How Many Maze Runner Movies Are There? The Complete Watch Order
Key Takeaways
- There are three released movies in the original Maze Runner series.
- Watch the trilogy in release order: The Maze Runner, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, and Maze Runner: The Death Cure.
- Release order is also the chronological story order; there’s no separate prequel film or alternate timeline.
- The Death Cure is one movie, not a two-film finale.
Table of Contents
- How Many Maze Runner Movies Are There? The Complete Watch Order
- Key Takeaways
- Table of Contents
- The Maze Runner Movies in Order
- 1. The Maze Runner (2014)
- 2. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
- 3. Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)
- Is Release Order Different From Chronological Order?
- Why Are There More Maze Runner Books Than Movies?
- Does News About Another Movie Change the Count?
- The Bottom Line
The Maze Runner Movies in Order
There are three released movies in the original Maze Runner series: The Maze Runner (2014), Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015), and Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018). Together, they form a trilogy following Thomas and a group of young survivors in a dangerous dystopian world.
Watch them in release order, which is also their chronological story order. There’s no separate prequel film or alternate timeline to work into your viewing schedule.
The Maze Runner film-series listing identifies these three films:
| Watch order | Movie | Release year | Place in the story |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Maze Runner | 2014 | Introduces Thomas, the Glade, and the maze |
| 2 | Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials | 2015 | Expands the story beyond the first film’s setting |
| 3 | Maze Runner: The Death Cure | 2018 | Concludes the original trilogy’s central storyline |
The summaries below are spoiler-free, so you can choose where to start without learning the films’ major twists.
1. The Maze Runner (2014)
The first movie begins with Thomas arriving in the Glade, an enclosed community of boys who have little memory of their lives before arriving. Beyond their settlement stands a vast maze with shifting routes and deadly threats.
This is the essential starting point. It establishes the characters, the rules of their immediate world, and the questions that drive the trilogy. Its relatively contained setting gives it a survival-mystery focus: understanding the maze matters as much as finding a way through it.
If you’re unsure whether the series is for you, start here rather than sampling a sequel. The later films depend on relationships and discoveries introduced in this one.
2. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
The Scorch Trials continues the group’s story while broadening the setting and the dangers they face. The emphasis shifts from a single enclosed mystery toward a larger dystopian survival adventure.
Although the title doesn’t include a “2,” this is the second Maze Runner movie. It isn’t a spin-off or an optional side story. It connects the first film’s discoveries to the conflicts that become central in the finale.
Expect a change in scale rather than another movie built around exactly the same maze-based setup.
3. Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)
The Death Cure is the third and final film in the original trilogy. It brings the main characters’ ongoing struggle to its conclusion, building on the alliances, tensions, and unanswered questions from the previous two movies.
It’s best treated as the final chapter rather than a standalone adventure. Starting here would leave much of the emotional context unexplained.
Despite a release gap after The Scorch Trials, there isn’t another movie between the second and third installments that you need to find.
Is Release Order Different From Chronological Order?
No—the two orders are the same for the released trilogy.
The straightforward viewing sequence is:
- The Maze Runner
- Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
- Maze Runner: The Death Cure
There’s no benefit to rearranging them for a first watch. Each sequel assumes you know what happened earlier, and changing the order would reveal answers before you’ve encountered the mysteries behind them.
Why Are There More Maze Runner Books Than Movies?
The films are based on James Dashner’s novels, but the book franchise and the movie franchise aren’t identical in size or structure.
The film trilogy adapts the three main novels: The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, and The Death Cure. The literary series also includes additional stories that expand its world.
That distinction can make search results confusing. A book title associated with Maze Runner doesn’t necessarily have a corresponding movie.
Also, the final film wasn’t split into two parts. Unlike some other young-adult adaptations, The Death Cure is one movie, not a two-film finale. That’s why the original screen story totals three films rather than four.
Does News About Another Movie Change the Count?
A future project and a released movie are different things. Development reports, proposed sequels, and reboot discussions shouldn’t be counted as films you can already watch.
The established original series is the three-film trilogy listed above. Any future installment would need to be distinguished from that completed run; a development announcement alone doesn’t make it a fourth released movie.
The Bottom Line
There are three original Maze Runner movies, and the correct order is 2014’s The Maze Runner, 2015’s The Scorch Trials, then 2018’s The Death Cure. Start with the first film and follow the release sequence—you don’t need to add any prequels, spin-offs, or extra parts to complete the trilogy.
