Determining the longest movie series ever made requires looking at major film franchises and counting the number of films within each series. Some of the most well-known and longest-running movie series include Star Wars, James Bond, Godzilla, Friday the 13th, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
James Bond
One of the most iconic and longest-running movie franchises of all time is James Bond. Since the release of Dr. No in 1962, there have been a total of 25 official James Bond films featuring six different actors in the lead role as the British secret agent 007. Here is a list of all the James Bond movies in chronological order:
| Year | Film Title | Actor |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Dr. No | Sean Connery |
| 1963 | From Russia with Love | Sean Connery |
| 1964 | Goldfinger | Sean Connery |
| 1965 | Thunderball | Sean Connery |
| 1967 | You Only Live Twice | Sean Connery |
| 1967 | Casino Royale | David Niven |
| 1969 | On Her Majesty’s Secret Service | George Lazenby |
| 1971 | Diamonds Are Forever | Sean Connery |
| 1973 | Live and Let Die | Roger Moore |
| 1974 | The Man with the Golden Gun | Roger Moore |
| 1977 | The Spy Who Loved Me | Roger Moore |
| 1979 | Moonraker | Roger Moore |
| 1981 | For Your Eyes Only | Roger Moore |
| 1983 | Octopussy | Roger Moore |
| 1983 | Never Say Never Again | Sean Connery |
| 1985 | A View to a Kill | Roger Moore |
| 1987 | The Living Daylights | Timothy Dalton |
| 1989 | Licence to Kill | Timothy Dalton |
| 1995 | GoldenEye | Pierce Brosnan |
| 1997 | Tomorrow Never Dies | Pierce Brosnan |
| 1999 | The World Is Not Enough | Pierce Brosnan |
| 2002 | Die Another Day | Pierce Brosnan |
| 2006 | Casino Royale | Daniel Craig |
| 2008 | Quantum of Solace | Daniel Craig |
| 2012 | Skyfall | Daniel Craig |
| 2015 | Spectre | Daniel Craig |
| 2021 | No Time to Die | Daniel Craig |
With 25 films released over 59 years, the James Bond series holds the record as the longest continuously running film franchise for a lead character.
Godzilla
Another incredibly long-running movie series is the Japanese monster films featuring Godzilla. Since the original Gojira film in 1954, there have been over 30 live-action Godzilla movies made by the Japanese studio Toho. The series introduced iconic monster characters like Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla that battled Godzilla over the decades. Here are some of the major Godzilla films:
| Year | Film Title |
|---|---|
| 1954 | Gojira |
| 1955 | Godzilla Raids Again |
| 1962 | King Kong vs. Godzilla |
| 1964 | Mothra vs. Godzilla |
| 1965 | Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster |
| 1968 | Destroy All Monsters |
| 1971 | Godzilla vs. Hedorah |
| 1972 | Godzilla vs. Gigan |
| 1973 | Godzilla vs. Megalon |
| 1974 | Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla |
| 1984 | The Return of Godzilla |
| 1991 | Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah |
| 1992 | Godzilla vs. Mothra |
| 1993 | Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II |
| 1995 | Godzilla vs. Destoroyah |
| 2016 | Shin Godzilla |
The Godzilla franchise shows incredible longevity, continuing to release films intermittently over a span of 70+ years. With over 30 films, it has one of the highest number of movies in a series centered on the same character.
Star Wars
When it comes to major blockbuster movie franchises, Star Wars reigns supreme. Ever since the original Star Wars film in 1977, the sci-fi saga has continued to expand with new trilogies, spin-offs, and TV shows. As of 2023, there are currently 12 live-action Star Wars films set in canon continuity:
| Year | Film Title |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Star Wars |
| 1980 | The Empire Strikes Back |
| 1983 | Return of the Jedi |
| 1999 | The Phantom Menace |
| 2002 | Attack of the Clones |
| 2005 | Revenge of the Sith |
| 2015 | The Force Awakens |
| 2016 | Rogue One |
| 2017 | The Last Jedi |
| 2018 | Solo |
| 2019 | The Rise of Skywalker |
While not matching James Bond and Godzilla in total number of films, the Star Wars saga spans over 40 years with plans for many more theatrical films and Disney+ streaming series in development. It remains an enormously popular and influential movie franchise.
Friday the 13th
When it comes to slasher horror movie series, Friday the 13th dominates the genre. The films center around the murderous zombie killer Jason Voorhees and his bloody killing sprees. Starting with Friday the 13th in 1980, there have been 12 core Friday the 13th movies featuring Jason as the primary antagonist:
| Year | Film Title |
|---|---|
| 1980 | Friday the 13th |
| 1981 | Friday the 13th Part 2 |
| 1982 | Friday the 13th Part 3 |
| 1984 | Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter |
| 1985 | Friday the 13th: A New Beginning |
| 1986 | Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives |
| 1988 | Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood |
| 1989 | Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan |
| 1993 | Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday |
| 2001 | Jason X |
| 2003 | Freddy vs. Jason |
| 2009 | Friday the 13th (reboot) |
While the quality of the films varies, the Friday the 13th franchise delivered horror icon Jason Voorhees to audiences for over 30 years. These slasher films are a benchmark for the genre.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
In recent years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has dominated the superhero movie landscape. Beginning with Iron Man in 2008, the MCU has released over 25 interconnected films to date featuring popular Marvel heroes like Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, and the Avengers team. Here is the chronological list of MCU films:
| Year | Film Title |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Iron Man |
| 2008 | The Incredible Hulk |
| 2010 | Iron Man 2 |
| 2011 | Thor |
| 2011 | Captain America: The First Avenger |
| 2012 | The Avengers |
| 2013 | Iron Man 3 |
| 2013 | Thor: The Dark World |
| 2014 | Captain America: The Winter Soldier |
| 2014 | Guardians of the Galaxy |
| 2015 | Avengers: Age of Ultron |
| 2015 | Ant-Man |
| 2016 | Captain America: Civil War |
| 2016 | Doctor Strange |
| 2017 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 |
| 2017 | Spider-Man: Homecoming |
| 2017 | Thor: Ragnarok |
| 2018 | Black Panther |
| 2018 | Avengers: Infinity War |
| 2018 | Ant-Man and the Wasp |
| 2019 | Captain Marvel |
| 2019 | Avengers: Endgame |
| 2019 | Spider-Man: Far From Home |
| 2021 | Black Widow |
| 2021 | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings |
| 2021 | Eternals |
| 2021 | Spider-Man: No Way Home |
| 2022 | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness |
| 2022 | Thor: Love and Thunder |
| 2022 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever |
In just 14 years, the MCU has established itself as the highest-grossing film franchise in history. While not yet matching some of the longest-running movie series in terms of total films, the momentum of the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows no signs of slowing down.
Conclusion
When looking at the data, the James Bond series stands out as the current record-holder for longest continuously running movie franchise at 25 films over 59 years and counting. Godzilla and Friday the 13th also have impressively large filmographies spanning decades. Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe are more recent franchises that have released or plan to release 20+ movies set in a shared fictional universe. While new contenders may eventually approach or surpass Bond’s record, for now the iconic spy series remains the undisputed champion when it comes to longevity and lasting pop culture impact.