marry you. Dont let that get away.

aquarius642025-10-09 11:39

I already have my friend 🫡 🤓

ProjectMKNAOMI2025-10-09 02:10

I would skip Hulk. It doesn't do much for the overall MCU, and it's really easy to get someone to lose interest with it. I'd also skip The Dark World, but that's just a personal preference.

StoryArcher2025-10-09 02:27

There's a linked document in the OP which will be your absolute best friend...

[https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/14lccgy/ideal\_mcu\_viewing\_order\_all\_properties\_updated/](https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/14lccgy/ideal_mcu_viewing_order_all_properties_updated/)

d2eRX522025-10-18 14:29

mmmm, i'm not op but im personally kinda don't like having captain america as a first movie, even if it chronologically it is before the events of iron man

after first watch? sure, but not when someone watches mcu first time

StoryArcher2025-10-18 18:05

It actually works really well. It's not so much about the chronology - for instance, I'd NEVER put Captain Marvel before Iron Man - it's more about the narrative build, moving the story gradually from a low-tech naive world without super-heroes or villains gradually into a larger, more technologically advanced universe. It also helps to better establish the sense that Steve is a man out of time, which is a huge part of his character arc, and fits far better with the concept of him being 'The First Avenger'.

In my personal edit, the entire movie takes place in the 1940's. The opening scene is removed and instead serves as the post-credit scene for the film, with Steve's awakening being used as the post-credit scene for Iron-Man 2.

ChaoticCaptain1772025-10-09 03:02

I'm gonna agree with everyone else here and say just focus on the movies

ShawshankException2025-10-09 03:26

Dude. Just show her the movies first. Good lord

AllFuzzedOut2025-10-09 04:37

If you’re committing to a FULL watch, and you really do believe she’d do it, then might as well add every non-MCU movie that eventually connects through the multi-verse.

The spider man movies, the X-men movies, the daredevil/elecktra movies, the blade movies, the fantastic four movies, hell throw in Inhumans show too

marvelcomics222025-10-09 09:27

Watch S1 of every show when you get to it, and if you hate it, drop it.

j1h152332025-10-09 16:49

Just do the movies man. You’re going to burn her out

walkinmermaid2025-10-10 21:52

I would skip The Defenders and for Agents of SHIELD I would watch along.

Focus on the movies. Shows only become revelant after the infinity saga.

snowhawk042025-10-11 02:58

If she likes the first half of the first season of *Agents of SHIELD*, especially episodes 10-14, then she's going to love most of the series, if not the entire series. Just keep watching that and watch the movies at the points they were released in the order you showed above. The show takes what happens in the movies and either provides more details or starts to use ideas/themes from the movies in their own storytelling. The *Spider-Man* movies are the only things they don't really touch on. *Captain Marvel* takes place before the show, but there is a background character in it who showed up in season 1. The other shows can really just be watched anytime you want. The Defenders-verse shows have their own specific watch order.