One Marvel fan has created an impressive timeline placing every single Marvel Cinematic Universe scene in chronological order. The MCU timeline is a popular topic among fans, largely because of how difficult it is to track. Many movies haven't been released in chronological order, with Captain America: The First Avenger probably being the most obvious example, as it takes place decades before the majority of the present-day MCU. Complicating matters further, almost no Marvel movies have the entire film taking place in one specific time frame; most have at least one scene (sometimes after the credits) that are either earlier or later than scenes in other movies.
Thanos' snap at the end of Avengers: Infinity War further muddied the waters, as five years passed during Avengers: Endgame, but only for those who weren't erased. The Avengers jumping back to different points in the timeline during Endgame didn't help either, creating multiple new timelines and altering old ones. However, just because the MCU timeline is complicated doesn't mean fans haven't tried to figure it out. Marvel fan timeline charts have become especially popular in recent years, as the timeline has grown increasingly complicated.
The latest attempt at deciphering the MCU timeline is more comprehensive than most, as YouTube and podcast host Tony Goldmark went so far as to separate the movies out by scenes and sometimes chunks that take place in the same time window. Some movies contain several different points in the timeline, such as Thor, which takes up an impressive nine entries. Only one, Spider-Man: Far From Home, has its entire movie taking place at one time. It's also the very last entry on the list, which is made up of 1110 scenes total. However, Goldmark later offered an edit to the original list, expanding it to 118 entries to account for those confusing time scenes in Avengers: Endgame. Check out the full list, as well as Goldmark's explanation for it, below:
It makes sense that Avengers: Endgame was the most difficult to track. The movie is arguably the most complicated, time-wise. In fact, even the film's directors and writers disagree on whether Steve Rogers created an alternate timeline or adapted the existing one when he stayed behind to live out his life with Peggy Carter. Avengers: Endgame also introduced past versions of characters into the present-day timeline, including Loki and Gamora, both of whom died in Avengers: Infinity War. All told, it was likely a massive undertaking for Goldmark to even figure out the Avengers: Endgame timeline, let alone every scene in the MCU.
Goldmark's point about the list only being for superfans is a good one. The MCU is the most massive franchise currently out there, composed of countless characters and storylines. A fan checking out Marvel movies for the first time, or even just one who's a casual fan, would likely be confused by trying to watch the MCU in this order. It's also worth noting that doing so would be incredibly time consuming, requiring over 100 switches between movies and keeping meticulous track of time stamps. Though the chronological timeline is very cool to look at, it's probably best to watch the films in their intended order.
Source: Tony Goldmark
Key Release Dates
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Black Widow
Release Date:2021-07-09 -
Eternals
Release Date:2021-11-05 -
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Release Date:2021-09-03 -
Thor: Love and Thunder
Release Date:2022-07-08 -
Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness
Release Date:2022-05-06 -
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Release Date:2022-11-11 -
captain marvel 2
Release Date:2023-07-28
