Knowing how to watch The Defenders in order is relevant again for the first time in years. With Daredevil: Born Again season 2 hitting Disney Plus in 2026 in just a few weeks and Jessica Jones actor Krysten Ritter also along for the ride in the MCU, there's never been a better time to binge the entire story from start to finish.
From Daredevil onwards, through to Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, The Punisher, and the Defenders crossover, we're here to help guide you through the complete story as the street-level heroes fight to take back New York one block at a time. In this page, we've broken down everything that you need to watch chronologically. You'll also find some clarity on what "non-Defenders" productions to watch as well, making sure you have the most complete timeline experience for your big watchthrough.
Note: Technically, the Defenders Saga takes place after the first Avengers movie. To get a better understanding of the MCU, check out our guide to the Marvel timeline. If you're looking for an overall picture of the MCU, we also have a complete guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
How to watch The Defenders Saga in order
- The Defenders Saga includes the likes of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and a few non-Defenders movies and episodes of certain Marvel shows.
- Watching all the shows and movies in release date order is also their chronological order, so watching in any other way will be confusing.
- Despite a few Defenders Saga shows being considered "Marvel's Netflix shows", you can watch all the series and related Marvel movies right now on Disney Plus.
Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and The Defenders were formerly known as "Marvel's Netflix shows" but that description is hardly fitting now they're on Disney Plus. The watch order starts with Daredevil, the very first show released back in 2015, and culminates in Jessica Jones season 3, which ended Marvel and Netflix's partnership in 2019.
This order (by release date) is also the chronological order to watch the series in and watching in any other order will make The Defenders extremely confusing, as that has significant impact on the other shows – particularly Daredevil.
- Daredevil season 1
- Jessica Jones season 1
- Daredevil season 2
- Luke Cage season 1
- Iron Fist season 1
- The Defenders
- The Punisher season 1
- Jessica Jones season 2
- Luke Cage season 2
- Iron Fist season 2
- Daredevil season 3
- The Punisher season 2
- Jessica Jones season 3
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (non-Defenders Saga movie)
- Hawkeye (non-Defenders Saga show)
- She-Hulk episode 8 (non-Defenders Saga show)
- Echo (non-Defenders Saga show)
- Daredevil: Born Again season 1 (Daredevil sequel)
- Daredevil: Born Again season 2 (2026)
Those last few may seem a little bit out of place (excluding Born Again), but – mild spoilers – they each feature appearances from characters from The Defenders Saga. So, if you're going to do a major watch of all the shows, then be sure to check out Spider-Man: No Way Home, the Hawkeye series, that solitary episode of She-Hulk, and Echo.
Want to watch the Marvel movies after making your way through the Defenders Saga? Here's our guide on the best Marvel movies. Or look ahead with our guide on all the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows still on their way.
