How Many Avengers Movies Are There? Your Complete List

In the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe there are 33 movies, which is only a small drop in the bucket of Marvel content from old TV shows to movies that exist on their own. Multiple movies are confirmed to be released in the coming years, which means that number is only going to grow. The first MCU movie ever released was Iron Man on May 2, 2008.

Of the 33 MCU movies, 4 of them specifically fall under the 'Avengers' category. The first Avengers movie was released in 2012 and gave us the epic battle of New York. Many fans consider 'Captain America: Civil War' Avengers 2.5 because it includes nearly all the characters in the MCU up to that point, but officially it's a Captain America movie.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
• Director: Joe Johnston
• Starring: Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones

Start things off at the true genesis of the series, Captain America: The First Avenger, a 2011 release that was the penultimate film of the first phase of the Avengers. In classic Marvel fashion, Captain America is actually introduced right before the first Avengers movie, tying up a bunch of loose ends and easter eggs from the previous four films which included Iron Man, The Hulk, and Thor setting the stage for the epic superhero mashup that dominated summer screens during 2012. Kick things off with the first true film of the series and enjoy Chris Evans’ journey of self-discovery as the genetically mutated savior of the United States.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
• Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
• Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Jude Law

The true second movie of the series released in 2019 when Brie Larson graced the big screen as Captain Marvel, the series’ first female superhero to be featured in her own film. The plot revolves around Larson’s character, who is stuck between a fight for her own homeland and Earth in 1995. The flick gives great insight into the start of the Avengers initiative and her relationship with Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, one of Marvel’s most mysterious and elusive characters, not to mention the subtle, vintage nostalgia that the film features from the mid-90s.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
• Director: Jon Favreau
• Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Shaun Toub

Arguably the best single film of the entire series, Iron Man, was the Marvel movie that made me fall in love with the franchise. The smart talking-rebel-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist with a John Favreau sidekick was apparently the perfect recipe to bring me into the cinematic universe of Marvel’s superheroes. As the third movie in the correct order, Iron Man was actually the first movie released from the series when Robert Downey Jr. first appeared as the “too reckless to lead the Avengers” superhero that won our hearts in 2008. The star-studded film not only opened the door to two more sequels but signaled the success of the forthcoming generation of Marvel’s Avengers movies.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
• Director: Jon Favreau
• Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke

Keep the train rolling with everyone’s favorite avenger and jump right into the sequel, Iron Man 2. Despite releasing two years after its predecessor the film picks up right where the original left off. RDJ faces more conflict with himself, falling in line with Fury, and some of his own allies. In general, the sequel is never as good as the first, and Iron Man 2 is no exception, however, Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell play a villainous duo that brings the picture home and leave viewers quoting Rourke’s part about getting his “bourd” shipped to him from Russia. The movie also introduces us to Natasha AKA Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
• Director: Louis Letterier
• Starring: Edward Norton, Tim Roth, Liv Tyler, William Hurt

The Incredible Hulk dropped just about a month after the OG Iron Man in June of 2008 and featured Edward Norton as the good vs. evil super-scientist, Dr. Bruce Banner. The ‘08 rendition of the classic Marvel superhero saw all of the Jekyll and Hyde themes of the classic tale and featured Liv Tyler as Norton’s love interest. The film by itself isn’t bad and makes for a nice break in the Avengers universe as Norton’s Hulk is so different from Mark Ruffalo, who went on to replace him for The Avengers in 2012.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
• Director: Kenneth Branagh
• Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Colm Feore

Thor, the mighty hammer-wielding demi-God from Norse mythology, makes his debut in 2011 played by Chris Hemsworth. The film focuses on his complicated relationship with the Earthlings he meets after crash landing in the American Southwest as a banishing punishment from his homeworld of Asgard. The mighty hero dodges the American government, meddling from the S.H.I.E.L.D. agency, on his way to return and defeat his trickster brother, Loki, portrayed expertly by Tom Hiddleston.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
• Director: Joss Whedon ​
• Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson

As seamlessly as possible, The Avengers premiered in 2012, picking up where Thor left off, rejoined by Stark, Banner, and other characters to bring down Loki, who’s in possession of the Tesseract to do the world-ending bidding of Thanos (we'll get to him later). The star-studded cast brought the previous films to fruition with single-minded origin stories intertwining to kick off the epic assembly of the Avengers for the first time. As usual, the first Avengers movie takes the cake and is inarguably the best of three movies where the team comes together.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
• Director: Shane Black
• Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Don Cheadle

We follow Tony Stark through his journey as the leader of the Avengers and pick things back up with the MCU at his doorstep in Iron Man 3. Reeling from the past events, the threat of future violence, and a new “man behind the curtain” villain who threatens Stark as well as his girlfriend, Pepper Potts. The future of Stark industries hangs in the balance in this one, a proper start to phase 2 of the infinity saga.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
• Director: Alan Taylor
• Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, Christopher Eccleston

Similar to how we check back in on Tony Stark in Iron Man 3, so do we with Thor on The Dark World, a 2013 release that takes another look at Thor’s complicated relationship with his allies on Earth, his untrustworthy brother Loki, and his universal duty to protect the world from destruction. The second iteration of everyone’s favorite demigod gets us to learn more about Thor and brings us closer to the wide expanse of the MCU as a whole. 

• Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
• Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders

The secondary leader of the Avengers squad, Captain America is the nicer Tony Stark as some might say. The proper leader relies on his strict militaristic upbringing and classic 1940s manner to bring some old fashioned levity to the group, but things aren’t as calm as they seem. Still, waters run deep for Cap and his relationship with the Winter Soldier, his old ally Bucky, comes to life in the 2014 release that takes place after the disaster in New York and before the Avengers take up arms against their sentient robot nemesis, Ultron. This one explores some more characters like Black Widow and Falcon as the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. who assist Captain America in this film which continues to expand the MCU past the original characters.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 92% ​​​
• Director: James Gunn
• Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker

Taking a break from our traditional heroes in the second phase of the infinity saga, the MCU took a left turn in the galaxy and introduced us to the incredibly funny and charismatic Guardians of the Galaxy. The hilarious mashup of different characters was led by Chris Pratt, an intergalactic bounty hunter named Starlord and Bradley Cooper, his genetically engineered talking Raccoon sidekick. The duo was joined by the true hero of the entire MCU, Groot, who only needs one word to communicate how he feels about the movie. Pratt leads us on a winning odyssey through the universe underscored by a sensational soundtrack filled with '80s hits (the good ones).

• Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
• Director: James Gunn
• Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, Chris Sullivan

At this point in the watching schedule, viewers are satisfied with the backstories and tribulations of the main characters, leaving ample room to double down with the Guardians of the Galaxy and get right into Vol. 2—an excellent sequel that made up for its lack of action with its intricate storyline of Starlord’s lineage, his white whale. Vol. 2 is a sleeper hit of the series and the only thing more entertaining than the sci-fi action and tear-jerking realizations is the nostalgia-filled soundtrack of the film.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 76%
• Director: Joss Whedon
• Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, James Spader

With the Guardians introduced and the stage finally set, the team rejoins their ranks to battle Ultron, the gang’s sentient science project gone wrong. He’s voiced by the incomparable James Spader and makes for one hell of a villain. The second Avengers movie features everyone’s favorites including a depleted Tony Stark, Bruce Banner almost completely uncontrollable, and two new characters, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, a pair of twins with a serious vendetta.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 83% ​​​​​​
• Director: Peyton Reed
• Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Corey Stoll, Anthony Mackie, Michael Douglas

When Ant-Man was first released, I honestly didn’t even know he was a real superhero. Turns out the low key hero would come to be one of the more relatable heroes. Instead of the playboy millionaire of demi-god we met, Scott Lang is an out of work cat burglar with a degree in electrical engineering. What transpires is fairly funny - Lang meets Dr. Pym as Michael Douglas, a genius who created the suit to shrink down and battle the bad guys. The film works well as it finishes off the second phase of the Avengers with a solo story, priming us for the third and final chapter of the Avengers.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
• Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman

We check back in with old Captain America and things are not going well! In Civil War, we see Cap face off in a literal civil war against supposed pal, Iron Man. The conflict? Cap’s old buddy Bucky of course. Has he become too much of a threat (you’re team Stark if you think so) or is there still time for a second chance? (Team Cap obviously for this one). Find out in Captain America: Civil War, the third Captain America-focused flick, and the premier of phase three of the Infinity saga. The movie helps to set the stage for what another huge battle might look like (foreshadowing) and features the first appearance of Black Panther and NYC’s favorite web-slinger, as well.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
• Director: Jon Watts
• Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Robert Downey Dr., Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, Michael Keaton, Donald Glover, Laura Harrier

Everyone’s favorite neighborhood superhero stole the show (and Cap’s shield) in Civil War, so it only makes sense to keep the momentum going with Spider-Man: Homecoming, a reboot of the character featuring Tom Holland as the masked web-slinger. The movie helps to introduce a new character to the MCU but also introduces the most heartfelt relationship of the series, that of Parker and Tony Stark who’s original mentorship of young Parker grows throughout the movie as well as the other films where Spidey and Iron Man team-up. The film hits all the high notes, Holland as the perfectly clueless and naive hero facing off against Vulture, portrayed by grizzled superhero veteran Michael Keaton. We also get the introduction to Spideys Mary Jane in the MCU, played by the always wonderful Zendaya.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
• Director: Scott Derrickson
• Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton

In phase three of the infinity series, we see the lineup of heroes expand greatly. No doubt padding the roster for their next go at saving the world, the Avengers introduces Doctor (never Dr.) Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to the team with a mythical origin story set in NYC. Cumberbatch plays the cocky, yet expert doctor who is left crippled after a devastating car wreck. Hardly able to stand, Strange, reclaims his body, and his soul with new magical powers and a new cape that restores his status as the country’s best surgeon and much much more. Strange reminds us of why we love Tony Stark—best at what he does and knows it.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
• Director: Ryan Coogler
• Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Danai Gurira, Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett

Wakanda forever! 2018 was a big year for Marvel movies—three films were released, but none of them were nearly as popular or impactful as Black Panther. The origin story of our clawed hero, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), begins with his homeland, Wakanda, under pressure to find a new leader. The secret society is cut off from the world, their superior technological advancements keep them from ever having to interact, yet their peaceful society debates whether to act and use their power to even the score for people of color across the world. T’Challa’s throne is challenged by his “thought you were dead” cousin, Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) who takes over in a classic Shakespearean family-oriented power struggle. The result is an epic struggle that sees T’Challa and “uses this power for good” strategy atop the throne.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
• Director: Taika Waititi
• Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, Anthony Hopkins

Thor: Ragnarok picks things back up with Thor, in his rightful place as the leader of Asgard...except that’s not the case and in fact, Thor’s sister, Hela, is back to try and take things over (even Loki is scared of her). Not only does Thor lose his hammer, but he’s forced to team up with Loki again to protect their homeworld from sure destruction. Ragnarok is a real story of self-discovery and even features an epic one-on-one battle with the Hulk that you’re not going to want to miss.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
• Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Benedict Wong, Idris Elba, Josh Brolin

With side stories wrapped up and feuding friends reconciled, it’s time to wave the rally flag and assemble the Avengers. With the stage set, Marvel revealed their epic villain Thanos to the world for the first time in Avengers: Infinity War. Thanos is dead set on his goal of finding all of the infinity stones and there isn’t much that’s going to get in his way, despite peak cooperation amongst our heroes. The battles are epic, and the character development, a must watch, all around Infinity War was not only the movie of the summer but also has a proper standing as that year’s most important film release.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
• Director: Peyton Reed
• Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Peña, Hannah John-Kamen, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Pfeiffer

Despite beginning to pull the curtain on the third phase of the Avengers series, producers and creators have made it clear that the MCU is far from over. With fans frothing at the mouth for Endgame, they had to wait just a little longer, but to get them geared up for the true future of the franchise, Ant-Man and the Wasp premiered in 2018 and picked back up with our hero on house arrest. Obviously, it doesn't leave him chained for that long as he joins forces with his female counterpart, the Wasp (Hayley Lovitt), to bring the film to its conclusion.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
• Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Letitia Wright, Idris Elba, Josh Brolin

With Avengers fans still stuck to their theater chairs from the original screening of Infinity War (the quote, “I don’t feel so good Mr. Stark,” still kills me), Endgame made a swift appearance on the big screen, arriving just one year after Infinity War. The flick featured everyone’s band of heroes for one final showdown; the gang struggles against Thanos, his army, and his incredible ability to collect infinity stones but prevail in the end—one major sacrifice later.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
• Director: Jon Watts
• Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Samuel L. Jackson, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, Jake Gyllenhaal

With Endgame settled and a new future laid out for our heroes, the third phase of the infinity saga comes to a close with Spider-Man: Far From Home, as Peter Parker must now fly on his own without the tutelage of Tony Stark. Parker decides to take a break and enjoy a class trip to Europe, but obviously, fate and Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) have other plans. Parker does his best, but Mysterio is one step ahead of his own defeat, ensuring mutually assured destruction by revealing Spider-Man’s true identity to the world. 

• Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
• Director: Cate Shortland
• Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, O- T Fagbenle, David Harbour, Olga Kurylenko

Delayed time and time again, Black Widow finally hit theaters in July of 2021, making it the first Marvel movie to premiere post-March of 2020. The film follows our newly-departed hero from Endgame, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), in a bit of a look back into her past along with her sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh). While we first focus on a specific mission back in 1995, we also zoom to the more recent past in 2016, tracking Black Widow as she's a fugitive on the loose.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
• Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
• Starring: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Tony Leung Chiu-wai

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings combines Shang-Chi's traumatic past with his calmer present, though that doesn't last too long. His father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung) created the Ten Rings organization before he was born, which refers to the ten rings that he found, which have insane mystical powers that allow people to be immortal. However, after the death of his mother, Shang-Chi decided to abandon the organization that he was born into, starting a new life for himself. The only catch? He can't escape the Ten Rings forever.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 47%
• Director: Chloé Zhao
• Starring: Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Lia McHugh, Kumail Nanjiani, Barry Keoghan

With a stacked cast and a director just coming off a major win of Best Director at the Academy Awards, Eternals is a Marvel film that was receiving quite a bit of hype regardless of the fact that the even more-hyped Spider-Man: No Way Home was just around the corner. We're introduced to a ton of new superheroes in Eternals who are all part of the eponymous group being sent on a mission to eliminate the Deviants, all in the hope that they'll be able to gear up for the Emergence.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
• Director: Jon Watts
• Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx, Rhys Ifans, Thomas Haden Church

Aside from Avengers: Endgame, I don't think we've ever seen a more hyped-up movie than Spider-Man: No Way Home. Maybe it was the fact that we just hadn't had a good Spider-Man flick in a while because of COVID-19, but regardless of the reasoning, the need for this movie was palpable. Thankfully, the film lived up to and exceeded those expectations with a cast comprised of old friends and foes. Oh, and we all got the much-needed return of our good old buddy, the Green Goblin.

The Multiverse is basically the main antagonist of this film, as all of the current Spider-Man's enemies are brought back from his past, along with all of the old Spider-Men who fought them. Aside from some minor aches and pains, the Spider-Men of the past are more than capable of returning the unleashed adversaries (The Green Goblin, Doc Ock, The Lizard, Electro, and Sandman) to their own universes, though there's a major catch at the end for Tom Holland's Peter Parker.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
• Director: Sam Raimi
• Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Xochitl Gomez, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams

Released in May of 2022, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a sequel to 2016's Doctor Strange—and the two films couldn't be more different. For one, we've got a completely new character thrown into the mix, America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a teenage girl who has the power to travel the Multiverse. Chavez becomes the person being yanked back and forth throughout the course of the film, as the Scarlet Witch is desperate to take her away and claim possession of her powers in order to be a mother to her two sons. Because of this, Dr. Strange attempts to keep Chavez safe from the Scarlet Witch, though it proves to be much more difficult than anticipated.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
• Director: Taika Waititi
• Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Taika Waititi, Russell Crowe, Jaimie Alexander

'Thor: Love and Thunder' was a highly anticipated MCU entry that did not fully live up to expectations. Taika Waititi completely flipped Thors character arc in the best way in 'Thor: Ragnarok', but that same humor and fast paced action didn't translate as well in this movie. There is still a lot for Thor to accomplish and stand for in the MCU so we should be seeing him again in the future.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
• Director: Ryan Coogler
• Starring: Letita Wright, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong'o, Tenoch Huerta, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke

The second installment to the 'Black Panther' storyline, Wakanda Forever gives us the MCU's most somber film. This movie debuted just two years after Chadwick Boseman passed away in real life, and Letita Wright picks up the mantle as the new Black Panther. This movie will leave you laughing and crying by the times the end-credits roll and is a very fitting tribute to one of the MCU's greatest stars.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 46%
• Director: Peyton Reed
• Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Bill Murray, Kathryn Newton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas

The Ant-Man trilogy in the MCU is a pretty split one for fans, as some love it and can't get enough, where others feel it's completely unnecessary. Personally, I love every minute of Paul Rudd in the MCU, but there was definitely a dip in story line with Quantumania. Add in the fact that most of this storyline is being thrown away due to controversies surrounding Jonathan Majors, I don't think much from this movie will come back to be relevant in the big picture of the MCU.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
• Director: James Gunn
• Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter

Without a doubt if there is a bright spot in the last two years of the MCU, it's the final installment to the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. Notably, this is the last movie James Gunn was set to direct before departing to take control of the DC univese. This movie is a perfect ending to the beloved Guardians of the Galaxy, with an extra emphasis on the character arc of rocket.

• Rotten Tomatoes: 62%
• Director: Nia DaCosta
• Starring: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Samuel L. Jackson, Zawe Ashton, Park Seo-joon

Ten MCU movies have crossed the $1 billion grossed mark, and on that list is the first Captain Marvel movie. Disney unfortunately did not see the same result with The Marvels, as it is currently the franchises lowest grossing movie. This could be due to superhero fatigue or the movie just not being anything special, but it's clear the MCU needs to start looking in a different direction.