How to watch the Marvel Netflix shows in order

Netflix’s Marvel shows are a great way to get your superhero fix. Featuring some of the most popular Marvel characters, these interconnected series are full of action, drama, and humor. But because this universe includes a total of 6 TV shows, 13 seasons, and 161 episodes, figuring out which ones to watch first can be very confusing. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll walk you through the order of the shows, so you can watch them in the best possible way.

What are the Marvel Netflix TV shows?

As an overview, Netflix’s Marvel shows are a set of interconnected TV series originally created for the streaming service Netflix. Produced by Marvel Television and ABC Studios, these shows are set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and acknowledge the continuity of the franchise’s films and other TV shows. Also referred to as The Defenders Saga, Marvel Street-Level Heroes, or Marvel Knights, the Netflix Marvel series include the following:

1. Daredevil (3 seasons; 2015-2018)
2. Jessica Jones (3 seasons; 2015-2019)
3. Luke Cage (2 seasons; 2016-2018)
4. Iron Fist (2 seasons; 2017-2018)
5. The Defenders (1 season; 2017)
6. The Punisher (2 seasons; 2017-2019)

What is the best order to watch the Marvel Netflix series?

Of course, you can always watch the shows in any order you want. But if you want to get the most out of them, we recommend watching them in release order. This specific order is the best because it allows you to get to know the characters and the world of Netflix’s Marvel series one step at a time. It also makes the most sense story-wise. Below is a more detailed breakdown of the order in which you should watch the shows:

1. Daredevil season 1 – 13 episodes (April 10th, 2015)

The debut season of Daredevil centers on Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer who fights crime at night as the vigilante Daredevil. The season follows Murdock as he tries to balance his two lives, while also investigating the corruption that is plaguing Hell’s Kitchen.

The season also introduces a number of supporting characters, including Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), a ruthless crime lord who is determined to take over Hell’s Kitchen. Fisk is a formidable opponent for Daredevil, and the two men clash on several occasions.

A dark and gritty take on the superhero genre, the freshman run of Daredevil was praised for its well-developed characters and smooth action sequences. Its critical success helped to launch Netflix’s Marvel universe.

2. Jessica Jones season 1 – 13 episodes (November 20th, 2015)

The debut season of Jessica Jones follows the titular character (Krysten Ritter) as she opens her own detective agency after her superhero career comes to an end at the hands of Kilgrave (David Tennant). Kilgrave is a man with the ability to control people’s minds, and he uses his power to make Jessica do terrible things. Haunted by the demons of her past, Jessica struggles to come to terms with what she has done while trying to find a way to stop Kilgrave, who is still out there hurting people.

Season 1 also introduces the character of Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), a.k.a. Hellcat, Jessica’s best friend who works as a radio talk show host.

The show’s freshman run deals with some heavy subject matter, which the show handled very well. Ritter’s performance was applauded by fans and critics alike, as she was able to bring a lot of depth and complexity to her role.

3. Daredevil season 2 – 13 episodes (March 18th, 2016)

The sophomore run of Daredevil picks up a few months after the events of the first season, with Matt Murdock struggling to balance his life as Daredevil with his work as a lawyer.

When Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), a former Marine who is now known as the Punisher, arrives in Hell’s Kitchen, Matt is forced to confront his own dark side. The Punisher is a vigilante who is willing to kill to achieve his goals, and Matt must decide whether or not he can work with him to stop the Hand, a mysterious ninja organization that is threatening the city.

Elsewhere in the season, Matt deals with the fallout from his relationship with Elektra (Elodie Yung), who is presumed dead.

4. Luke Cage season 1 – 13 episodes (September 30th, 2016)

Luke Cage season 1 revolves around Luke Cage (Mike Colter) as he tries to rebuild his life in Harlem after being wrongly imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Luke has superhuman strength and unbreakable skin, which he gained during a sabotaged experiment. He uses these powers to protect the people of Harlem from bad guys like Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (Mahershala Ali), a leader of a criminal organization.

As a Black man with superhuman strength, Luke is a symbol of hope for many people in Harlem. He, however, is also a target for those who would use his powers for their own ends.

A critical success, the show’s freshman run was praised for its strong performances, its stylish visuals, and its exploration of important social issues surrounding race, identity, and violence.

5. Iron Fist season 1 – 13 episodes (March 17th, 2017)

The inaugural season of Iron Fist introduces Danny Rand (Finn Jones), a young man who returns to New York City after being presumed dead for 15 years.  Raised by the monks of K’un-Lun after his parents died in a plane crash, Danny has mastered the power of the Iron Fist, which allows him to focus his chi and create a powerful energy blast. While struggling to come to terms with his past, Danny uses his powers to fight crime and protect the innocent.

Exploring the themes of family, identity, and destiny, the show’s freshman run was met with mixed reviews. Some critics praised the show’s action sequences and Finn Jones’ performance in the titular role, while others criticized the show’s writing and pacing.

6. The Defenders season 1 – 8 episodes (August 18th, 2017)

The Defenders is a crossover show that brings together the characters from the four preceding Netflix series: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. The limited series The series follows Matt Murdock / Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand / Iron Fist as they team up to defend New York City from the Hand, a criminal organization that is trying to take over the world.

The Defenders also marks the debut appearance of Sigourney Weaver in the MCU as Alexandra Reid.

The Defenders received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of the cast, the action sequences, and the darker tone of the show. The series was also a huge success for Netflix, becoming one of the most-watched original series on the streaming service.

7. The Punisher season 1 – 13 episodes (November 17th, 2017)

The first season of The Punisher puts the spotlight on Frank Castle, a former Marine who becomes a vigilante known as the Punisher after his family is killed by criminals. The show’s freshman run follows Frank as he seeks revenge on those responsible for his family’s death, while also trying to come to terms with his own grief and anger.

Frank is a complex character who is driven by both revenge and a desire to make the world a better place. The season does not shy away from the violence of the titular character’s methods, but it also shows the toll that violence takes on him and on those around him.

The Punisher series was a good show. Its freshman run was praised for Jon Bernthal’s performance as Frank, its dark and gritty tone, and its exploration of complex themes like violence, trauma, and redemption.

8. Jessica Jones season 2 – 13 episodes (March 8th, 2018)

Season 2 of Jessica Jones takes place a year after the events of the first season and finds Jessica Jones struggling to adjust to her new life as a private eye. She is hired by Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss) to investigate a new case involving a group of people who have been experiencing strange visions. As Jessica investigates, she begins to uncover a dark conspiracy that could have devastating consequences for the city of New York.

9. Luke Cage season 2 – 13 episodes (June 22nd, 2018)

After clearing his name in season 1, Luke Cage is now a hero for hire, protecting the streets of Harlem with the help of Misty Knight (Simone Missick) and Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson). He soon faces a new threat: Bushmaster (Mustafa Shakir), a powerful warrior who is seeking revenge for the death of his father. Luke must use his strength and unbreakable skin to protect Harlem from Bushmaster and his allies, including Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard), who is now the mayor of Harlem.

10. Iron First season 2 – 10 episodes (September 7th, 2018)

In season 2 of Iron Fist, Danny Rand and Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) are trying to keep the peace among the many warring gangs in New York City. With the help of Misty Knight (Simone Missick), they discover that the crime ring in the city goes far deeper than they had ever anticipated, and hanging up their swords is no longer an option.

Davos (Sacha Dhawan) returns to NYC after finding his home of K’un-Lun gone. He is now determined to take what he believes is rightfully his: the title of Iron Fist. Meanwhile, Joy Meachum (Jessica Stroup) is struggling to come to terms with the death of her father. She is also determined to protect her company, Rand Enterprises, from any threats.

As Danny, Colleen, Davos, and Joy all fight for what they believe in, they will soon realize that the true enemy is someone they never expected.

The second season of Iron Fist was met with mixed reviews from critics, but it was considered a major improvement over the show’s previous season. The fight sequences were better choreographed, and the characters were more developed.

11. Daredevil season 3 – 13 episodes (October 19th, 2018)

Missing for months, Matt Murdock reemerges a broken man at the start of season 3, putting into question his future as both vigilante Daredevil and lawyer Matthew Murdock. But when his archenemy Wilson Fisk is released from prison, Matt, who grew up in an orphanage, must choose between hiding from the world or embracing his destiny as a hero.

The season also introduces a new villain, Bullseye (Wilson Bethel), who is a deadly assassin with perfect aim. Bullseye is hired by Fisk to kill Daredevil, and he quickly proves to be a formidable opponent. Matt must use all of his skills and abilities to defeat Bullseye, while also coming to terms with his own dark side.

12. The Punisher season 2 – 13 episodes (January 18th, 2019)

After exacting revenge on those responsible for the death of his wife and children in season 1, Frank Castle now lives in isolation. However, when a mysterious woman named Amy Bendis (Giorgia Whigham) shows up in his life, Frank is forced to confront his past and return to the fight.

Alongside Microchip (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Frank must battle a new threat: John Pilgrim (Ben Barnes), a religious extremist who believes that Frank is a threat to his way of life. Pilgrim is a formidable opponent, and he forces Frank to question his own beliefs about violence and justice.

13. Jessica Jones season 3 – 13 episodes (June 14th, 2019)

In season 3, Jessica Jones is tasked to investigate Gregory Sallinger, a seemingly ordinary man but with a dark secret: he is a psychopath who is obsessed with Jessica.

As Jessica investigates Sallinger, she begins to uncover his twisted past. Revealed to be a master manipulator, he quickly turns Jessica’s friends and allies against her. Jessica must use all of her skills and abilities to stop Sallinger, but she soon realizes that she may be out of her depth.

Where to watch all the Marvel Netflix shows

Although these shows were originally released on Netflix, all of them are no longer part of the streamer’s library. On March 1st, 2022, all six of the shows were removed from Netflix. A few days later, March 16th to be exact, every show from the Marvel Netflix universe arrived on Disney+ and has been streaming there ever since.

Will there be new seasons of the Netflix Marvel shows?

Netflix didn’t renew the shows for new seasons because Disney, who owns Marvel, wanted the different series and their respective IPs back to help stock its own streaming service, Disney+. Since regaining the rights to use the characters in their own body of works again, characters who originated from Netflix’s Marvel series have started to pop up in the MCU once again.

Matt Murdock appeared in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and in the 2022 Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Additionally, Daredevil’s Kingpin made an appearance in the 2021 Disney+ series Hawkeye.

During the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel officially announced the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again. Although Charlie Cox is returning to play the titular role, he made it clear that the new show is not a fourth season of the Netflix series Daredevil.

In an interview with Extra that same year, Cox said that he hasn’t read any script yet, but based on the show’s title alone, he thinks it will be completely different from the Netflix series.

“I don’t know anything. I haven’t seen a script,” the actor shared at the time. “My feeling is, based on the title Born Again, I think that the sense is it is a new beginning, it is going to be different, it is going to be totally different. It is going to be new stories and new ideas.”

The actor also reiterated what Marvel President Kevin Feige previously said about Daredevil: Born Again. “It is a season 1, it is not season 4,” the actor said. “So, it is a whole new thing, which I think is the way to go. If you are going to do it again, do it differently.”

Daredevil: Born Again is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in early 2024, and will consist of 18 episodes for its first season. It will be part of Phase Five of the MCU. While it’s too early to predict how the new show will be received by fans, a second season is reportedly planned.

There’s no word yet whether Marvel has plans to reboot the other Netflix Marvel series for Disney+.