A Chronological Guide to the Disney+ MCU Live-Action Shows

If there’s one thing Marvel loves, it’s expanding its cinematic universe. The Marvel Cinematic Universe now has a solid lineup of live-action TV series to complement and build upon its prolific film slate as it continues to tell one massive, interconnected narrative. While there have been Marvel TV shows before Disney+, as far as we know, none of those are canon in the MCU. Once the platformer launched, however, so did the beginning of the MCU’s live-action TV fare.

Below, I’ve compiled a list of each show, including when it aired and its place in the timeline, as we count down the days until Secret Invasion takes over our lives. Won’t you take this walk down Marvel Memory Lane with me?

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WandaVision

Debuting on January 15, 2021, WandaVision ushered in a new era for Marvel as the entertainment juggernaut’s first official canon TV series. It’s also the first entry in Phase 4. WandaVision takes place directly after the events of Avengers: Endgame, so sometime in 2023. Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) live quaint, quiet lives in Westview, New Jersey, with their two sons. However, not all is as it seems, and the edges of their perfect life begin to fray as the outside world threatens to unravel everything they’ve worked for. 

It’s a delightful nod to Pleasantville that pays homage to the legendary sitcoms that came before it. WandaVision is unlike anything the MCU has ever done, and I stand by that. It not only introduces new characters like Agatha Harkness, Monica Rambeau, and Wanda’s sons Billy and Tommy, but it plants the seeds for future events. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany deliver incredibly nuanced, heartbreaking performances. Creatively, Marvel is firing on all cylinders here. 

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The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier came hot on the heels of WandaVision with a March 19, 2021 premiere. Like its predecessor, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is set after Avengers: Endgame. More specifically, between WandaVision and Spider-Man: No Way Home. It serves as a platform for the Captain America mantle to pass from Steve Rogers to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) while allowing Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) to work through his grief. Steve’s BFFs team up to take down the Flag-Smashers, who endeavored to restore the world to how it was between the Snap and the Blip. At the same time, Sam and Bucky also combat John Walker, AKA US Agent, who the government chose as the new “Captain America.” 

I remember the discourse that transpired right after this series ended. Some folks considered it too “political” or “preachy.” Pop culture and politics go hand in hand, especially genre properties. It allows us to peek behind the curtain at the governmental infrastructure in this universe and how closely it mirrors our own. To me, it’s the most grounded of the MCU live-action offerings.

Anthony Mackie gives a raw performance, as does the enthralling Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, who breaks your heart and mends it again.

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Loki

I love a good summer show. Loki debuted on June 9, 2021, and while it’s a Phase 4 series, chronologically, it takes place before WandaVision. Our titular god of mischief (Tom Hiddleston) is arrested and transported to the Time Variance Authority after he wreaks havoc in Avengers: Endgame by escaping the heroes. It’s there that Loki meets different versions of himself who are scattered across various timelines and the TVA agents who “prune” those variants. Ultimately, one of the Loki variants, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), unleashes all hell on the Multiverse, leading to MCU films like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

This series is the only Marvel live-action property with a second season. As a fan, I’m grateful for the renewal because that jaw-dropping cliffhanger deserves a follow-up. Loki is, hands down, my favorite Disney+ MCU series alongside WandaVision. It’s wildly inventive and downright magical, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the Multiverse. I love anything that tests the limits of reality for a mind-bending, time-bending adventure, and this scratches that itch. Plus, more versions of Tom Hiddleston are always a positive. 

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Hawkeye

‘Tis the season for Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) to shoot arrows at baddies during Christmas in New York. Hawkeye premiered on November 24, 2021. Technically, it’s set during the 2024 holiday season, so we have some distance between it and Endgame. Marvel is seemingly laying the groundwork for the Young Avengers, and Hawkeye introduces a vital piece to that puzzle: Kate Bishop.

Essentially, Clint passes the Hawkeye baton to Kate as the pair battle none other than Wilson Fisk and Echo. Yes, this series marks the official MCU debut of Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin as he crosses over from Netflix’s non-canon Daredevil. 

Hawkeye is goofier than the live-action TV offerings before it, wholly embracing the MCU’s penchant for cheeky, quippy humor and heart. Throw in a festive soundtrack and NYC bedazzled for Christmas, and you’ve got a winner. Additionally, Florence Pugh reprises her role as Yelena Belova, and her scenes with Steinfeld are hilarious. 

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Moon Knight

Oscar Isaac acting opposite Oscar Isaac is pure, unadulterated art. His performances as Steven Grant and Marc Spector are up there with Elizabeth Olsen’s work in WandaVision. Anyway, Moon Knight debuted on March 30, 2022. It takes place directly after Hawkeye in the MCU timeline. Gift shop employee Steven Grant discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with Marc Spector, a mercenary. Steven is thrust into Marc’s world, falling headfirst into an adventure sending him to Egypt, where he must battle powerful gods. 

Moon Knight is less referential and darker than the other shows, seldom calling out other Marvel properties to reassure us that it is, indeed, in this universe. It’s a breath of fresh air, and the series addresses Steven’s DID with grace and tenderness. Isaac is a powerhouse performer. May Calamawy is a delight as Layla El-Faouly. I hope we see her again soon. 

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Ms. Marvel

Kamala Khan came into our lives on June 8, 2022. Collider theorizes it’s set in 2025. We meet Kamala, an enthusiastic teen residing in New Jersey whose vast imagination is only eclipsed by her big heart. When she discovers her grandmother’s bangle contains special powers, Kamala’s love for super heroes (particularly Captain Marvel) takes on a new meaning when she becomes one. 

Ms. Marvel introduces the Noor Dimension and brings the Department of Damage Control to the MCU fore. It also lays the groundwork for The Marvels with its delightful end-credit scene in the finale. Iman Vellani is a revelation as Kamala. I’d argue it’s the best casting in MCU history. She is Kamala Khan. Her energy and radiance are infectious. The series itself is sweet and charming — a lighthearted romp that embraces the power of our roots while showcasing a Pakistani family. 

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She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Comedy is on the menu today, folks. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premiered on August 18, 2022, with Tatiana Maslany in the titular role. Having watched and loved her in Orphan Black (where she plays 20ish clones), it was nice to see her in a comedic role. She knocks it out of the park and then some. She-Hulk takes place in the summer of 2024, roughly between MCU flicks Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. It’s also Marvel’s first bona fide half-hour sitcom that’s an homage to comic books. Viewers are treated to a cornucopia of MCU Easter eggs and cheeky nods. Maslany’s delivery is sharp and rapid-fire hilarious. 

In addition, the series serves as the soft MCU debut of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), AKA Daredevil, in the show’s strongest episode. What’s better than watching Daredevil do the morning-after walk of shame? Nothing, I tell you. Give this show a shot. It’s funnier than some folks would have you believe.

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Now, I did omit Werewolf by Night (October 7, 2022) and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (November 25, 2022) because those are considered “special presentations” or “television films.” That said, they are two of my favorite Phase 4 projects, and I hope we see more imaginative pieces like Werewolf by Night. The MCU is at its best when it colors outside the lines. 

What’s your favorite live-action MCU show thus far? Join the conversation alongside other Marvel fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!