Entertainment/Marvel Cinematic Universe films

From Quiz Revision Notes

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films are produced by Marvel Studios and are based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. It is the highest-grossing film franchise of all time.

Marvel Studios releases its films in groups called "Phases". The films from Phase One through Phase Three are collectively known as "The Infinity Saga". The films from Phase Four through Phase Six are collectively known as "The Multiverse Saga".

Kevin Feige has produced every film in the series.

The Films

The Infinity Saga

Phase One

Iron Man (2008)

Billionaire industrialist Tony Stark builds himself a suit of armour after he is taken captive by a terrorist organization. Free from his captors, he decides to upgrade and don his armour in order to hunt down weapons that were sold under the table.

Tony Stark / Iron Man                   Robert Downey Jr.

James “Rhodey” Rhodes               Terrence Howard

Obadiah Stone                               Jeff Bridges

Virginia “Pepper” Potts                  Gwyneth Paltrow

Directed by Jon Favreau

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

After being exposed to gamma radiation that causes him to transform into the monstrous Hulk, scientist Bruce Banner goes on the run and isolates himself from his love, Betty Ross. Hunted by the military, Banner seeks to cure himself and prevent his condition from being weaponised.

Bruce Banner                     Edward Norton

Betty Ross                           Liv Tyler

Emil Blonsky / Abomination       Tim Roth

Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross    William Ross

Directed by Louis Leterrier

Iron Man 2 (2010)

After Tony Stark reveals himself to be Iron Man, the U.S. government demands he hand over his technology. Meanwhile, a rival industrialist and a Russian scientist conspire to use his own technology against him.

Tony Stark / Iron Man                                                     Robert Downey Jr.

James “Rhodey” Rhodes / War Machine                 Don Cheadle

Virginia “Pepper” Potts                                                  Gwyneth Paltrow

Ivan Vanko / Whiplash                                                    Mickey Rourke

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow                             Scarlett Johansson

Justin Hammer                                                                  Sam Rockwell

Nick Fury                                                                             Samuel L. Jackson

Directed by Jon Favreau

Thor (2011)

Thor, crown prince of Asgard, is banished to Earth and stripped of his powers after he reignites a dormant war. As his brother, Loki, plots to take the throne for himself, Thor must prove himself worthy and reclaim his hammer Mjolnir.

Thor                       Chris Hemsworth

Jane Foster         Natalie Portman

Loki                        Tom Hiddleston

Erik Selvig            Stellan Skarsgard

Odin                      Anthony Hopkins

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

In 1943, Steve Rogers is deemed physically unfit to enlist in the U.S. Army and fight the German Reich in World War II. Recruited for a secret military operation, he is physically transformed into a super-soldier dubbed Captain America and must battle the Red Skull, head of a Nazi science division known as Hydra.

Steve Rogers / Captain America           Chris Evans

Johann Schmitt / Red Skull                   Hugo Weaving

Peggy Carter                                       Hayley Atwell

Bucky Barnes                     Sebastian Stan

Chester Phillips                  Tommy Lee Jones

Directed by Joe Johnston

The Avengers (2012)

Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., gathers the superheroes Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye to fight Thor's brother Loki, who plots to subjugate the Earth.

Tony Stark / Iron Man                     Robert Downey Jr.

Thor                                                 Chris Hemsworth

Steve Rogers / Captain America       Chris Evans

Bruce Banner / Hulk                        Mark Ruffalo

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow     Scarlett Johansson

Clint Barton / Hawkeye                  Jeremy Renner

Loki                                        Tom Hiddleston

Directed by Joss Whedon

Phase Two

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Tony Stark faces a powerful enemy, the Mandarin, who attacks and destroys his mansion. Left to his own devices and battling posttraumatic stress disorder, Stark struggles to get to the bottom of a series of mysterious explosions.

Tony Stark / Iron Man                     Robert Downey Jr.

James “Rhodey” Rhodes / Iron Patriot     Don Cheadle

Virginia “Pepper” Potts                  Gwyneth Paltrow

Aldrich Killian                     Guy Pearce

Maya Hansen                     Rebecca Hall

Directed by Shane Black

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor reunites with astrophysicist Jane Foster as a series of portals, linking worlds at random, begin to appear. He discovers that Malekith and his army of Dark Elves have returned after thousands of years, and they seek a powerful weapon known as the Aether. Thor must join forces with his now-imprisoned brother Loki to stop them.

Thor                       Chris Hemsworth

Jane Foster         Natalie Portman

Loki                        Tom Hiddleston

Erik Selvig            Stellan Skarsgard

Malekith              Christopher Eccleston

Directed by Alan Taylor

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Steve Rogers, now working with S.H.I.E.L.D., teams up with Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow and Sam Wilson / Falcon to expose a deep conspiracy which involves a mysterious assassin known only as the Winter Soldier.

Steve Rogers / Captain America                Chris Evans

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow             Scarlett Johansson

Nick Fury                             Samuel L. Jackson

Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier                   Sebastian Stan

Sam Wilson / Falcon                        Anthony Mackie

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Peter Quill / Star-Lord and a group of misfits, including Gamora, Rocket, Drax the Destroyer and Groot, fight to keep a powerful orb from the clutches of the villainous Ronan.

Peter Quill / Star-Lord                    Chris Pratt

Gamora                                          Zoe Saldana

Drax the Destroyer                         Dave Bautista

Groot                                              Vin Diesel

Rocket                                             Bradley Cooper

Ronan the Accuser                          Lee Pace

Yondu Udonta                                 Michael Rooker

Nebula                                             Karen Gillan                      

Directed by James Gunn

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye must work together as the Avengers to defeat Ultron, a technological enemy bent on human extinction, while encountering the powerful twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, as well as the new entity Vision.

Tony Stark / Iron Man                     Robert Downey Jr.

Thor                                                       Chris Hemsworth

Steve Rogers / Captain America            Chris Evans

Bruce Banner / Hulk                        Mark Ruffalo

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow        Scarlett Johansson

Clint Barton / Hawkeye                  Jeremy Renner

Pietro Maximoff                Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Wanda Maximoff              Elizabeth Olsen

Directed by Joss Whedon

Ant-Man (2015)

Thief Scott Lang must aid his mentor Dr. Hank Pym in safeguarding the mystery of the Ant-Man technology, which allows its user to decrease in size but increase in strength, from various menaces and plot a heist to defend the Earth.

Scott Lang / Ant-Man     Paul Rudd

Hope van Dyne                  Evangeline Lilly

Hank Pym                            Michael Douglas

Darren Cross / Yellowjacket        Corey Stoll

Jim Paxton                         Bobby Cannavale

Directed by Peyton Reed

Phase Three

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

The Avengers become fractured into two opposing teams, one led by Steve Rogers and another by Tony Stark, after extensive collateral damage prompts politicians to pass an act regulating superhuman activity with government oversight and accountability for the Avengers while also facing against a new enemy, Helmut Zemo, who seeks revenge upon the Avengers.

Steve Rogers / Captain America                Chris Evans

Tony Stark / Iron Man                     Robert Downey Jr.

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow             Scarlett Johansson

Bucky Barnes / Winter Solider                   Sebastian Stan

Clint Barton / Hawkeye                  Jeremy Renner

Sam Wilson / Falcon                        Anthony Mackie

T'Challa / Black Panther                 Chadwick Boseman

Vision                    Paul Bettany

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Doctor Strange (2016)

After Stephen Strange, the world's top neurosurgeon, is involved in a car accident that ruins his career, he sets out on a journey of healing, where he encounters the Ancient One, who teaches Strange the use of Mystic Arts and to defend the Earth from mystical threats.

Dr. Stephen Strange         Benedict Cumberbatch

Karl Mordo                         Chiwetel Ejiofor

Christine Palmer                Rachel McAdams

Wong                                    Benedict Wong

Kaecilius                               Mads Mikkelsen

Ancient One                       Tilda Swinton

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

The Guardians of the Galaxy travel throughout the cosmos and struggle to keep their newfound family together while helping Peter Quill learn more about his true parentage and facing against new enemies.

Peter Quill / Star-Lord                    Chris Pratt

Gamora                                                Zoe Saldana

Drax the Destroyer                          Dave Bautista

Baby Groot                                         Vin Diesel

Rocket                                                   Bradley Cooper

Yondu Udonta                                   Michael Rooker

Nebula                                                  Karen Gillan                      

Stakar Ogord                      Sylvester Stallone

Ego                                         Kurt Russell

Directed by James Gunn

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Peter Parker tries to balance being the hero Spider-Man with his high school life under guidance of Tony Stark as he deals with the threat of the Vulture.

Peter Parker / Spider-Man            Tom Holland

Adrian Toomes / Vulture                Michael Keaton

Michelle                                               Zendaya

Happy Hogan                                     Jon Favreau

Aaron Davis                                        Donald Glover

Ned                                                        Jacob Batalon

Directed by John Watts

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Thor, trapped on another world without Mjolnir, must survive a gladiatorial duel against the Hulk and return to Asgard in time to stop the villainous Hela and the impending Ragnarok.

Thor                                       Chris Hemsworth

Loki                                        Tom Hiddleston

Hela                                       Cate Blanchett

Heimdall                               Idris Elba

Grandmaster                      Jeff Goldblum

Valkyrie                                Tessa Thompson

Bruce Banner / Hulk        Mark Ruffalo

Directed by Taika Waititi

Black Panther (2018)

T'Challa returns home as sovereign of the nation of Wakanda only to find his dual role of king and protector challenged by a long-time adversary in a conflict that has global consequences.

T'Challa / Black Panther                 Chadwick Boseman

N'Jadaka / Erik "Killmonger" Stevens        Michael B. Jordan

Nakia                                                     Lupita Nyong'o

Okoye                                                   Danai Gurira

Everett K. Ross                                   Martin Freeman

Directed by Ryan Coogler

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The Avengers join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy to try to stop Thanos from collecting all of the Infinity Stones.

Thanos                                                 Josh Brolin

Tony Stark / Iron Man                     Robert Downey Jr.

Thor                                                       Chris Hemsworth

Steve Rogers / Captain America                  Chris Evans

Bruce Banner / Hulk                        Mark Ruffalo

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow             Scarlett Johansson

James “Rhodey” Rhodes / War Machine                 Don Cheadle

Dr. Stephen Strange                         Benedict Cumberbatch

Peter Parker / Spider-Man            Tom Holland

T'Challa / Black Panther                 Chadwick Boseman

Gamora                                                Zoe Saldana

Nebula                                                  Karen Gillan

Loki                                                        Tom Hiddleston

Vision                                                    Paul Bettany

Wanda Maximoff                              Elizabeth Olsen

Sam Wilson / Falcon                        Anthony Mackie

Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier                     Sebastian Stan

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Scott Lang tries to balance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, when Hope van Dyne and Hank Pym present him with a new mission, requiring him to team up with Van Dyne as the Wasp.

Scott Lang / Ant-Man     Paul Rudd

Hope van Dyne/ Wasp    Evangeline Lilly

Luis                                        Michael Pena

Janet van Dyne                  Michelle Pfeiffer

Bill Foster                            Laurence Fishburne

Directed by Peyton Reed

Captain Marvel (2019)

Carol Danvers becomes Captain Marvel, one of the galaxy's strongest heroes, after the Earth is caught in the centre of an intergalactic conflict between two alien worlds.

Carol Danvers / Vers / Captain Marvel      Brie Larson

Nick Fury                                             Samuel L. Jackson

Talos                                                      Ben Mendelsohn

Maria Rambeau                                Lashana Lynch

Supreme Intelligence and Dr. Wendy Lawson        Annette Bening

Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

After half of all life in the universe was killed due to the actions of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, the remaining Avengers and their allies must reassemble to revert those actions in one final stand.

Tony Stark / Iron Man                     Robert Downey Jr.

Thor                                                       Chris Hemsworth

Steve Rogers / Captain America                  Chris Evans

Bruce Banner / Hulk                        Mark Ruffalo

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow             Scarlett Johansson

Clint Barton / Hawkeye                  Jeremy Renner

James “Rhodey” Rhodes / War Machine                 Don Cheadle

Scott Lang / Ant-Man                     Paul Rudd

Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel                  Brie Larson

Rocket                                   Bradley Cooper

Nebula                                  Karen Gillan

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Peter Parker goes on a school trip to Europe with his friends. While abroad, he is recruited by Nick Fury to team up with Quentin Beck to battle the Elementals.

Peter Parker / Spider-Man            Tom Holland

Nick Fury                                             Samuel L. Jackson

Quentin Beck / Mysterio               Jake Gyllenhaal

Happy Hogan                                     Jon Favreau

Directed by John Watts

The Multiverse Saga

Phase Four

Black Widow (2021)

Natasha Romanoff finds herself alone and forced to confront a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Romanoff must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow             Scarlett Johansson

Yelena Belova                                     Florence Pugh

Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian                David Harbour

Melina Vostokoff                                              Rachel Weisz

Rick Mason                                         O-T Fagbenle

Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster                    Olga Kurylenko

Directed by Cate Shortland

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

When Shang-Chi is drawn into the clandestine Ten Rings organization, he is forced to confront the past he thought he left behind.

Xu Shang-Chi / Shaun                     Simu Liu

Katy                                                       Awkwafina

Xu Wenwu                                          Tony Leung

Trevor Slattery                                   Ben Kingsley

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

Eternals (2021)

After the return of half the population ignites "the emergence", the Eternals – an immortal alien race created by the Celestials who have secretly lived on Earth for over 7,000 years – reunite to protect humanity from their evil counterparts, the Deviants.

Sersi                                       Gemma Chan

Ikaris                                     Richard Madden

Kingo                                     Kumail Nanjiani

Thena                                    Angelina Jolie

Ajak                                       Salma Hayek

Sprite                                    Lia McHugh

Directed  by Chloe Zhao

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Peter Parker's life and reputation are turned upside down following his identity being exposed at the hands of Mysterio. Seeking help from Stephen Strange to try and fix everything, things soon become much more dangerous when the multiverse breaks open, allowing villains from alternate realities who have previously fought versions of Spider-Man to arrive.

Peter Parker / Spider-Man            Tom Holland

Michelle "MJ" Jones-Watson      Zendaya

Dr. Stephen Strange                         Benedict Cumberbatch

Norman Osborn / Green Goblin                  Willem Dafoe

Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus                 Alfred Molina

Peter Parker / Spider-Man            Toby Maguire

Peter Parker / Spider-Man            Andrew Garfield

Directed by Jon Watts

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Dr. Stephen Strange protects America Chavez, a teenager capable of traveling between universes in the multiverse, from Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch.

Dr. Stephen Strange                         Benedict Cumberbatch

Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch                Elizabeth Olsen

Karl Mordo                                         Chiwetel Ejiofor

Wong                                                    Benedict Wong

America Chavez                                Xochitl Gomez

Christine Palmer                                Rachel McAdams

Directed by Sam Raimi

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Thor attempts to find inner peace but ends up recruiting Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster – who has become the Mighty Thor – to help stop Gorr the God Butcher from eliminating all gods.

Thor                                       Chris Hemsworth

Jane Foster / Mighty Thor             Natalie Portman

Valkyrie                                Tessa Thompson

Gorr the God Butcher                     Christian Bale

Zeus                                       Russell Crowe

Korg                                       Taika Waititi

Directed by Taika Waititi

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

The leaders of the kingdom of Wakanda fight to protect their nation in the wake of King T'Challa's death, and a new threat emerges from the hidden undersea nation of Talokan.

Shuri / Black Panther                      Letitia Wright

Nakia                                                     Lupita Nyong’o

Okoye                                                   Danai Guirra

M’Baku                                                Winston Duke

Ramonda                                             Angela Bassett

Namor                                                  Tenoch Huerta

Directed by Ryan Coogler

Phase Five

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne, along with Hope's parents Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne and Lang's daughter Cassie, go on a new adventure exploring the Quantum Realm that pushes their limits and pits them against Kang the Conqueror.

Scott Lang / Ant-Man     Paul Rudd

Hope van Dyne                  Evangeline Lilly

Cassie Lang                         Kathryn Newton

Hank Pym                            Michael Douglas

Janet van Dyne                  Michelle Pfeiffer

Kang the Conqueror        Jonathan Majors

Directed by Peyton Reed

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

The Guardians of the Galaxy are adjusting to life on Knowhere, but when parts of Rocket's past resurface, Peter Quill must lead the Guardians on a dangerous mission to protect him that could lead to the team dissolving.

Peter Quill / Star-Lord                    Chris Pratt

Drax the Destroyer                          Dave Bautista

Groot                                                    Vin Diesel

Rocket                                                   Bradley Cooper

Nebula                                                  Karen Gillan

Mantis                                                  Pom Klementieff

The High Evolutionary                    Chukwudi Iwuji

Directed by James Gunn

The Marvels (2023)

While investigating a wormhole linked to the Kree, Monica Rambeau's powers become entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Carol Danvers. The trio team up to determine why they are swapping places with each other every time they use their powers.

Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel                  Brie Larson

Monica Rambeau                                             Teyonah Parris

Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel                            Iman Vellani

Dar-Benn                                                             Zawe Ashton

Emperor Dro'ge                                                 Gary Lewis

Nick Fury                                                             Samuel L. Jackson

Directed by Nia DaCosta

Upcoming films

Phase Five

Deadpool & Wolverine (July 2024)

Captain America: Brave New World (February 2025)

Thunderbolts (May 2025)

Phase Six

The Fantastic Four (July 2025)

Blade (November 2025)

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026)

Avengers: Secret Wars (2027)

MCU at the Academy Awards

Black Panther won three Academy Awards in 2019 –

Best Costume Design (Ruth E. Carter)

Best Original Score (Ludwig Goransson)

Best Production Design (Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Jay Hart)

Black Panther was the first superhero film and MCU film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.


Black Panther: Wakanda Forever won one Academy Award in 2023 –

Best Costume Design (Ruth E. Carter)

Angela Bassett was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, which made her the first person in a Marvel Studios movie to be nominated for an Academy Award in any acting category.

List of highest-grossing MCU films

Rank Film Worldwide box office
1 Avengers: Endgame $2.8 billion
2 Avengers: Infinity War $2.05 billion
3 Spider-Man: No Way Home $1.9 billion
4 The Avengers $1.5 billon
5 Avengers: Age of Ultron $1.4 billion
6 Black Panther $1.3 billion
7 Iron Man 3 $1.2 billion
8 Captain America: Civil War $1.15 billion
9 Spider-Man: Far From Home $1.13 billion
10 Captain Marvel $1.128 billion