Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Three delivered the Infinity Saga’s explosive payoff, with 11 blockbuster films released between 2016 and 2019, beginning with Captain America: Civil War and ending with Spider‑Man: Far From Home.
Across team fractures, cosmic threats, and universe‑altering events, this phase redefined superhero epics with cultural milestones like Black Panther and box office record‑breakers such as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Collectively, the Phase Three films grossed over $13.5 billion worldwide, making it the highest‑earning phase of the Infinity Saga and a dominant run in modern blockbuster history.
This guide is part of my “Complete MCU Explained” series on the Cinema Awards Archive YouTube channel, where I break down each phase’s films, box office highlights and awards recognition.
Phase Three includes eleven films: Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider‑Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Ant‑Man and the Wasp, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame and Spider‑Man: Far From Home.
Below, we continue the numbering from the earlier phases and focus on entries 13–23 in the overall MCU film list.
Captain America: Civil War (2016) is a superhero film based on Marvel’s Captain America, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. It is the sequel to The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier, and the 13th MCU film – the official start of Phase Three.
After an international incident involving the Avengers causes collateral damage, governments push for oversight via the Sokovia Accords, splitting the team into rival factions led by Steve Rogers and Tony Stark as they clash over freedom, accountability and hidden agendas.
The film was a major commercial success, grossing over $1.1 billion worldwide and becoming the highest‑grossing film of 2016. Critics praised the performances (especially Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.), the airport battle set‑piece, and its themes of ideology and loyalty.
Civil War also introduced Tom Holland’s Spider‑Man and Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther to the MCU, setting up key arcs for later Phase Three films.
Doctor Strange (2016) is a superhero film based on Marvel’s sorcerer Stephen Strange, directed by Scott Derrickson, who co‑wrote the screenplay with Jon Spaihts and C. Robert Cargill. It is the 14th MCU film.
After a career‑ending car crash, brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon Stephen Strange seeks healing and instead discovers the world of the mystic arts, training under the Ancient One and learning to protect reality from inter‑dimensional threats.
The film grossed around $677.8 million worldwide and was praised for its cast, inventive visual effects and musical score, with its kaleidoscopic city‑bending imagery frequently highlighted as a standout.
Doctor Strange received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects and later returned with the sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) is the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and the 15th MCU film, written and directed by James Gunn.
The Guardians travel through the cosmos as Peter Quill meets Ego, a mysterious celestial claiming to be his father, forcing the team to confront questions of family, belonging and identity while facing new cosmic threats.
The film grossed more than $869 million worldwide, out‑earning its predecessor and ranking among 2017’s top releases. Critics praised its colourful visuals, direction, soundtrack, humour and performances, even as some felt it didn’t surpass the original.
It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects, and the story would later continue with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), preceded by The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney+ in 2022.
Spider‑Man: Homecoming (2017) is a Spider‑Man reboot co‑produced by Sony and Marvel Studios and the 16th film in the MCU, directed by Jon Watts from a screenplay by multiple writing teams.
Set after Civil War, the film follows Peter Parker as he balances high school life with being Spider‑Man under Tony Stark’s mentorship, facing blue‑collar salvage worker turned arms dealer Adrian Toomes, the Vulture.
Homecoming grossed over $880 million worldwide, making it one of 2017’s biggest films and the second‑most successful Spider‑Man film at the time. Critics praised its lighter tone, focus on teen life, and performances – particularly Tom Holland and Michael Keaton.
Two sequels followed: Spider‑Man: Far From Home (2019) and Spider‑Man: No Way Home (2021), with a new live‑action trilogy currently in development.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017) is the third Thor film and the 17th MCU entry, directed by Taika Waititi from a screenplay by Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost.
After being imprisoned on the planet Sakaar and forced into gladiatorial combat against the Hulk, Thor must escape in time to stop his sister Hela from destroying Asgard and bringing about Ragnarök.
The film grossed about $855 million worldwide, becoming the highest‑grossing film in the Thor series and one of 2017’s top box office performers.
Critics and audiences praised its bold tonal shift, comedic style, performances (including Cate Blanchett as Hela), and synth‑heavy score, with many considering it the best Thor instalment.
Thor’s story continued with the sequel Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
Black Panther (2018) is based on Marvel’s Wakandan hero, directed by Ryan Coogler, who co‑wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole. It is the 18th MCU film.
After the death of his father, T’Challa returns to Wakanda to assume the throne, but faces a challenge from Erik Killmonger, who seeks to end the nation’s isolationism and use its technology to fuel a global revolution.
The film became a cultural phenomenon, widely hailed as one of the MCU’s best entries, and was noted for its predominantly Black cast, Afrofuturist design and political themes.
Black Panther grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, breaking numerous records, including becoming the highest‑grossing film directed by a Black filmmaker and one of the top‑grossing films of 2018.
It was named one of the top‑ten films of 2018 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute, and received seven Oscar nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, winning three – the first MCU film to win Academy Awards and the first superhero film nominated for Best Picture.
A sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was released in November 2022, with Letitia Wright’s Shuri stepping into a leading role after Chadwick Boseman’s passing, and an animated series Eyes of Wakanda is due on Disney+ in 2025.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) is the third Avengers film and 19th MCU entry, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.
The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and their allies unite across Earth and space to stop Thanos from collecting the six Infinity Stones, which would give him god‑like power to wipe out half of all life in the universe.
The film was praised for Josh Brolin’s nuanced performance as Thanos, the Russo brothers’ juggling of multiple storylines, its dark tone, large‑scale action and Alan Silvestri’s score.
Infinity War became a box‑office juggernaut, grossing over $2 billion worldwide and becoming the first superhero film to reach that mark, as well as the highest‑grossing film of 2018 and one of the top‑grossing films in history at the time.
It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects and ends on a devastating cliffhanger that leads directly into Avengers: Endgame.
Ant‑Man and the Wasp (2018) is the sequel to Ant‑Man (2015) and the 20th MCU film, directed by Peyton Reed from a screenplay by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari.
The film follows Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne as Ant‑Man and the Wasp, working with Hank Pym to rescue Janet van Dyne from the Quantum Realm while evading new threats and the FBI, tying the Quantum Realm more tightly to the wider MCU.
It grossed over $622 million worldwide, and critics praised its performances (especially Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly), humour, lighter tone and inventive visual effects.
The story later continued with Ant‑Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), which played a key role in the Multiverse Saga.
Captain Marvel (2019) is based on Marvel’s Carol Danvers, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck from a screenplay they co‑wrote with Geneva Robertson‑Dworet, and is the 21st MCU film.
Set in 1995, the film follows Danvers as she becomes Captain Marvel after an accident leaves her with Kree powers and fragmented memories, eventually uncovering her past on Earth and becoming embroiled in a conflict between the Kree and the Skrulls.
Captain Marvel grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide, becoming the first female‑led superhero film to pass the billion‑dollar mark and one of 2019’s highest‑grossing releases.
Reviews were generally positive, with praise for Brie Larson’s performance and the film’s 90s‑infused tone, though its audience score on some platforms became entangled in debates about review bombing and online backlash.
The story continued with the sequel The Marvels, released in November 2023.
Avengers: Endgame (2019) is the culmination of the Infinity Saga, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. It is the 22nd MCU film and direct sequel to Infinity War.
After Thanos wipes out half of all life, the surviving Avengers and their allies attempt to undo his actions, revisiting key moments from earlier MCU films through a “time heist” and bringing long‑running character arcs to an emotional close.
The film was praised for its direction, ensemble performances, score, action and emotional weight, with many critics highlighting the challenge of concluding a 22‑film storyline in a satisfying way.
Endgame grossed around $2.799 billion worldwide, surpassing Infinity War’s total in just eleven days and setting numerous box office records, including becoming the highest‑grossing film of all time from July 2019 to March 2021.
It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects and remains a landmark in franchise storytelling. Future Avengers films, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, are scheduled for 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Spider‑Man: Far From Home (2019) is the sequel to Spider‑Man: Homecoming and the 23rd MCU film, directed by Jon Watts and written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. It serves as an epilogue to the Infinity Saga.
On a European school trip, Peter Parker is recruited by Nick Fury and the mysterious Quentin Beck/Mysterio to battle elemental creatures, only to uncover a deeper deception that forces him to confront his responsibilities in a post‑Endgame world.
The film received positive reviews, with praise for its humour, action, visual effects and the performances of Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Far From Home grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide, making it the first Spider‑Man film to cross the billion‑dollar mark, one of 2019’s top‑grossing movies, and at the time Sony Pictures’ highest‑grossing film ever.
The story continued with Spider‑Man: No Way Home (2021), which further explored multiverse concepts in the MCU.
- The Complete Marvel Cinematic Universe Explained (In One Video)
- Part 1: The Complete Marvel Cinematic Universe Explained! - The Infinity Saga
- Part 2: The Complete Marvel Cinematic Universe Explained! - The Infinity Saga!
- Part 4: The Complete Marvel Cinematic Universe Explained! (Multiverse Saga Begins)
- Part 5: The Complete Marvel Cinematic Universe Explained! (Multiverse Saga Peaks)
- Part 6: The Complete Marvel Cinematic Universe Explained! (Multiverse Saga Finale)
- Part 7: Marvel Cinematic Universe's Epic Movie Lineup!
With eleven films and over $13.5 billion in global box office, Phase Three represents the creative and commercial peak of the Infinity Saga – balancing character‑driven stories, genre diversity and unprecedented crossover events.
From Civil War’s fractured Avengers to the Wakandan revolution of Black Panther and the universe‑spanning stakes of Infinity War and Endgame, this phase reshaped expectations for what a superhero franchise could achieve.
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