20 essential MCU movies and shows you need to stream on Disney+
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is making a comeback, and here are the shows and films you need to catch up on
In the history of Hollywood, it is difficult to think of another movie franchise as huge and all-encompassing as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's an absolute juggernaut that has spanned decades, made billions of dollars, and launched entire careers.
There have been some amazing films and TV shows attached to the MCU. And while there have been some absolute disasters too – Eternals and Echo, we're looking at you – the list of standout hits is lengthy.
Avengers: Infinity War / End Game
The final films of the hugely successful MCU "Phase 3", Avengers: Infinity War and End Game are the epitome of cinematic events.
The culmination of the whole "Thanos is the big bad guy" saga, the two movies brought the entire Avengers storyline to a close with truly epic scale and focus. Pretty much every single character is involved from all of the franchises, the films are huge and ambitious, and Marvel Studios proves it's not afraid to make hard choices.
It's fair to say that the MCU never got any better than this, with some even thinking it should have ended right here. Watch as a back-to-back double bill, if possible!
Iron Man
Not content with reinventing the superhero genre on screen, and making a superstar out of one of Hollywood's most divisive and troubled actors, Iron Man effectively started the whole MCU.
Way back in 2008, producer Kevin Feige had an idea for a series of linked films, starting with Tony Stark's big screen debut. The rest is history.
Casting Robert Downey Jr as the enigmatic tech billionaire, it came out of nowhere and gave audiences a glimpse of the massive action ride that was to come.
It's also a fantastic film in its own right, and gained legendary status with THAT post-credits Samual L Jackson "Nick Fury" scene. Truly awesome.
Wandavision
The first major MCU TV series to take full advantage of the new Disney+ streaming service, Wandavision was a brave and bold choice.
Instead of going with a more traditional smash 'em up action show featuring one of the more recognisable characters – like Hulk or Iron Man – it focuses on the Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff and her hubby The Vision.
It also adopts a unique style – presented in the themes of 50s, 60s, 70s, and then 80s sitcoms. And that made it an interesting choice in terms of tone and scale.
Wandavision is surreal and confusing at times, but always intriguing, and certainly not at all what people expected. It's a more thoughtful and adult work that proves superhero content could be for grown ups as well.
Thunderbolts
There is only so much bright, flashy, CGI-riddled action that an audience can take and so the MCU waned in the aftermath of Avengers: End Game.
However, Marvel gave us Thunderbolts* in 2025 and took its franchise in a whole new direction. It's paid off.
The movie takes largely ignored characters from other MCU movies and puts them together in a team of so-called rejects (a la DC's Suicide Squad). It makes for an all together darker and more emotional film than you might expect.
With themes of grief, abandonment and guilt, Thunderbolts* is a superb welcome return for the MCU in general – proving it can succeed in the box office and on streaming services again.
Avengers: Age Of Ultron
The thing that has allowed the MCU to grow and develop into the force of nature it is today is its ability to adapt and to change tone with absolute clarity and focus.
It does comedy really well, for example, as well as family adventure. And in cases such as Avengers: Age Of Ultron, it does existential threat and horror with real passion.
In many ways, Age of Ultron is a horror film. The protagonist is a self-aware, AI construct given form, and is as dark and relentless as the Terminator. It's also as cold and calculating as any supervillain seen before.
Chilling and voiced by the always fantastic James Spader, Ultron really is something special.
![Marvel’s The Punisher: Season 2 | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jrLhP5sK2wI/maxresdefault.jpg)
The Punisher
After numerous failed film adaptations, the two, very adult series of The Punisher are must-watch TV.
With John Bernthal at the helm as Frank Castle, AKA The Punisher, it changes and updates his back story, but keeps the heart of what makes the character so visceral in the comic books.
The show certainly does what the films never managed, they get the tone right. There are no superhero costumes, no comical bad guys, and there are absolutely no attempts to dumb down or make the show family friendly.
The Punisher needs to be violent, gory and unrelenting, and the two seasons that started on Netflix are exactly that. We're hoping Disney's rumoured return keeps up the good work.
![Logan | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Div0iP65aZo/maxresdefault.jpg)
Logan
Since the release of Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, the door has officially been opened to accept X-Men characters to the MCU. So with this in mind, we're claiming Logan to be essential viewing.
Based on the Old Man Logan comic book series, the film brings us a future reality where Wolverine has grown older, been abandoned, and is being hunted. He's also desperately trying to keep his friend and mentor, Charles Xavier, alive during his final days.
It's a hugely (or should we say Hugh-ly?) dark, gritty and adult look at the concept of heroes. Logan is stunning in every way, and Jackman gives his best performance to date.
The script work is so much better than expected too, and the film looks beautiful.
The Avengers
The culmination of the entire "Phase 1" of the MCU, Avengers is a prime example of when Marvel and Kevin Feige got things absolutely spot on.
After a bunch of build-up movies, which created the backstory and groundwork for all of our favourite characters, this particular blockbuster brings them together in a huge cinematic spectacle and absolutely blows its audiences away.
It's difficult to explain today just how amazing it was back in 2012, to see everyone together in huge CGI battles, but it was a statement that the MCU was here to stay and would only get bigger. Awesome.
Black Panther
Historic, culturally important and a bloody good superhero movie as well, Black Panther is very much a key part of the history of the MCU and cinema in general.
The late Chadwick Boseman plays the Prince of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, who rises to take his place as leader and protector of his people, while also donning the lycra pants of the mythical Black Panther. And on the back of massive box office numbers, it became the only Marvel movie to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars! Bold.
It's a lavish, visually stunning film with real heart and some amazing action sequences and characters.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Deadpool & Wolverine is the film that comic book fans cried out for, and finally and officially brought Ryan Reynolds' Wade Wilson to the MCU. Wolverine too.
Funny as hell, violent, and absolutely packed full of Easter eggs and cameo appearances, it smashed the box office and then some.
Is it the best film ever?.. Not really. But it's about as much fun as you can have on a two-hour or so binge. You'll also be humming N-Sync's Bye Bye Bye for days afterwards.
Thor
Watching 2011’s Thor now, it seems nowhere near as good as I remembered. It's a bit dated, bland, and the CGI work is passable at best. But there's no doubting how huge and important the film was back then.
Thor did something that was very hard to do, it took a character who was essentially an immortal, unstoppable god, and made him human and relatable. He's funny, clumsy and ultimately ordinary – something that works well on screen.
The film also made Hemsworth an overnight star, set him on the path to the full MCU Avengers legacy and added a huge piece to the puzzle. It's not a great film, but an essential part of the franchise.
Loki
Another of the growing MCU + TV shows, Loki is a strange one. Giving its audience a different perspective on Thor's half-brother both post Endgame, it's so much better than we could have hoped.
The two seasons are heavily stylised and unique, determined not to fall in with everything that had gone before. They take us on a fantastic journey into time, dimensions and the Marvel multi-verse.
The Loki show is also deep and sad at times, while Tom Hiddleston shows why the trickster god is one of the more interesting characters in the MCU. It also sets up the backdrop and overarching plot for pretty much every show and movie to come after.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange is a really good film – not just a good comic book or superhero movie.
It charts the story of Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), a skilled but arrogant surgeon who, after an accident that leaves him crippled, decides to go on a quest across the world to find a miracle cure. That results in him becoming a dimensional space wizard with a cool cape and a mortgage-free New York property.
Cumberbatch is great in the role and the film is a whole lot of fun. It features great effects work too, along with some fantastic action set pieces.
Ant Man
Ant Man is an oddity – it's a superhero film based on a minor character and is fronted by an actor better known for his comedy roles. But if we learned anything from Die Hard and the big screen debut of Bruce Willis, it's that action heroes don't have to be huge, muscle bound hunks to do a great job.
This is what Paul Rudd does in Ant Man too. And it results in one of the MCU’s lighter and more comedy focused films.
It proved a huge success in cinemas and adds a greatly needed fun element to the mix.
Guardians Of The Galaxy
There are many who feel that the MCU is at its best when it delivers fun, upbeat and action packed films… Guardians Of The Galaxy is arguably the best example of this.
Before director James Gunn jumped ship and went over to form the rival DC cinematic universe, he gave us this story of a band of rag tag space rogues, brought together to fight a galactic evil despite being hopelessly outgunned.
Not only is it very funny, it features some really strong writing and gave us some of the most iconic characters within the MCU. Spawning two more films, Guardians remains one of the most popular series within the MCU.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
In 2025 and after several non-canon movies, Marvel finally brought the legendary Fantastic Four to the ongoing MCU. And to great effect.
With an all-star cast, including Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn, Marvel’s "first family" arrive in a bold, flashy and retro future styled alternative universe. We get the iconic Silver Surfer and huge "Eater of Worlds" Galactus too.
It's a whole lot of fun, fast-paced, and is very family friendly. It also marks a new direction for the MCU and the opening of an entire new phase.
Daredevil / Daredevil: Born Again
As with The Punisher, Daredevil is a Marvel property that for years sat outside the MCU. Originally screened by Netflix, it was loosely linked but not officially part of Marvel's Cinematic Universe.
However, that's now all changed. The show switched over to Disney+ and has been accepted into the fold, and we even got a brand new follow-up in the form of Daredevil: Born Again.
It's equally excellent and there's no doubt that Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock will be integral to the whole MCU going forward.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, is the heart and soul of the Avengers.
A symbol of hope, purity and honour, Cap' is everything that a hero should be, and this huge budget introduction tells his origin story in superb fashion.
Steve Rogers starts out being seen as too weak to join the US Army at the start of WW2, but after being selected to take part in a secret "super soldier" project, he soon becomes the greatest American hero.
This is a great superhero popcorn flick. It's packed with action, great characters, and a legendary villain.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The first Marvel film to feature a central character of Asian heritage, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings deeply embraced the culture and history of the area to its advantage. This gave us a really interesting and different film than many of its peers.
The movie is also lauded by many critics for its dynamic fight scenes, striking visuals, and standout performances by Simu Liu and Tony Leung. It's appreciated for its cultural representation and mythological elements too, but sadly (and perhaps strangely) there is still no sign of a sequel to this day.
Captain America: Civil War
Who would have thought a superhero movie dealing with political fallout and negotiation would have been so much fun.
With many fearing the actions of superheroes, the US government decides to push for the Hero Registration Act, a law that limits a hero's actions. This results in a division in The Avengers and a split between the group's most prominent members.
Iron Man stands with the Act, but Captain America feels that saving the world is daring enough and that they cannot rely on the government to protect the world. This escalates into an all-out war between Team Iron Man and Team Captain America.
That gives us some great set pieces, culminating in a huge all-out superhero fight in an airport that is worth the ticket price alone. Everyone fights, everyone does a load of superhero stuff and it looks great.
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