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Editor’s Note: This includes updates up to the end ofBlack Panther Wakanda Forever.Any Marvel fan worth their vibranium could tell you that the MCU as we know it launched in 2008 withJon Favreau’sIron Man. A tougher task by far is to deliver a blow-by-blow retelling of the events that occurred within the MCU, from the Jotunheim invasion of Earth to the foundation of the Arena Club, to the next wave of technological innovations on display at the Stark Expo, and the futuristic nation of Wakanda. So with that in mind, we’ve put together a list of the major events of the MCU timeline up to and including the latest releases. We’ll be updating this list as more films and TV series are released.
If you’re all caught up on every installment of the MCU so far and are curious about the upcoming releases (including thoseoutsidethe MCU), you’ll want to check out oursuperhero release date calendar here. And if you’ve got a lock on the history of the MCU but are interested in just where on Earth the events occur, Reddit’sMrRLopezhas you covered with thisinteractive map. MrRLopez’s own timeline helped to fill out our own, in addition to assistance from the super-detailedMarvel Cinematic Universe Wiki. Keep in mind, that this is a fictional universe with lots of characters and a different timeline from those established in comics, etc.; take it as a general guide not a written-in-stone, be-all-end-all document. We are including events from the Marvel shows that have not been officially canonized by the MCU.
Chronological timeline of the MCU’s films and TV series
Phase Three
Phase Four
Marvel TV Before Phase 4
Ancient Times: Infinity Stones, Celestials, and Frost Giants
Before the Universe Began:
After the Universe Began:
Several Million Years Ago:
Thousands of Years Ago:
“Centuries” Before the Current Time:
1900-1950: Captain America, Peggy Carter, and S.H.I.E.L.D.
1950 - 2000: Nick Fury, Tony Stark, and Phil Coulson
1995: Captain Marvel
(The main story takes place over roughly 22 hours, in 1995.)
21st Century: Phase One - Avengers Assemble
21st Century: Phase Two - The Rise of Ultron
21st Century: Phase Three - Infinity and Beyond
‘Avengers: Infinity War’
Red Skull reminder: After disappearing from his contact with the Tesseract in 1945, he was transported to the distant realm of Vormir to escort those who sought the Soul Stone as the Stonekeeper, eventually including Thanos himself.
Sometime after Thanos’ kidnapped/adopted Gamora and Nebula, he traveled to Nidavellir, traditionally one of the Nine Realms and, in this case, home to a massive forge surrounding a neutron star which acts as a heat source. There, Thanos sought out Eitri, a master forger among the dwarves who inhabit Nidavellir. Under threat by Thanos, Eitri crafted the Infinity Gauntlet with the hope that Thanos would take his prize and leave his people. Instead, Thanos took the gauntlet, cast Eitri’s hands in molten metal, killed the rest of the dwarves, and shut down the forge to prevent any future weapons from being made or unmade.
Sometime after the events ofCaptain America: Civil War, Ben & Jerry’s named flavors of ice cream after Tony Stark (Stark-Ravin’ Nuts) and The Hulk (Hulka-Hulka Chunka Chocolate).
Thanos’ forces attacked Nova Corps on Xandar, defeating them and taking his first Infinity Stone, the purple Power Stone.
The following events take place within roughly 24-48 hours
May 30th-31st
The five years after the Snap are transformative for the Avengers:
Yes, we hear you.Endgameis not the end of Phase Four, it’sSpider-Man: Far From Home. But, in the scope of this timeline,WandavisionandFalcon and the Winter Soldiertake place beforeFar From Home.
AlthoughSpider-Man: Far From Homecame out beforeWandaVisionandFalcon and the Winter Soldier, both series technically take place beforeFar From Homeduring 2023-2024.
