Want to get to grips with how to watch The Defenders in order? With Daredevil: Born Again season 2 now over and done with and The Punisher: One Last Kill on the way, there's never been a better time to catch up with the past adventures of New York's favorite street-level heroes (and antiheroes).
Starting off with Daredevil, we're here to guide you through the exploits of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Punisher, and, of course, the Defenders crossover (round two in Daredevil: Born Again season 3?). Here, you'll find how to watch all the shows chronologically, as well as what "non-Defenders" titles you should tune into, too.
Note: Technically, the Defenders Saga takes place after the first Avengers movie. To get a better understanding of the full 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.
If you are looking for specific information on where Daredevil: Born Again season 2 takes place, I also suggest you check out our handy timeline guide, as it breaks down the year in which it was set, and if you'll need to watch it before Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
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.
