A new MCU movie sits as the final full-length feature in the franchise's official timeline order, as laid out by Disney+. Considering this franchise first started 17 years ago with Iron Man and consistent releases almost every year, the timeline continues to expand and potentially confuse viewers with each new movie and TV show. While reports have already teased the future for this timeline under Marvel Studios' watch, the latest additions to the saga also have an effect on how the overarching story plays out.
Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts* made its debut on Disney+ on August 27. Coming at the end of a historic slate of projects for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thunderbolts* assembled a new team of antiheroes and heroes while the Avengers slowly came back together in the background. Looking at the many projects this film is tied to, its place in the greater MCU timeline has become a regular talking point.
Upon Thunderbolts* addition to Disney+, the streamer updated the section on the Marvel hub labeled "MCU Movie Timeline." This section provides the complete list of the MCU's theatrical releases, laid out in the order in which they take place chronologically in the MCU timeline. According to the Complete MCU Timeline Order, Thunderbolts* is the most recent story in the timeline, replacing 2025's Captain America: Brave New World:
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Captain Marvel
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 2
- The Incredible Hulk
- Thor
- The Avengers
- Thor: The Dark World
- Iron Man 3
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Ant-Man
- Captain America: Civil War
- Black Widow
- Black Panther
- Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Doctor Strange
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers: Endgame
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Spider-Man: Far From Home
- Eternals
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Thor: Love and Thunder
- Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- The Marvels
- Deadpool & Wolverine
- Captain America: Brave New World
- Thunderbolts*
The only movie not included on this list as of writing is 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is not on Disney+ as of 2025. While its place in the timeline is not officially confirmed, it starts directly after the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, and most of the story comes between that film and Eternals.
Thunderbolts*, which closed out the MCU's Phase 5 slate, brought together a unique team of powerful heroes from MCU history under Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra di Fontaine. Also starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, and David Harbour, these heroes have to work together to take down Val while also stopping the newly introduced Sentry from destroying the world. Thunderbolts* is streaming on Disney+.
How Thunderbolts* Sets up Further Entries in the MCU Timeline
As the final movie of Marvel Studios' Phase 5 slate, Thunderbolts* did a lot to set up what's coming in Phase 6, the final Phase of the Multiverse Saga. This includes the first assembly of the New Avengers at the end of the movie.
The post-credits scene also set the stage for the Fantastic Four's arrival on Earth-616, which comes after their solo movie took place in the 1960s on Earth-828, almost three months after Thunderbolts*' debut. While The Fantastic Four: First Steps' place on the complete MCU timeline is a question due to its alternate universe setting, the stories are confirmed to collide in 2026.
The bigger moment comes with the New Avengers making their return in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday, complete with new costumes and experience under their belt as a unit. Although fans may or may not find out what happens in the gap between Thunderbolts* and Doomsday's events, the next Avengers movie will mark the latest point in the timeline thus far, as Doctor Doom gets set to unleash chaos on the multiverse.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
