Disney+ Reveals New MCU Timeline With The Fantastic Four

Disney+ has once again altered the chronological order of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, adding a significant piece of Phase 6 content into its widely referenced MCU Complete Timeline. The new addition is Marvel Studios' most recent cinematic release, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which has been placed at the absolute final slot in the meticulously curated list, marking a definitive endpoint to the current chronological viewing order. 

The placement is particularly noteworthy because, while the film is predominantly set in an alternate reality (Earth-828) during the 1960s, Disney+'s official timeline prioritizes the content's relationship to the overarching Multiverse Saga and its position as the latest released film, rather than its internal, non-616 chronological setting. This decision effectively places the introduction of Marvel's First Family as the definitive narrative bookmark for the entire saga to date, serving as the immediate precursor to the universe-shattering events of future films like Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. 

The Disney+ MCU Complete Timeline, despite its issues, has become a way for fans to experience the Marvel story in order of events. Content that manipulates time or the Multiverse, such as Loki or the non-linear elements of Phase 4 and 5, is often positioned to reflect where its concepts or narrative outcomes logically point the viewer, rather than purely when its events begin. 

The inclusion of The Fantastic Four: First Steps at the end solidifies its importance not as a '60s period piece, but as the most crucial foundational event for the future of the MCU, the introduction of a parallel-Earth hero team that is confirmed to cross over into the main Earth-616 timeline. 

For a franchise built on an ever-expanding narrative, this update provides a crystal-clear answer to where the newest piece of the puzzle belongs: at the very front of the coming storm. By pushing this Phase 6 cornerstone to the final spot, the timeline ensures that once viewers complete their journey, they are left with the final, most current context before the next major Multiversal clash.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which debuted on Disney+ on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, follows Marvel’s First Family as they confront their greatest challenge yet, the planet-devourer Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm push their powers and teamwork to the limit as they race to stop the cosmic threat and save Earth from annihilation.
After the addition of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the updated chronological order on Disney+ is as follows:

1. Eyes of Wakanda
2. Captain America: The First Avenger
3. Captain Marvel
4. Iron Man
5. Iron Man 2
6. The Incredible Hulk
7. Thor
8. The Avengers
9. Thor: The Dark World
10. Iron Man 3
11. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
12. Guardians of the Galaxy
13. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
14. I Am Groot
15. Daredevil
16. Jessica Jones
17. Avengers: Age of Ultron
18. Ant-Man
19. Luke Cage
20. Iron Fist
21. Defenders
22. Captain America: Civil War
23. Black Widow
24. Black Panther
25. The Punisher
26. Spider-Man: Homecoming
27. Doctor Strange
28. Thor: Ragnarok
29. Ant-Man and the Wasp
30. Avengers: Infinity War
31. Avengers: Endgame
32. Loki
33. What If…?
34. Marvel Zombies
35. WandaVision
36. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
37. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
38. Spider-Man: Far From Home
39. The Eternals
40. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
41. Hawkeye
42. Moon Knight
43. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
44. Echo
45. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
46. Ms. Marvel
47. Thor: Love and Thunder
48. Ironheart
49. Werewolf by Night
50. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
51. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
52. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
53. Secret Invasion
54. The Marvels
55. Deadpool & Wolverine
56. Agatha All Along
57. Daredevil: Born Again
58. Captain America: Brave New World
59. Thunderbolts
60. Fantastic Four: First Steps

What the MCU Release Timeline Looks Like for 2026

The inclusion of The Fantastic Four: First Steps as the latest entry not only concludes the Phase 5 slate on the timeline but serves as a clear starting line for Phase 6, the final sprint toward the end of the Multiverse Saga. The timeline will rapidly evolve through 2026, as Marvel Studios has lined up several major projects that will directly follow the events of the new Fantastic Four film:

2026 Films

The year 2026 is poised to be one of the most consequential years in MCU history, primarily featuring two highly anticipated films that form the backbone of the Multiverse Saga's climax:

• Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31, 2026): Tom Holland’s fourth solo outing is expected to deal heavily with the fallout of his anonymity from No Way Home while potentially introducing street-level threats and concepts that tie into the Multiverse's broader unrest.

• Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026): The first Avengers film since Endgame is scheduled for the end of the year. Following the introduction of Doctor Doom in the post-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, this film is set to feature the Avengers, X-Men, and Thunderbolts, amongst others, as they face the massive, looming threat of the villainous Latverian monarch.

2026 Disney+ Series

Beyond the theatrical films, several Disney+ series are set to enrich the timeline.

• Wonder Man (January 27, 2026): This series will introduce the Hollywood star and eventual Avenger, Simon Williams, offering a satirical and action-packed look at the celebrity side of superheroism.

• Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (March 2026): With the events of Phase 5 establishing Daredevil’s return to the MCU, his second season is expected to further explore the political landscape of New York City and Wilson Fisk’s ascent as Mayor, which will be vital context leading into the climax of Phase 6.

• VisionQuest (2026): The spin-off following the rebuilt, all-white Vision will provide a deep dive into the synthezoid's search for identity and purpose, following the conclusion of WandaVision and Agatha All Along.

It will be fascinating to see exactly where Disney+ chooses to place each of these future projects in the official chronological timeline once they are released.