Marvel has revealed exactly where Eternals is set in the MCU timeline - apparently right around the time of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Marvel's shared universe has proved to be one of the greatest successes in the history of Hollywood, and none of the studio's rivals have been entirely able to replicate it. But, as exciting as the shared universe model may be, it comes with its own specific demands; specifically, the constraints of continuity. Everything exists in relation to everything else.

Take the example of Chloé Zhao's upcoming Eternals film, which promises to be unlike anything seen in the MCU to date. The film will introduce a group of ancient aliens into the MCU, powerful godlike beings who have existed on Earth for thousands of years. The trailers have already had to explain why the Eternals didn't help in the fight against Thanos, and another question has been rumbling in the background: when exactly is Eternals set in the timeline? The final Eternals trailer seemed to suggest it happened shortly after Avengers: Endgame, because apparently the Hulk's use of the Infinity Gauntlet released a flare of cosmic energy that has triggered something called the "Emergence."

Related: MCU Theory: Eternals Trailer Shows The Origin Of Mutants

But it seems that placement would be incorrect. In an interview with Empire Magazine (via gowri_gal on Twitter), Marvel producer Nate Moore finally gave a definitive placement for Eternals. According to Moore, the film takes place "right around the same time as Spider-Man: Far From Home, with the world recovering from the attack of Thanos and the return of half the world population." Avengers: Endgame saw Earth's surviving heroes restore half the lives in the universe, and it's set in October 2023, whereas Spider-Man: Far From Home is months later in summer 2024. Apparently, quite some time has passed between the Hulk's use of the Infinity Gauntlet and Eternals' mysterious Emergence.

Emergence in Eternals

This means it's now possible to figure out a precise viewing order for the MCU's post-Avengers: Endgame films and television shows to date. It goes:

It will be interesting to see whether the timeline actually works. Marvel seems to be struggling to maintain its continuity at the moment, with Shang-Chi suggesting the timeline is rather broken. The core problem appears to be the five-year time jump in Avengers: Endgame, which — while understandable for narrative reasons, and reinforcing the sense there are actual consequences from Thanos' devastating act of genocide — has placed a substantial strain upon a franchise whose films are traditionally set in "the world outside your window." It's possible Moore doesn't intend to be quite so specific, but rather that he's indicating Eternals simply takes place in a world where society has been restored to something very like normal. No doubt there will be evidence in Eternals itself to either confirm its placement in the timeline, or to clarify it.

More: Eternals Just Teased Black Panther 2's Villain Origin - Theory Explained

Source: Empire Magazine (via gowri_gal/Twitter)

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