How To Watch The Captain America Movies In Chronological Order

The legacy of Captain America is one of the best in the entire MCU. A founding Avenger, Steve Rogers’ Captain America received a trilogy of epic movies in the Infinity Saga, while also leaving the mantle to be picked up heading into the future of Marvel Studios’ interconnected universe with the subsequent Multiverse Saga.

Initially, three Captain America movies were released between 2011 and 2016, interspersed with appearances in major MCU crossovers. The mantle of Captain America has also continued in future MCU projects as recently as 2025. With that in mind, here’s how to watch every Captain America movie in chronological order (and how to watch the hero’s full MCU story).

Captain America Movies In Chronological Order

Chris Evans' Steve Rogers bleeds in front of the Winter Soldier in the MCU's Captain America Civil War — Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers bleeds in front of the Winter Soldier in the MCU’s Captain America Civil War

In total, there are currently four Captain America movies in the MCU (and one series on Disney+). Here’s how to watch them in chronological order:

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier/Captain America and the Winter Soldier (2021)
Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

As noted above, watching the MCU’s Captain America тιтles in chronological order is the same as watching them in release order (making things quite simple).

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier series was renamed Captain America and the Winter Soldier in the finale, the result of Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) finally accepting the shield and mantle as his own in the MCU.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Released as part of the MCU’s first phase of movies, Captain America: The First Avenger shows us the origins of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), and how he became the MCU’s first true Super Soldier during WWII.

The movie then ends with Captain America crashing a Hydra plane filled with bombs into the Arctic. The MCU’s first Captain America was then frozen for 70 years, only to be thawed in the modern era by SHIELD, specifically in 2011 (the same year as the movie’s release).

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Released in 2014, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is set in the same year, three years after Rogers was woken from his frozen hibernation.

Having joined SHIELD, Rogers discovers the organization’s longstanding corruption and infiltration by Hydra, while also encountering the Winter Soldier, Hydra’s brainwashed ᴀssᴀssin who was once Rogers’ best friend Bucky Barnes. Bringing down Hydra and SHIELD along with it, The Winter Soldier ends with Barnes starting to remember the man he once was.

Captain America: Civil War

Released in 2016 and set in the same year, Captain America: Civil War sees Steve Rogers and his fellow Avengers divided over the Sokovia Accords, a new treaty signed by 117 countries requiring the actions of enhanced individuals to be overseen by a United Nations panel.

While Captain America chooses not to sign to protect his right to choose when and where he intervenes and helps those in need, Iron Man believes the Avengers need more accountability.

As such, Civil War sees several heroes picking sides, new heroes being introduced (Black Panther and Spider-Man), and Rogers reuniting with Bucky, who’s struggling to overcome his Hydra brainwashing.

Ultimately, Civil War’s ending sees the Avengers disbanding in 2016, with Rogers going into hiding as a fugitive alongside Black Widow, Falcon, and the Scarlet Witch.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Jumping multiple years ahead, past the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, 2021’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is set in the year 2024 (thanks to Endgame’s five-year time jump).

Despite being given the shield and mantle by Steve Rogers at the end of Avengers: Endgame, Sam Wilson gave the shield up to be displayed in the Smithsonian, only for the government to create a new Captain America instead, giving the shield to former United States Army Captain John Walker (the future U.S. Agent as seen in Thunderbolts*).

After an unhinged Walker kills a man in cold blood, Sam chooses to take the shield back, encouraged by Bucky to become the Captain America that Rogers believed he could be. The finale sees Sam Wilson officially wielding the shield as a new Captain America, hence the MCU show’s aforementioned тιтle change to Captain America and the Winter Soldier.

Captain America: Brave New World

2025’s Captain America: Brave New World is set in late 2026/early 2027. The first Captain America movie to not feature Steve Rogers as the тιтular Avenger, Sam Wilson is now the MCU’s Captain America, backed by Joaquín Torres as the new Falcon (Danny Ramierez).

Brave New World sees Wilson uncovering a major global conspiracy involving US President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) and Samuel Sterns, aka The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson).

Culminating with a major battle with Ross as the newly transformed Red Hulk, Brave New World ends with Sam Wilson determined to bring back the Avengers ahead of imminent new threats teased by Sterns in Brave New World’s post-credits scene.

How To Watch Captain America’s Entire MCU Story In Chronological Order

Sam Wilson Captain America and Steve Rogers Wearing Winter Soldier Costume With Brave New World and Winter Soldier MCU Posters

Here’s how to watch Captain America’s entire story in order, including every MCU appearance beyond the mainline Captain America movies (and show):

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Avengers (2012) – Nick Fury recruits Steve Rogers’ Captain America to join the Avengers Initiative.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) – Rogers fights with the Avengers against Ultron, Sam briefly appears in Avengers Tower.
Ant-Man (2015) – Sam Wilson’s Falcon fights Ant-Man, appears in the post-credits with Steve, setting up Civil War.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) – Steve Rogers briefly appears in a series of PSA-style videos shown at Peter Parker’s school.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – Rogers and his fellow fugitive “Secret Avengers” post-Civil War fight against Thanos in the Battle of Wakanda.
Avengers: Endgame (2019) – Rogers and the surviving Avengers travel through time to reverse Thanos’ Snap. Sam Wilson returns in the final battle and is later given the shield by the elderly Rogers, having gone back to his original time to be with Peggy Carter.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier/Captain America and the Winter Soldier (2021)
Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

While the bulk of Captain America’s story and legacy can be understood from the mainline movies (and show), it should be evident that not watching the Avengers movies and other MCU appearances results in some major gaps in Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson’s stories. The full picture of their entire MCU journey is definitely worth the watch.