Captain Marvel movies in order: How to watch the MCU Captain Marvel films

Captain Marvel has become one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s biggest heroes. What is the correct order to watch her MCU movies?

In 2019, a lot changed for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A large part of that was down to the fact that it was the year in which 14 years of storytelling culminated in the record-breaking Avengers: Endgame, but one of the other major success stories from that year was Captain Marvel.

The movie officially introduced Carol Danvers into the mix, revealing that she had been there all along (just out there in the stars). The arrival of Captain Marvel gave The Avengers an edge in their battle against Thanos and her debut movie made history by becoming the first female-led superhero movie to gross over $1 billion at the box office.

Carol returns to screens in long-awaited sequel The Marvels, so if you haven’t been watching the MCU movies lately and would likely to know which Captain Marvel movies to watch, here’s what you need to know.

Every solo Captain Marvel movie in the MCU

With the release of The Marvels, there are now two solo Captain Marvel movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first one was released in 2019 and it focuses on the origins of Carol Danvers and how she developed such unearthly powers, while Carol shares top billing with two other MCU heroes in the second installment.

Here’s how to watch the Captain Marvel movies without the other vital MCU installments:

Captain Marvel

• Release date: March 8, 2019
• Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
• Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, Jude Law

Our first introduction to Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers comes in her own self-titled movie, which premiered in movie theaters in 2019. Coming between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel flashes back to 1995 to show us how Nick Fury and Carol Danvers first crossed paths, revealing more about who the latter was and why she was Fury’s secret weapon in the fight against Thanos.

It’s a tale of strength and purpose, as Carol figures out who she truly is and attempts to find her place in the universe. It also delves into the Skrull and Kree history, and features other important MCU characters, including Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson, and the first appearance for Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos.

The Marvels

• Release date: November 10, 2023
• Director: Nia DaCosta
• Cast: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Park Seo-joon, Samuel L. Jackson

The long-awaited sequel won’t just bring back Carol Danvers, it will see her team with Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau, a.k.a. Photon, in an epic super team-up movie that will explore both the world and the universe it resides in.

As teased in the Ms. Marvel season finale, the trio’s powers have become entangled, meaning that they constantly swap places with each other every time that they used their powers no matter where they are in the galaxy. While doing this, and figuring out how to be a team, they must stop the threat Kree war revolutionary Dar-Benn.

Captain Marvel movies and shows in order with Avengers

Captain Marvel may have made her debut in her own standalone movie, but that’s not the only MCU outing she appeared in. She has since gone on to become one of the most important characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with an array of appearances via supporting roles, cameos, and post-credits scenes.

While all of her major appearances have been on the silver screen, she did make a cameo appearance in the season finale of Disney Plus’ Ms. Marvel to set up The Marvels. Here are all of Brie Larson’s appearances as the character in the MCU thus far:

• Captain Marvel (2019)
• Avengers: Endgame (2019)
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) – post-credits scene
• Ms. Marvel episode 6 (2022) – post-credits scene
• The Marvels (2023)

What should I watch before The Marvels?

If you’re planning on heading out to the cinema to watch The Marvels whenever it premieres in movie theaters, you should know that it isn’t just a sequel to Captain Marvel. The film is led by Brie Larson, yes, but it also features Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel, and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, meaning that their stories are equally important to the movie.

We first met the adult version of Monica in Disney Plus’ WandaVision, while Kamala Khan headlined her own series, starring in Ms. Marvel in 2022. Both of those are recommended watching if you want to know more about those characters prior to watching the Captain Marvel sequel.

Taking all of that into account, here are the titles you should watch before seeing The Marvels.

• Captain Marvel
• Avengers: Endgame
• WandaVision – nine-part Disney Plus series
• Ms. Marvel – six-part Disney Plus series

If you would like to know the correct order to watch all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and TV shows, you can find that here.