The 18 Best Non-MCU Marvel Movies And TV Shows On Disney Plus

It's likely that plenty of newer Marvel fans were introduced to its world of heroes and villains through one of the many MCU movies or shows that now fill the Disney+ streaming service. However, there's so much more to see inside the Marvel universe that exists outside of the sprawling MCU continuity.

Disney+ contains a number of Marvel's animated shows, older movies, shorts, and even behind-the-scenes looks at MCU productions. There's something for everyone here, whether you're a relative newcomer looking for more Marvel content, or a longtime fan in search of nostalgia.

Here's a list of the best non-MCU movies and shows on Disney+, presented in chronological order from the oldest content to the most recent additions.

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Release: 1992-1997

This X-Men animated TV show was the first successful television run for Marvel's mutants, as it brought the stories from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters to life every Saturday morning for five seasons. The series followed the main group of Wolverine, Storm, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, and Beast.

It was recently announced that Marvel plans to continue this series as the newly-titled X-Men '97 in 2023, so it's the perfect time to watch the original run.

Release: 1994-1997

This wasn't the first Spider-Man animated series, but it's certainly one of the best. The show drops us right into the life of Peter Parker after he's already become Spider-Man. We get to see him grow as a character and a hero over the five-season run as he takes on a large number of notable villains (Doc Ock, Kraven, Morbius, Venom, Kingpin, etc.) while balancing growing personal relationships.

Release: 2000-2003

This animated X-Men show gave the mutants some striking makeovers as it tried to carve out a unique take on the gifted youngsters. There's some extra emphasis on 'youngsters' here because X-Men Evolution follows younger versions of Jean Grey, Cyclops, Rogue, Shadowcat, Nightcrawler, and Spyke. Wolverine, Storm, and other older characters appear as well, but Evolution really leans into the student aspect of the school.

X-Men Evolution isn't available in all regions though, so it may not appear on Disney+ depending on your location.

Release: 2002-2007

This Spider-Man film trilogy brought the wall-crawler to the big screen in the early 2000s and left an impression that has lasted for decades. To this day, Tobey Maguire is still brought up when fans discuss their favorite portrayals of the beloved character.

Release: 2003

X2 is the second film in the original live-action X-Men trilogy, and it's easily the best of the bunch. This time, the X-Men are up against William Stryker, a man who wants to completely eliminate mutants with the help of Xavier's Cerebro technology. In an unlikely turn of events, this threat forces the X-Men to team up with Magneto's brotherhood.

Release: 2009

This is the last X-Men animated show on the list, I promise. However, Wolverine and the X-Men deserves a spot because of the darker tone it goes for from episode one. Wolverine has to take charge as various mutants, including the students, are hunted down by the Mutant Response Division while Professor X and Jean Grey are out of the picture.

Release: 2010-2012

Earth's Mightiest Heroes is a great team-up series featuring strong plotlines focused on some of the most iconic Avengers. And it starts off in an absolutely wild way--every single supervillain gets released from prison at the same time due to a system malfunction in episode one.

Release: 2011

X-Men First Class is the perfect movie to start with for those looking to begin their cinematic X-Men journey. It follows a young Professor X and Magneto before they were ever given those titles, and shows us just how Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters came to be.

Release: 2012-2016

This cartoon manages to put a bit of a twist on the regular old Spidey formula by having Spider-Man train under S.H.I.E.L.D. from episode one. As the series progresses, he interacts with a wide variety of other heroes who don't often get much shine outside of the comics, from Nova to White Tiger. There's even a Spider-Verse arc in here where Miles, Gwen, and a whole host of other spider people appear.

Release: 2012-2014

The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel didn't receive the same amount of praise as the early 2000s trilogy, but Andrew Garfield still delivered his Spider-Man role in ways that are unique to these two movies. And let's not forget that these films had some of the most creative live-action web-swinging scenes we've ever seen.

Release: 2014

Days of Future Past is in the same category as First Class when talking about the best live-action X-Men movies. It continues on from the establishment of Xavier's school and brings us into a dark future that Wolverine aims to prevent, with the help of a little time travel.

Release: 2014

This documentary takes us to the beginnings of Marvel Comics to celebrate its 75th anniversary. It even goes all the way back to 1939 and the creation of Captain America by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. From Pulp to Pop! is essentially a Marvel history lesson that contains exclusive interviews with the likes of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's son, Neal Kirby.

Release: 2016

This is one of the few Rated-R films set in the Marvel universe and, honestly, Deadpool probably couldn't have been done properly any other way. Wade Wilson is a violent, foul-mouthed mercenary who manages to evade death time and again, and this is his origin story.

Release: 2017

Logan is the final movie in Wolverine's cinematic timeline, and it's one of the best live-action portrayals of the character to date. Here, we see an older Wolverine doing what he can to care for an aging Professor X while watching over a young mutant who is on the run.

Release: 2018-2019

Marvel Rising is an animated collection that serves as a solid introduction to the newer generation of heroes, including Ghost-Spider, Ironheart, Ms. Marvel, and America Chavez, alongside lesser-seen heroes like Squirrel Girl. Marvel Rising is made up of shorts, full-length episodes, and even a movie. That may sound a bit confusing, but they can all be watched in release order.

Release: 2020

Marvel's 616 is unlike anything else on the list so far, as it's an eight-episode docuseries that delves into the cultural and societal impact that Marvel has had over its lifespan. The series touches on cosplay, toys, art, and even theatre.

Release: 2021

Hit Monkey started out with a one-shot comic and an appearance in a Deadpool issue, but this animated series tells the origin story of how an ordinary monkey sets out to assassinate assassins while being followed around by a wisecracking ghost. It's definitely a bit ridiculous but remains entertaining throughout its 10-episode length nonetheless.

Release: 2021-present

Though this does technically cover the MCU, these behind-the-scenes looks at Marvel productions are often intriguing and worth the watch thanks to the shot breakdowns and unseen footage. The Assembled series currently covers several Phase Four MCU movies and shows, including Thor: Love and Thunder, Shang-Chi, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Eternals, and Hawkeye.