Film Phase 3B — Civil War & Fallout (2016–2018)

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Name: Spider-Man: Homecoming
Released: 2017-07-07
Duration: 133 min
Rating: 7.3
Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau

"Homework can wait. The city can't."

Released July 7, 2017 2h 13m ★ 7.3TMDB ★ Essential to the MCU

Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker, with the help of his mentor Tony Stark, tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City, with fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture, emerges.

How to watch Watch credits.

Watch note

Peter's first MCU solo film. Tony mentors him, then steps back. The foundation for who Peter is when No Way Home breaks him.

Why It Matters in the MCU

The MCU's Spider-Man reboot works because it is the first adaptation to commit fully to Peter Parker as a fifteen-year-old — a kid who is legitimately in over his head and not simply performing youth. Michael Keaton's Vulture is the franchise's most working-class villain: a contractor displaced by the superhero economy who turns to weapons smuggling not out of ideology but economic necessity. The twist about Liz's father lands as a genuine dramatic shock because the film builds the relationship before the reveal. It is also the only Spider-Man film that genuinely understands John Hughes.

Watch These First

11 titles lead into Spider-Man: Homecoming — 24 hours in total. All 11 are essential.

Captain America: The First Avenger Essential 2h 4m ★ 7.0
Iron Man Essential 2h 6m ★ 7.7 +1 before this
Iron Man 2 Essential 2h 4m ★ 6.9 +1 before this
The Incredible Hulk Essential 1h 52m ★ 6.3
Iron Man 2 (Post-Credit Scene) Essential 0h 2m
Thor Essential 1h 55m ★ 6.8 +3 before this
Captain America: The First Avenger (Credits) Essential 0h 2m
Thor (Post-Credit Scene) Essential 0h 2m
The Avengers Essential 2h 23m ★ 8.1 +3 before this
Iron Man 3 Essential 2h 10m ★ 6.9
Thor: The Dark World Essential 1h 52m ★ 6.5
Captain America: The Winter Soldier Essential 2h 16m ★ 7.7 +4 before this
Avengers: Age of Ultron Essential 2h 21m ★ 7.3 +1 before this
Captain America: Civil War Essential 2h 27m ★ 7.5 +1 before this

Create a watch plan for this list

Opens the planner with just these titles, so you can set your own pace.

Where It Fits in the MCU

Spider-Man: Homecoming sits at position 72 of 158 in the MCU's story-chronological order, placing it within the Phase 3B — Civil War & Fallout (2016–2018) era. It is rated Essential — must-watch for following the main MCU narrative. Watching in story-chronological order provides the most coherent character development experience — individual arcs build naturally toward the franchise's major crossover events, with each film's post-credits scenes carrying forward into what follows.