How to Understand the Marvel Cinematic Universe Timeline
The Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline has been a source of consternation for continuity-obsessed fans for years. Although the films never explicitly state what years they take place, they do occasionally offer, with some amount of definitiveness how much time has elapsed between them. For example, in Captain America: Civil War, Vision says it’s been eight years since Tony Stark announced to the world that he was Iron Man, which was the final moment of Iron Man 1. But that doesn’t seem to lineup with the events of Spider-Man: Homecoming, which takes place shortly after that movie but includes a title card announcing that it’s “EIGHT YEARS LATER” after a prologue set shortly after the events of The Avengers, which occurs about two years after the end of Iron Man.
So what gives? Is there a way to make sense of the Marvel movie timeline? We think so. In our new video we lay out all of the MCU movies, and explain when they take place in relation to each other — and offer up explanations for any of the inconsistencies that seem to exist. Take a look:
If you liked this video explaining the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, check out more of our videos below, including our video on all of the biggest Marvel Cinematic Universe plot holes (and their potential explanations), how the Fantastic Four might be seamlessly interwoven into the existing Marvel Cinematic Universe, and how we think Electro could show up in Spider-Man 3. Plus, there’s tons more over at ScreenCrush’s YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to catch all our future episodes.
Gallery — The Evolution of Every Avengers Costume, From Movie to Movie: