Vin Diesel can be relied upon for three things: to hate The Rock with his whole heart, to say the word “family” approximately 105 times per Fast & Furious film, and to let slip more about his Marvel commitments than is probably wise. Now he’s guilty of the third on the list yet again — teasing a future for Groot beyond the conclusion of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Following James Gunn’s migration to DC, the Guardians don’t seem to be a priority for Marvel right now, although it would be a surprise if the studio retired such popular characters as Groot and Rocket Raccoon for good. Thankfully, Vol. 3 left both characters on the table for a potential return. In particular, Groot was portrayed as more muscular than ever — a development that Diesel spoiled years prior to the film’s release when he promised the coming of “Alpha Groot” way back in 2020.

So what’s next for Groot? We’re not sure we were supposed to know this yet, but it sure sounds like Diesel is in talks to reprise his role for a possible solo spin-off film.

“Marvel’s most anticipated movie”: Vin Diesel claims Marvel is making a surprising Guardians follow-up

Vin Diesel accurately guessed exactly what cinephiles everywhere were thinking in the wake of the Oscars when he took to Instagram to offer an update on all the projects he has in the works. “Anora this, The Brutalist that,” we were all saying. “Forget about them, what we want to know is when’s there gonna be another xXx film">get paid a seven-figure sum for saying three words again?

One of our greatest failures as audiences is not regarding superhero movies as the genre chameleons that they are. Would it help if more recent superhero movies were actually good? Yes, maybe, but even then, we’ve called the Guardians of the Galaxy films superhero movies instead of the more appropriate label of sci-fi.

With that in mind, it’s probably no coincidence that Gunn’s trilogy has been one of the most rightly beloved corners of the MCU since it first started making waves over a decade ago, and the adventure that started it all is now making a new kind of wave on the streaming charts.

Per FlixPatrol, Guardians of the Galaxy has entered the Disney Plus atmosphere as the 10th most-watched title on the platform’s United States charts at the time of writing, coming up on a ninth-place O C’mon All Ye Faithful, the latest Christmas special to come out of The Simpsons‘ brain trust.

Guardians of the Galaxy stars Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, a half-human, intergalactic thief who finds himself falling in with the likes of deadly assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), vengeful warrior Drax (Dave Bautista), tree-like alien Groot (Vin Diesel), and raccoon bounty hunter Rocket (Bradley Cooper). Together, these five misfits go on a rollicking adventure while trying to prevent Ronan the Acc (Lee Pace) from destroying the galaxy.

What makes the Guardians function so well as a group of characters — and this is most prominently realized in Vol. 2 — is Gunn’s understanding of how to present family dynamics that are flawed and raw, and simultaneously loving and honest. Quill and the gang bicker and fight amongst themselves to no end; if somebody pisses somebody off, they won’t waste any time in making it known.

But the reason they’re able to do that is precisely because they trust and love one another. They would rather clumsily navigate their interpersonal imperfections than hold back and inadvertently resent one another, and they can show those imperfections because they all know that they’re all going to be there for each other when it counts.

Then there’s the matter of the trilogy’s potent musical identity, which feeds into Guardians‘ thesis of opening one’s heart to those who love you. Indeed, there’s a parallel between the characters’ diegetic acknowledgment/enjoyment of the soundtrack through singing and dancing, and the freedom with which they love each other and allow themselves to be loved, even if some take longer to do so than others (looking at you, Rocket).

It’s true that these films suffer a bit from having had to play by Marvel’s rules (there’s no way that CGI army fight in Vol. 3 wasn’t a studio note), but then, it’s all the more exciting to think about what Gunn will be able to do now that he’s steering the ship with much fewer restrictions at DC. And if that Superman trailer is any indication, we’re getting exactly as hyped as we need to be.

We’re living in interesting times. Perhaps too interesting, given the state of our Politics tag. 

The last few years of American politics have been a fever dream and it feels like everyday brings about a news headline crazier than the last. It’s enough to make you want to tune out the world, find your coziest blanket, and hunker down with a good film.

There’s nothing wrong with taking some time to decompress from the political state of things and the 10 films on this list will help you do just that. So sit back, unwind, and get ready to laugh and cry about something that doesn’t rhyme with Ronald Frump. And if you find yourself ready to read about politics again, consider checking out our political tea newsletter, They Said What?! 

Shrek (2001)

It’s hard to be stressed when you‘re singing along to “Accidentally in Love” or quoting Donkey for the millionth time. Though a children’s comedy at its core, Shrek is surprisingly well-written and its message remains as relevant now as it did in 2001. You can watch any of the Shrek films, but I recommend the first two for maximum comfort. 

The Princess Diaries (2001)

Nothing says escapism like taking a trip to Genovia with Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi and her estranged royal grandmother. While you might not be the princess of a small European country (can’t win them all, right?), you’ll still have a good time watching Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews dominate the screen.

Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (2018)

If you’re in the mood for a movie with a little bit of everything, consider watching Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. The film has it all: great humor, lots of suspense, and emotional moments that never feel forced, all in a gorgeously animated package to boot. It also conveys a message of self-acceptance and resilience, something we can all appreciate in these trying times.

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)

Honestly, any Star Wars film will help get your mind off of things but who doesn’t enjoy watching Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia do their thing? Return of the Jedi offers a nice resolution to the original trilogy, on top of having some of the funniest humor of any Star Wars movie. Sometimes, we just want to watch the good guys triumph over a corrupt government leader.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy is easily in my top five Marvel movies, and is a great rewatch. The film has a fantastic main cast, satisfying action scenes, and the best soundtrack of any film in the MCU. What’s not to love?

21 Jump Street (2012)

21 Jump Street is an example of Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill at their comedic best. The film has aged surprisingly well since it was released, and its star-studded cast will take your mind off things faster than you can say, “Wait, is that Brie Larson?”

The Princess Bride (1987)

The Princess Bride, or as I like to call it, “one of the best films of all time,” is a perfect watch for any occasion.  This movie has something for everyone and will help you believe in fairy tales even if you’ve become a cynical adult. The odds of you still feeling bad after watching this one? “Inconceivable!”

The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) 

There’s never been a Disney film quite like The Emperor’s New Groove and there never will be again. The history behind the movie is a story in itself, full of corporate Hollywood drama and impossible deadlines, but if this is what comes from putting some of the funniest people in Hollywood together in a writing room, so be it. 

Scream (1996) 

If you’re a horror fan, or if you just want to be scared by something that isn’t an election, try watching Wes Craven’s Scream. Though modern technology takes some of the horror out of the film, Scream is a classic for a reason. Whether you’re watching it for the 50th time or the first, you’re sure to be entertained.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) 

Speaking of classics, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is still as hilariously quotable as it was when it was released in 1975. A spin on the legend of King Arthur and his quest for the Holy Grail, this film will leave you laughing long enough to forget your political woes.

Scottish actress Karen Gillan shared her pregnancy cravings on TikTok, and it’s not as bad as you would imagine. While other pregnant women crave odd food combinations, such as spaghetti with pickles or Cheetos with peanut butter, the actress’ desire is pretty simple and straightforward — raw vegetables.

In her TikTok video posted on Oct. 25, Gillan can be seen biting on a yellow vegetable with a loud crunch, saying, “I can’t get enough. What the hell?” The comments section was flooded with replies, with others congratulating the actress and some sharing their pregnancy cravings including raw onions, pizza pockets, and lettuce and mayo sandwiches.

Gillan revealed her baby bump at the premiere of her movie The Life of Chuck at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 6. The 36-year-old actress wore a simple yellow dress that showed off her pregnant belly. She cradled her tummy as she posed for photos on the red carpet. This is Gillan’s first child with her husband, Nick Kocher, whom she married in a secret ceremony in Scotland in 2022, only revealing the marriage a year later in an Instagram post.

Kocher works in the entertainment industry as a comedy writer, but he also dabbled in acting. In fact, he and Gillan have acted in a couple of films including The Bubble and Late Bloomer. In an interview with the Live with Kelly and Mark in 2023, Gillan talked about her husband and revealed how they met. Gillan made the first move after seeing him on her “recommended friends” list on Instagram and “slid into his DMs.” She followed him on Instagram thinking he would DM her first, but he didn’t. So, the actress found him on X, followed him, and sent him a message.

Karen Gillan’s second threequel movie will be released in 2026

Gillan, who is most known for portraying the character of Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has appeared in all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Now, the actress is gearing up for her second threequel movie, this time for Jumanji.

In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Gillan played the role of Ruby Roundhouse, a character described as a “killer of men” and highly skilled in karate, tai-chi, aikido, and dance fighting. Gillan told Den of Geek in 2017 that she was trained to do stunts while working on Marvel movies, so she knew she could perform well in Jumanji as well, but she was surprised to discover the amount of fight scenes she had to participate in. “It was just hard work. There was one particular fight scene in the movie that is so long, and I had to do the whole thing in one take,” she stated.

She reprised her role in Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), and the second movie had even more stunts than the first, and she even picked up a new skill — using nunchucks. While Gillan had a stunt double, she said a lot of the shots in the movie were actually her using the nunchucks. “I was really pleased that they pushed me to rise to the occasion,” she told Entertainment Weekly.

According to reports, Jumanji is getting a third installment, and it will be released in Dec. 2026. Apart from Gillan, other stars returning for more action are Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black. We’ll just have to wait and see whether Ruby Roundhouse gains new skills in the sure-to-be action-packed threequel.

Zoe Saldaña has reflected on the unique experience she had while portraying Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise while thwarting the idea that Marvel movies can’t be deep. 

The actress recalled her time working on the trilogy in a recent interview with Variety, revealing that James Gunn — who directed all installments of the space-going superhero franchise — offered her the role after seeing her play Neytiri in Avatar. “I wish I could go back in time and try so many more things for [Gamora],” Saldaña said. 

“She was a really fun character to play.” Beyond the fact that Gamora solidified Saldaña’s status as the go-to actress for alien characters (look out, out Mike Wazowski!), the role offered a level of depth that took Saldaña by surprise, since “we don’t like to use words like ‘deep’ and ‘Marvel’ in the same sentence.”

Similar criticisms of Marvel movies supposedly lacking nuance have in the past been leveled against the studio by the likes of Martin Scorcese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Oliver Stone, but Saldaña said it was James Gunn who brought much of the unexpected depth to the Guardians franchise. “He was doing something really special,” Saldaña said of the now-DCU mastermind. 

“He was stepping outside of the mold of what superheroes were supposed to be.” The actress went on to describe the rag-tag team that comprises Guardians as “rejects that came with childhood traumas and disabilities and mental issues.” According to Saldaña, this more complex idea of a superhero — beyond just your regular cape-wearer who saves cats from tall trees — meant Gunn “gave these characters space to be loved.”

“It was a really important film now that I look back at it,” she added, citing the Guardians characters’ discovery of self-love and their creation of a “family within their friendships.” It isn’t the first time Saldaña has looked back fondly on her experience working on the trilogy, with the actress last year praising the conclusion of Gamora’s character arc and leaving the door open for a possible reprisal of the role. 

Elsewhere, Saldaña said she loved the anonymity that CGI-heavy characters like Gamora and Neytiri provided her, since she can sometimes go unrecognized in public (unless, of course, she ducks out for dinner while covered entirely in green paint).

Saldaña isn’t the only celebrity who has vouched for the surprising depth of Marvel movies and defended them as valid pieces of cinema. Fellow Marvel stars like Chris Hemsworth, Chris Hemsworth, and Samuel L. Jackson have each hit back at criticisms of the superhero genre in the past (I’m sure the enormous paycheck didn’t hurt), with web-slinger Tom Holland going as far as describing Marvel movies as “real art.”

Still, the critiques Saldaña mentions persist. Scorsese famously described Marvel movies as “not real cinema”, while Coppola and Stone echoed the sentiment and labeled them as “despicable” and “not believable,” respectively (ouch!). How about we all just get off our high horses and enjoy a bunch of super-powered characters shooting lasers and rescuing kittens? With a bucket full of popcorn, no movie needs to be “deep” to be enjoyable, and I’ll die on that hill (with buttery fingers and kernels in my teeth).

Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame will forever go down in cinema history. But every now and then, a deleted scene makes its way online, leaving die hard fans wondering why it never made it to the big screen.

Naturally, Marvel had a huge task on their plate weaving together a decade of superhero storytelling, Easter eggs, and foreshadowing. Not to mention combining all of their existing characters in one narrative. The end product was widely considered to have been a success, but this wasn’t without some sacrifice. Since its release, rumored deleted scenes from the script and filming of both movies have always caught fan attention as fascinating “what if’s.” A new deleted scene has started making the rounds again, and it shines a light on one underrated character from the franchise. 

A deleted from Infinity War makes the rounds

The scene takes place with the most entertaining crossover team of the movie – the Guardians of the Galaxy teaming up with Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, during the fight with Thanos at Titan. In the released version of the scene, we see the Guardians, Doctor Strange, Peter Parker, and Tony Stark come up with a plan to attempt to remove the infinity gauntlet from Thanos’s hand. The plan was centered on Mantis’ ability to keep Thanos subdued long enough for the rest of the team to pry the gauntlet from his hand. 

In this deleted scene, the fight takes a departure from what we saw in the final product. Instead of Thanos just defeating the Guardians and leaving for Wakanda, he instead uses the soul stone to separate their souls from their bodies. 

While Doctor Strange and Iron Man are battling Thanos, Spider-Man retrieves the Guardians’ soulless bodies, and he and Mantis stare down at them helplessly. However, Doctor Strange reaches out to them through the Astral plane to explain what Thanos has done, and tells them that Mantis can retrieve their souls. Mantis attempts to wake them up, starting with Drax, and while her attempts initially fail, she eventually revives the rest following some encouragement from Spiderman, she eventually revives them. The scene hilariously ends with Spider-Man making a quip about Starlord’s weight, “You’re just super heavy.”

Finally time to give Mantis her flowers

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Comments on the deleted scene were full of praise for Mantis for her apparent ability to override the power of an Infinity Stone. Mantis is an alien empath, who was introduced to the MCU in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as the living planet Ego’s pet. She was later revealed to be his daughter, and therefore Starlord’s half-sister.

As an empath, she has power over people’s emotions and can sense and manipulate them. When we first meet Mantis, we see that she is powerful enough to put the celestial Ego to sleep. In Infinity War, she is also strong enough to temporarily subdue Thanos. 

But in the comics, Mantis’ powers run even deeper, as she is believed to be a Celestial named Madonna, one of the most ancient, and the first Celestial to give birth. While the MCU didn’t go down this route, her powers are still formidable. While this scene would have been a cool addition to the final product, many fans understood why it had to go. It would have significantly slowed down the pacing of the battle at Titan, as well as reduced the stakes of the movie as it drew to its climax.

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Once upon a time, Dave Bautista was breaking backs with his signature Batista Bombs. Today, he’s an integral part of the MCU’s golden age. And while he’s raked in billions at the box office, he hasn’t always made the best financial decisions.

You’d think that with all the millions he accumulated as a successful wrestler that Bautista retired from the sport with a lot of money in the bank. But no, he, like many other athletes, ended up squandering his wealth on frivolous things. Thankfully, it was some positive advice from an unlikely source that got his head back in the game!

From WrestleMania to foreclosure

In a now-viral video by The School of Hard Knocks, Bautista was briefly interviewed about his financial ups and downs over the years. The former wrestler-turned-actor revealed some important advice he received from not one, but two fellow wrestlers who debuted years before he did. 

He shared that Triple H taught him to always see himself as a business. However, it’s the advice he got from The Undertaker that he had to “learn the hard way.” Today, that advice has helped shape his mentality surrounding fame, success, and wealth. 

The best advice I ever got was actually from The Undertaker, another wrestler. He said “always live beneath your means.” I learned that the hard way. I came out of wrestling and I literally lost everything. My house got foreclosed on. But I had a second opportunity to be successful in the film industry. Now that money in the bank means more to me than something that I don’t really need. Like I don’t need a Bugatti. I’d love to have a Bugatti. But I’m not paying three to five million dollars for a car, because I don’t need one.

Bautista explained how a lot of professional athletes, especially those who grew up without having much, tend to squander a lot of the money dumped on them out of excitement. This is quite popular in the world of sports, where athletes end up bankrupt merely a few years after they retire. Although Bautista’s ion for entertainment gave him a second opportunity to achieve financial freedom, not every former athlete is as lucky,

In 2007, at WrestleMania 23, Batista lost to The Undertaker in an attempt to claim the World Heavyweight Championship. But it looks like The Undertaker ended up saving his life where it counted the most.

Becoming a financial heavyweight

A recurring social media debate revolved around who the best wrestler turned actor is. More often than not, Bautista leads the polls. Over the years, he’s carved out a unique path for himself, where he refuses to be typecast as a brute strongman.

Bautista retired from the role of Drax in 2023 and believes his talent can speak for itself. In 2024 alone he’s been in four movies, the most successful being Dune: Part Two. Bautista will also star in multiple films currently in production, including lending his voice to the Aang: The Last Airbender theatrical film. 

Evidently, The Undertaker’s advice has paid off. Dave Bautista’s money in the bank won’t be diminishing anytime soon.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the most in-depth and successful franchise of all time during its 16-year run at the box office. While it began with Iron Man in 2008, for fans following the narrative, that’s not where the story actually begins.

There are currently 34 movies in the MCU — soon to be 35 with Captain America: Brave New World — released in five phases. Phases One through Three, known as the Infinity Saga, collectively bring viewers closer to the arrival of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and its epic follow-up, Avengers: Endgame. Meanwhile, phases Four through Six, known as the Multiverse Saga, began in 2021 and will eventually bring viewers closer to Robert Downey Jr.’s ultimate MCU comeback as Doctor Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and its subsequent multiversal showdown in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. : Kang is a thing of the past.

Phase Four began in 2021 with the Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and continued into 2022 with three major franchise sequels: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Phase Five began in 2023 and also included four franchise sequels, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, and most recently Deadpool & Wolverine.

Following the success of Marvel’s Disney Plus streaming hits like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki, we’ve received fresh entries like Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Secret Invasion, Loki season 2, and soon Agatha All Along. They aim to continue the budding tradition of bringing focused character studies to the small screen, but in light of criticism over reduced quality, Marvel has scaled back these productions a bit. Nevertheless, these shows tie into the larger Marvel universe, which is actually more of a multiverse now. However, those shows won’t be mentioned on this list, as this list pertains to feature films only.

There are numerous ways to enjoy Marvel films, including the order in which they were released, or drawn out of a hat at random, although that last option isn’t recommended for first-time viewers. However, in this article, we’ll be breaking down the chronological timeline of all films in the MCU so you can watch them in the correct narrative order. An at-a-glance lineup of Phases One through Three can be found below:

Below is a breakdown of every MCU film in narrative-timeline order, all of which, save Deadpool & Wolverine, are available to stream now on Disney Plus. Thanks to Marvel’s official The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline, we now have a clearer picture of not only what is and isn’t MCU canon, but also whether the nuggets of information we’ve compiled over the years do, indeed, fit into the slots we’ve given them. Spoiler alert: they do.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Taking place first in the timeline, Captain America: The First Avenger provides the origin story for one of Marvel’s most popular heroes, Steve Rogers, played by the dynamite Chris Evans. This film mostly takes place in 1942 and showcases Rogers’ journey from a scrawny infantry soldier to full-blown Captain America who faces off against Red Skull.

Captain Marvel

Next up is Captain Marvel, which is set in 1995, much closer to modern times. This movie is the first in the timeline to explore space travel and intergalactic threats. As we are introduced to both Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and soon-to-be S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the pair gets involved in the conflict between the Kree and the Skrulls, with surprising results.

Iron Man

The third film in the timeline was the very first Marvel film to be released: Iron Man. The billionaire philanthropist-turned-superhero Tony Stark has his origin story told in this fan-favorite film. Thanks to its box office success and fans’ adoration of Robert Downey Jr.’s performance, the film ultimately kicked off the entire MCU franchise.

Iron Man 2

Picking up shortly after the events of the first Iron Man, Iron Man 2 continues the story of the suited superhero now with his identity known to the public. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), the son of a scientist who previously worked at Stark Industries, is back with a grudge and creates his own weaponry with the goal of taking revenge for his fallen father. The film also introduces a soon-to-be Avenger in Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).

The Incredible Hulk

While many fans may choose to forego 2008’s The Incredible Hulk in their MCU binge given that it features Ed Norton in the role instead of Mark Ruffalo (who later became the official Banner), it’s still technically a part of the MCU timeline. This movie gives fans a unique take on the Hulk’s origin story and hints at more things to come in the closing credits.

Thor

Thor’s initial big-screen debut took place in 2011 and gave fans their first look at Asgard and other realms via the Bifrost. This one finds the titular god traveling to Earth to defend the world from Loki and a Frost Giant threat. For many moviegoers, this was their introduction to the beloved character, played by Chris Hemsworth, and for many it solidly delivered.

The Avengers

The first crossover film in the timeline came with The Avengers, which was set at the conclusion of Marvel’s Phase One. The Avengers brought together Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, the Hulk, and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to protect the Earth from Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the Chitauri invasion. The movie also played a key role in introducing the Tesseract as the first of the Infinity Stones. These stones were ultimately the key to all future plans in the MCU.

Thor: The Dark World

The second Thor film in the MCU, Thor: The Dark World, gives us a closer look at Asgard, its inner workings, and the relationship between Thor, his brother Loki, and their father, Odin. The film also gives us insight into the second Infinity Stone, the Aether, which was wielded by the movie’s antagonists, the Dark Elves. Though it’s largely considered one of the less-impressive Marvel films, it serves its purpose and thankfully paves the way for a wonderful Thor threequel.

Iron Man 3

In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark deals with anxiety after experiencing the intergalactic invasion of the Chitauri. After diving into full damage control mode and assembling an army of suits, he’s forced to choose between being Iron Man and protecting those he loves. Meanwhile, he must also deal with the looming threat of “The Mandarin.”

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Hailed as one of the best films in the entire MCU franchise, Captain America: The Winter Soldier introduces viewers to more of Captain America’s past and throws Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, back into the fray. The movie also reveals the hidden HYDRA threat still present among the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D that ultimately leads to its demise.

Guardians of the Galaxy

When it was announced that Disney was going to bring the Guardians to the big screen, many were skeptical, but Guardians of the Galaxy turned out to be one of the best space films ever, let alone one in the MCU. It introduced us to Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel), an unlikely team that attempts to stop the plot of Ronan the Acc (Lee Pace) from using the Power Stone to destroy Xandar.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Taking place shortly after the first film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 gives us a closer look at Peter Quill’s backstory and heritage while also introducing a new member to the squad in the form of Mantis (Pom Klementieff). The story also dives deeper into the sibling rivalry between Gamora and Nebula (Karen Gillan) and shines a light on their relationship with their adoptive father, Thanos, which would pay off in just a few short films.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Crossing over once again, the cast of the original Avengers film s forces to defend the Earth from the threat of Ultron (James Spader), a supercomputer developed to be a peacekeeping program by Tony Stark, which overrides its programming and now seeks to eliminate all mankind. In the latter half of the film, the Avengers get a few new additions in the form of Vision (Paul Bettany) and the Maximoff twins, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

Ant-Man

Ant-Man tells the story of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a thief who is recruited by Dr. Hank Pym to assist him with stopping the plot of his former protège, who cast him away from his own company. During the film, Lang becomes Ant-Man after being gifted a suit and trained to use Pym Particles to shrink his size, giving him superhuman strength and the ability to control ants.

Captain America: Civil War

While not an Avengers film by name, Captain America: Civil War brings most of the superhero cast together for a face-off over a disagreement on the Sokovia Accords following the events of Age of Ultron. Civil War was also used to introduce a few new characters to the Avengers’ roster, including Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland).

Black Widow

Finally getting her own origin film after being part of the MCU for over a decade, Natasha Romanoff heads back to her roots in Black Widow, which launched earlier this year. The film introduced us to Natasha’s sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who fans got to see again in Hawkeye and who will undoubtedly be appearing again, possibly in a villainous team-up compliments of a certain character who appears in the post-credits scene.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Despite what the movie may have led you to believe, it does not take place eight years after The Avengers. Marvel finally addressed the snafu after years of sweeping it under the rug in the official Marvel Studios: The MCU — An Official Timeline book, confirming it was indeed only four years after the Battle of New York. Taking place right after the events of Civil War, Spider-Man’s MCU debut chose not to retell the hero’s origin story, instead giving us a coming-of-age film that finds Peter Parker juggling his duties as Spider-Man with the demands of high school. There are plenty of comic book Spidey villains teased throughout the film, but his biggest threat is the Vulture, menacingly played by Michael Keaton, who is apparently bad with math.

Black Panther

Instead of an origin story, when we pick up in Black Panther, T’Challa has already taken on the mantle as the titular hero after the ing of his father in Civil War. This film gives viewers their first look at the inner workings of the afrofuturistic Wakanda, as well as an epic tale of personal and ideological rivalry between T’Challa and Killmonger (Michael B Jordan).

Doctor Strange

The first time we are treated to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in the MCU is in his self-titled film. The story explores the origins of Stephen Strange’s character and teases the ideas of multiple dimensions, cosmic beings, and time-traveling threats. As you’d expect, the Time Stone is also a crucial element of the film and only becomes more important from here on out. Other standout characters in the film include Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), Wong (Benedict Wong), Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).

Thor: Ragnarok

Directed by Taika Waititi and taking on a different style and tone than the previous Thor films, Ragnarok has a more comical personality while maintaining high-quality action sequences. The film addresses many of the loose ends following Age of Ultron and follows Thor and Loki as they attempt to stop their half-sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett) from taking over Asgard. The ending of this film offers a jaw-dropping lead-in to what quickly becomes the beginning of the end of the Infinity Saga.

Avengers: Infinity War

The first part of the epic culmination of all the previous MCU films, Avengers: Infinity War finally gives us our first major introduction to Thanos (Josh Brolin), who has been working behind the scenes to gather the Infinity Stones with the goal of wiping out half of all life in the universe with a snap of his fingers. The movie takes place in 2018 and ultimately, leaves fans with a stunning cliffhanger that segues directly into Avengers: Endgame.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

The sequel to Ant-Man, this film takes place at the same time as the events of Infinity War in 2018 and does a great job of telling its own story within the Ant-Man comic book canon. This one digs deeper into the relationship between Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her mother (Michelle Pfeiffer), and also introduces a mysterious new villain, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). Just like Infinity War, the final moments of this film leave viewers breathless for answers in anticipation of the impending Endgame.

Avengers: Endgame

The epic conclusion to over a decade of storytelling, Avengers: Endgame has everything fans could ever want in a Marvel film. It takes place in October 2023, five years after the events of Infinity War, and sees the remaining Avengers attempt to regain hope of defeating Thanos and restore what was lost after his infamous “Snap,” which was later renamed “The Blip.” In the closing act, Endgame boasts one of the most epic action sequences in all of cinema, blasting expectations wide open and forever changing the MCU as we know it.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi is one of the latest heroes to the MCU, and in this first film exploring his character’s origin, we learn more about his role amidst the greater events playing out within the franchise. Alongside his friend Katy (Awkwafina), Shang-Chi is drawn back into the life he used to know and must face the father (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) he thought he left behind. During the iconic bus fight scene between Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings operative Gao Lei, we’re shown the dates July 21 to 28 in a Jazz Blues Festival ment. Since Katy’s grandma also mentions the “Day of the Dead,” a festival resembling the Chinese Qingming Festival — which takes place in April — and the film itself spans two weeks, we can assume the movie takes place in April 2024. This would put it before Far From Home.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Picking up right after Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home addresses the events that took place during the previous film while also introducing some new faces and returning characters from the past. It takes place during the summer of 2024, eight months after The Blip. This is the perfect bridging point to close out Phase Three and enter Phase Four of the MCU — after watching Shang-Chi, of course.

Eternals

With its many flashbacks telling the story not only of the Eternals themselves but also the history of the universe, it can be difficult to give this film a true place in the MCU timeline. That said, its present-day moments take place around the same time as Far From Home in 2024, likely just afterward given that the events of the film were not mentioned in the Spider-Man sequel. Fans and critics were largely split on the film (to put it mildly), except in regard to that colorful cameo by Harry Styles in the post-credits scene. Whether Styles will actually return to the MCU is another matter entirely.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Logan took place in 2029, so Deadpool & Wolverine must also take place during or after that, meaning it should be at the bottom of this list. Well, no. The Merc with the Mouth’s first foray into the MCU actually occurs in 2024. We know this because after Happy Hogan rejects Wade’s request to the Avengers (on March 14, 2018, on Earth-616) the time stamp on the screen tells us we jump six years into the future — back on Earth-1005 — which would place the film in 2024. And because we see Wade celebrating his birthday and he’s said in the comics that he’s a Scorpio (on the cusp of a Libra, thank you very much) — and because Deadpool & Wolverine showcases a decent amount of fall foliage — we can safely assume the film occurs in October 2024. As for why Earth-10005’s Wolverine is already dead at the beginning of Deadpool & Wolverine when Logan’s death shouldn’t have occurred for another five years — well, it’s likely that Wade jumped forward in time using the TVA’s TemPad. That, or we’re just going to file the mistake away with all of Marvel’s other embarrassing timeline errors.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home takes place immediately after its predecessor, Far From Home around Nov. 2024. The film brings Peter Parker on the most mind-blowing adventure of his life ⏤ which, unfortunately, no one but he will . The film saw him grapple with everything from losing his Aunt May, to facing off against villains from completely different universes. It also led to Peter finding an unexpected brotherhood with alternate versions of himself, perfectly brought to life by Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire in tear-inducing appearances that will stand the test of time.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Benedict Cumberbatch’s return as the title character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness picked up after the events of No Way Home. It saw Strange deal with the implications of multiversal travel while facing new friends and foes, some of whom created serious trouble for him (ahem – Wanda). Wanda’s future was thrown into flux after she was presumably killed off in the movie’s final moments, but she is rumored to return in a Disney Plus spin-off series, which may or may not happen since Marvel subtly announced that the Earth-616 version of the character is canonically dead. Strange, too, received a cliffhanger ending, something we hope will be addressed in the rumored Doctor Strange 3.

In the meantime, you can rest assured that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes place after Spider-Man: No Way Home, which takes place right around the events of Hawkeye, which takes place around Christmas 2024.

Thor: Love and Thunder

Thanks to Disney Plus, we now know that — in the eyes of Marvel Studios — this film takes place after Doctor Strange 2. It also takes place after Ms. Marvel, which is believed to take place around Sept. 2025 because of the school’s homecoming dance. However, in Love and Thunder Jane Foster’s eppendorf vial’s tag includes the date April 30, suggesting it takes place in the beginning of 2025. Unfortunately, since we don’t know exactly when Thor and Jane broke up, the God of Thunder’s comments about their breakup happening 8 years 7 months and 6 days before the movie doesn’t exactly paint a clear picture either. Our best bet is to just assume Love and Thunder takes place in April 2025, especially when looking at the next MCU installments on the timeline.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

According to Black Panther Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore, we have a place in the timeline to slot Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Moore says that this film takes place alongside the events of Thor: Love and Thunder, around the start of 2025, so for all rewatching purposes you should be able to enjoy either film first. This placement would make a lot of sense, since neither film directly affects the events of the other. Secret Invasion, on the other hand, almost had us questioning the timing of things when our favorite CIA from Wakanda Forever was revealed to be a Skrull (that was all put to rest in the season finale, though).

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

For those who are sticklers for dates, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes place during the start of 2025, like Wakanda Forever. How do we know this? A news clip in Wakanda Forever mentions Scott Lang’s book tour, and because book tours don’t last entire years, Quantumania definitely takes place before The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which occurs later that year during Christmastime, which also means it takes place before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, Disney Plus messed with the timeline when it decided to place Quantumania after The Guardians Holiday Special, which it most certainly is not, resulting in MODOK-sized canon headache, if you ask us. It wouldn’t be the first time Disney Plus goofed with the MCU’s timeline, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the time Quantumania was accidentally erased from Phase Five. (Don’t worry, it’s not).

The Marvels

Ms. Marvel provides us with a pretty good guestimation where The Marvels takes place on the MCU timeline. Because the Disney Plus series is believed to take place around Sept. 2025 and Kamala Khan’s body-swapping problem doesn’t go unaddressed long, The Marvels likely takes place before 2026, which means it comes before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Carol Danvers’ intergalactic team-up with Captain Rambeau and Kamala to defeat the Kree general Dar-Benn in the highly-anticipated sequel to her billion-dollar predecessor, Captain Marvel, also happens to be the shortest movie in MCU history. Should any information in the movie, which will premiere in just a few short days, contradict this entry, we will revise it ASAP.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

It’s hard to give Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 an exact place on the MCU’s timeline since it is unaffected by previous films and has little effect on the overall MCU storyline. However, it’s safe to say that this intergalactic, twisty-turny threequel takes place in 2026 since it occurs after the events of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in Dec. 2025. As a rule of thumb, here’s every MCU movie you should watch before starting Vol. 3.

Vin Diesel is an enigma. He arrived as a fully formed screen presence. He simply was. The name Vin Diesel perfectly encapsulates his appeal: a little silly, a lot of cool, and ambiguity that makes it unclear who or what this guy is really about.

Vin Diesel is best known for playing car thief Dominic Toretto in the Fast and Furious franchise. A franchise in which he has Cuban cousins, a half Brazilian child, and was portrayed, in flashbacks, by a Kiwi actor who shares a stage name: Vin(nie) Bennett. What’s the deal? What is Diesel’s ethnicity, and why is it so hard to pin down?

Let’s delve into the actor’s ethnic background, and determine why it’s befuddled so many fans.

Vin Diesel considers himself a person of color

Vin Diesel’s mother, Delora Vincent, is of English, German, Irish and Scottish descent. The actor credits his mother with being his anchor, and she has accompanied the actor on multiple red carpets. Diesel’s stepfather, Irving Vincent, is of African American descent, and it is because of Irving that the actor considers himself to be a person of color.

Diesel clarified the way he viewed himself, ethnically, speaking, during a 2014 interview with The Guardian. He stated that the experiences and values that Irving Vincent provided him as a child, and into adulthood, was paramount in shaping his cultural identity:

I’m definitely a person of color. The man who raised me was a black man, and he made me who I am and taught me who I am.

The actor is unsure of his father’s ethnicity

The confusion over Vin Diesel’s ethnicity partially stems from his own confusion. The actor told IMDb that he never got a chance to meet his biological father, and therefore isn’t sure what his ethnic makeup is. He merely quoted his mother, who has said that the actor has “connections to many different cultures.”

The actor also invoked the familial melting pots that are depicted in the Fast and Furious and Guardians of the Galaxy franchises in which he stars. He told the outlet how important family values are to him, and how they inform the stories he likes to tell. At the end of the day, he opines, ethnicity is irrelevant. “On a deep[er] level,” he noted. “We’re dealing with species at this point. We’ve gone beyond.”

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine.

The jury’s still out on whether Deadpool & Wolverine will go down as a movie that lived up to the hype or dropped the ball, but one thing you definitely can’t accuse the threequel of is skimping on the superhero cameos. Deadpool 3 makes the most of its unique vantage point as the nexus of the MCU and Fox universes by bringing in familiar faces from across movies and comic books past.

As the trailers spoiled, this includes a whole heap of Deadpool variants — known as the Deadpool Corps. Lady Deadpool naturally stole the show in the marketing, as folks eagerly theorized over whether Blake Lively or Taylor Swift was playing her. As it happens, the answer isn’t quite as simple as that, but any disappointment should be off-set by the other insane cameos playing different of the Deadpool Corps. That includes one Guardians of the Galaxy star we didn’t expect back so soon.

One Deadpool variant is played by a Guardians of the Galaxy veteran

In the movie’s climax, the Deadpool Corps escape from the Void and come after Wade aka Deadpool Prime and Wolverine for an epic and bloody street fight on Earth-1005 (the X-Men universe). Against expectations, none of them unmask, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get a bunch of surprise cameos.

Sure enough, Blake Lively does indeed play Lady Deadpool, if only in a voiceover role. Others with speaking parts include Babypool (well, he makes noises, that counts) and Kidpool (though he’s sadly not played by Walker Scobell). Then there’s Cowboy Deadpool. Thought his Southern drawl sounded familiar? That’s because he’s voiced by none other than Matthew McConaughey! Alright, alright, alright, calm down.

The one that might be most interesting to Marvel die-hards, however, is Headpool, the decomposing Deadpool skull flying around via a motorblade attached to his cowl. He’s voiced by none other than Nathan Fillion, the two-time Guardians of the Galaxy cameo king. The Firefly and Castle legend previously portrayed an alien Kiln inmate in the first Guardians and Master Karja in Vol. 3. He’ll next be reuniting with old pal James Gunn for 2025’s Superman, as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, so to see him return to the MCU like this is a pleasant surprise.

In the comics, Headpool actually hails from the Marvel Zombies universe — adapted for the What If…? animated series — so there’s another crossover for you. Could Fillion even reprise his role for the Marvel Zombies spinoff show? Now that the Merc with the Mouth is officially part of the MCU family, anything can happen. Even Matthew McConaughey playing Cowboy Deadpool, apparently.

No, you’re not dream-walking, the MCU’s Galactus is really, finally here! Although, funnily enough, it seems he’s been hanging around the franchise much longer than we thought, having first debuted back in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

With The Fantastic Four gearing up to start filming, more casting announcements have dropped, including the shocking news that Game of Thrones and Harry Potter actor Ralph Ineson has been cast as none other than the Devourer of Worlds himself, Silver Surfer’s overeating employer Galactus. , Julia Garner has previously been cast as a female variant of his herald, named Shalla-Bal.

Fans have been desperate for Galactus to enter the fold ever since Marvel hoovered the rights to the Fantastic Four back from Fox. So it’s ironic that, now that it’s finally happened, it turns out he’s been part of the MCU all along. All thanks to Kevin Feige’s increasing penchant for keeping things in the (first) family.

‘The Fantastic Four’s Galactus proves Marvel can’t stop, won’t stop recasting old actors

Although Galactus is easily Ineson’s most notable role to date, he’s been a familiar face in major movies and TV shows for years now — you may have seen him in ing roles in everything from Ready Player One to Willow. Not to mention a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it part in Marvel’s own Guardians of the Galaxy. Ineson played one of Yondu’s Ravagers in the first entry in the trilogy.

Thanks to his return in The Fantastic Four, Ineson is now the latest MCU actor to play two roles in the same shared universe. Anytime the studio does this it causes fans to develop a serious headache as they try to keep the canon consistent, but clearly Marvel has made so many projects at this point that it’s having to cannibalize its own past and bring old faces back. Other examples include Gemma Chan (Captain Marvel/Eternals), Michelle Yeoh (Guardians 2/Shang-Chi), Linda Cardellini (Age of Ultron/Endgame/Hawkeye/Guardians 3), and Mahershala Ali (Luke Cage/Blade).

Is it lazy or just a clever way of ensuring the studio doesn’t waste great talent? Or is Ineson’s unexpected return a hint that Galactus’s origins will be altered for the MCU? Perhaps he started out as a lowly Ravager working for Yondu…

Yesterday marks one year since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 released to cinemas, one year since we saw the swansong of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most beloved found family, and one year since comic book movie juggernaut James Gunn bid Marvel farewell for the more fantastical pastures of DC.

To the surprise of no one, however, Gunn’s Guardians memories remain as fresh in his head as they were when he first started making them back in 2012, when he was hired as director and co-writer of 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. And perhaps it’s just because he’s a veteran tweeter at this point, but the heartfelt sentiment in his recent tribute post comes out in full here.

In the tweet above, Gunn was all too happy to reflect on the “wonderful journey with wonderful people” the he took during his time as the Guardians gaffer, referring to his fellow creatives on the films’ sets as “family,” people who had each others’ backs, and as people that he well and truly loves and misses.

Fans happily ed in on the heartfelt fanfare, recounting their own memories with Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, and the rest of Gunn’s colorful cast of characters who remain the centerpieces of some of the MCU’s finest work to this day.

Between gearing up the future of DC’s next (and hopefully best) foray into live-action entertainment, getting the ball rolling on 2025’s Superman movie, and being subject to the bad mojo of the less-savory side of Zack Snyder’s fanbase, Gunn has more than earned a moment of fond, even teary-eyed reflection, and one can only hope that the magic he captures in Superman and beyond isn’t dissimilar to that of the Guardians trilogy.

All three Guardians of the Galaxy movies are streaming on Disney Plus. Superman, meanwhile, is due out in theaters on July 11, 2025.