A brave new world is almost here. Just as the U.S. prepares itself for a new president, so too does the MCU. Captain America: Brave New World will introduce Harrison Ford as Marvel’s latest POTUS… who just happens to turn into a giant red rage monster (as opposed to the orange strop machine we have in the real world). But the arrival of Red Hulk is not the only long-running fan request Cap 4 will finally deliver on. Eternals fans, this is your moment. 601p3

Multiverse Saga critics often claim that Marvel’s recent output has been largely forgettable and short-lived, and even its biggest defenders would have to it Eternals disappeared from the zeitgeist so fast it should’ve been called Ephemerals. Case in point, that movie ended with a giant stone god poking out of the ocean, a world-changing development that’s yet to be referenced ever again. Until now. Brave New World, take a bow.

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Against all the odds, an Eternals character has made it onto another Marvel movie poster, and even more unlikely is the fact that it’s not any of the core cast. Instead, a new Cap 4 poster captures Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson flying over the calcified head and hand of Tiamut, the Celestial who tried to emerge from the center of the earth in Chloe Zhao’s mayfly Marvel movie — which released back in November 2021 to disappointing box office and near MCU-low notices.

We’ve known for a while now that Tiamut’s existence would factor into the plot in some way, but the fact that he’s now getting a starring role on the film’s poster indicates Brave New World won’t just fill in this Eternals plot hole but will turn this major unanswered question into the impetus for its own storyline. We’re still not entirely sure if Cap 4 is going to hit the spot or not, but kudos to the studio (and the screenwriters) for turning a goof into a creative opportunity.

The only thing we need now is for Eternals‘ other big question mark to be resolved — what in the galaxy happened to Eros, Harry Styles’ surprisingly hot space pirate brother to Thanos who turned up in the post-credits scene and promptly never appeared again? Styles’ initially flourishing acting career has stalled a tad since then, along with any momentum the Eternals brand might’ve had, so maybe don’t expect Brave New World to solve this one, too.

But, hey, let’s appreciate the wins when we get them. And after Kumail Nanjiani’s recent return as Kingo in the third season of What If…?, maybe the Eternals aren’t as eternally doomed as they once seemed. And the MCU’s oldest villain coming back to the fray after 17 years proves that anything is possible in this franchise if you wait long enough. So, hang on in there, Harry Styles nation, Eros could still reappear in Captain America 9, coming in 2037!

As part of the D23 event in Brazil, Marvel Studios released a new logo for season 3 of What If…? As it turns out, hiding between the letters hints at how the MCU will tie its most significant loose thread.

To understand the importance of the new What If…? tease, we first have to go back to 2021, when Marvel Studios released Eternals, an ambitious departure from the typical MCU formula directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao. Despite its grand scope and visual ambition, Eternals received mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. The film earned a disappointing 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the first MCU film to receive a “rotten” rating. On CinemaScore, it received a B rating from audiences – the lowest grade ever for an MCU film.

Eternals’ box office performance reflected these mixed reactions. While it eventually reached a global total of $400 million, this was considered underwhelming for a film with a production budget exceeding $200 million — it didn’t even have the same-day release on Disney Plus to justify its failure. It is no shock that Marvel Studios never managed to greenlight a sequel, as Disney is only happy to leave the MCU alone as long as it makes enough money for the House of Mouse.

Nevertheless, while the absence of Eternals 2 makes sense from a financial point of view, the movie left quite a few unresolved cliffhangers. Captain America: Brave New World will finally address the presence of Tiamut’s corpse in the middle of the ocean. Plus, Blade will supposedly tie up the Black Knight reveal at the end of the movie if Mahershala Ali is still up for some vampire killing in the distant future. The last thing to wrap from Eternals is the whole subplot involving Arishem the Judge, the red Celestial who kidnapped some Eternals and led others to rescue them in the sequel.

It’s not like Marvel didn’t get a chance to resolve this particular mystery. Thor 4, Guardians of the Galaxy 4, Loki season 2, and many others were expected to end this dilemma. Well, better late than never as What If…? season 3 will somehow bring Arishem back, though the plot details are still unknown.

Arishem’s appearance in What If…? season 3 might help solve Eternals’ post-credits scene 391g5w

The Eternals-focused What If…? episode has been teased for months. However, until the new season 3 poster emerged in D23, we had nothing official about Arishem ever popping up in the series. Now, Arishem s an exciting season 3 cast that also includes a Mjolnir-wielding Storm from the X-Men, White Vision, and a version of Agatha wearing a white dress.

Of course, What If…? deals with alternate universes in which some events happened differently from the Sacred Timeline. In the Eternals’ case, their episode will explore what would happen if Tiamut had been fully born, destroying Earth. So, Arishem could only pop up to celebrate the birth of a new Celestial. However, the two previous seasons of What If…? had overarching narratives across multiple episodes, all dealing with Multiversal threats. Since season 3 marks the end of the animated series, there’s a chance Uatu, the Watcher (voiced by Jeffrey Wright), might finally visit the Sacred Timeline. What If…? season 3 can even lay some groundwork for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, the big Multiversal crossovers that feature multiple timelines clashing against each other.

Look, I get it. Eternals didn’t make enough money to justify a sequel. Still, the movie’s story has a massive impact on the MCU as a whole, and Marvel Studios needs to address its post-credits scene at some point. If season 3 of What If…? serves to resolve Eternals’ final loose thread, so be it.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the most in-depth and successful franchise of all time during its 16-year run at the box office. While it began with Iron Man in 2008, for fans following the narrative, that’s not where the story actually begins.

There are currently 34 movies in the MCU — soon to be 35 with Captain America: Brave New World — released in five phases. Phases One through Three, known as the Infinity Saga, collectively bring viewers closer to the arrival of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and its epic follow-up, Avengers: Endgame. Meanwhile, phases Four through Six, known as the Multiverse Saga, began in 2021 and will eventually bring viewers closer to Robert Downey Jr.’s ultimate MCU comeback as Doctor Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and its subsequent multiversal showdown in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. : Kang is a thing of the past.

Phase Four began in 2021 with the Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and continued into 2022 with three major franchise sequels: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Phase Five began in 2023 and also included four franchise sequels, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, and most recently Deadpool & Wolverine.

Following the success of Marvel’s Disney Plus streaming hits like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki, we’ve received fresh entries like Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Secret Invasion, Loki season 2, and soon Agatha All Along. They aim to continue the budding tradition of bringing focused character studies to the small screen, but in light of criticism over reduced quality, Marvel has scaled back these productions a bit. Nevertheless, these shows tie into the larger Marvel universe, which is actually more of a multiverse now. However, those shows won’t be mentioned on this list, as this list pertains to feature films only.

There are numerous ways to enjoy Marvel films, including the order in which they were released, or drawn out of a hat at random, although that last option isn’t recommended for first-time viewers. However, in this article, we’ll be breaking down the chronological timeline of all films in the MCU so you can watch them in the correct narrative order. An at-a-glance lineup of Phases One through Three can be found below:

Below is a breakdown of every MCU film in narrative-timeline order, all of which, save Deadpool & Wolverine, are available to stream now on Disney Plus. Thanks to Marvel’s official The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline, we now have a clearer picture of not only what is and isn’t MCU canon, but also whether the nuggets of information we’ve compiled over the years do, indeed, fit into the slots we’ve given them. Spoiler alert: they do.

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Taking place first in the timeline, Captain America: The First Avenger provides the origin story for one of Marvel’s most popular heroes, Steve Rogers, played by the dynamite Chris Evans. This film mostly takes place in 1942 and showcases Rogers’ journey from a scrawny infantry soldier to full-blown Captain America who faces off against Red Skull.

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Next up is Captain Marvel, which is set in 1995, much closer to modern times. This movie is the first in the timeline to explore space travel and intergalactic threats. As we are introduced to both Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and soon-to-be S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the pair gets involved in the conflict between the Kree and the Skrulls, with surprising results.

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The third film in the timeline was the very first Marvel film to be released: Iron Man. The billionaire philanthropist-turned-superhero Tony Stark has his origin story told in this fan-favorite film. Thanks to its box office success and fans’ adoration of Robert Downey Jr.’s performance, the film ultimately kicked off the entire MCU franchise.

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Picking up shortly after the events of the first Iron Man, Iron Man 2 continues the story of the suited superhero now with his identity known to the public. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), the son of a scientist who previously worked at Stark Industries, is back with a grudge and creates his own weaponry with the goal of taking revenge for his fallen father. The film also introduces a soon-to-be Avenger in Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).

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While many fans may choose to forego 2008’s The Incredible Hulk in their MCU binge given that it features Ed Norton in the role instead of Mark Ruffalo (who later became the official Banner), it’s still technically a part of the MCU timeline. This movie gives fans a unique take on the Hulk’s origin story and hints at more things to come in the closing credits.

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Thor’s initial big-screen debut took place in 2011 and gave fans their first look at Asgard and other realms via the Bifrost. This one finds the titular god traveling to Earth to defend the world from Loki and a Frost Giant threat. For many moviegoers, this was their introduction to the beloved character, played by Chris Hemsworth, and for many it solidly delivered.

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The first crossover film in the timeline came with The Avengers, which was set at the conclusion of Marvel’s Phase One. The Avengers brought together Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, the Hulk, and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to protect the Earth from Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the Chitauri invasion. The movie also played a key role in introducing the Tesseract as the first of the Infinity Stones. These stones were ultimately the key to all future plans in the MCU.

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The second Thor film in the MCU, Thor: The Dark World, gives us a closer look at Asgard, its inner workings, and the relationship between Thor, his brother Loki, and their father, Odin. The film also gives us insight into the second Infinity Stone, the Aether, which was wielded by the movie’s antagonists, the Dark Elves. Though it’s largely considered one of the less-impressive Marvel films, it serves its purpose and thankfully paves the way for a wonderful Thor threequel.

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In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark deals with anxiety after experiencing the intergalactic invasion of the Chitauri. After diving into full damage control mode and assembling an army of suits, he’s forced to choose between being Iron Man and protecting those he loves. Meanwhile, he must also deal with the looming threat of “The Mandarin.”

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Hailed as one of the best films in the entire MCU franchise, Captain America: The Winter Soldier introduces viewers to more of Captain America’s past and throws Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, back into the fray. The movie also reveals the hidden HYDRA threat still present among the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D that ultimately leads to its demise.

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When it was announced that Disney was going to bring the Guardians to the big screen, many were skeptical, but Guardians of the Galaxy turned out to be one of the best space films ever, let alone one in the MCU. It introduced us to Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel), an unlikely team that attempts to stop the plot of Ronan the Acc (Lee Pace) from using the Power Stone to destroy Xandar.

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Taking place shortly after the first film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 gives us a closer look at Peter Quill’s backstory and heritage while also introducing a new member to the squad in the form of Mantis (Pom Klementieff). The story also dives deeper into the sibling rivalry between Gamora and Nebula (Karen Gillan) and shines a light on their relationship with their adoptive father, Thanos, which would pay off in just a few short films.

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Crossing over once again, the cast of the original Avengers film s forces to defend the Earth from the threat of Ultron (James Spader), a supercomputer developed to be a peacekeeping program by Tony Stark, which overrides its programming and now seeks to eliminate all mankind. In the latter half of the film, the Avengers get a few new additions in the form of Vision (Paul Bettany) and the Maximoff twins, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

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Ant-Man tells the story of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a thief who is recruited by Dr. Hank Pym to assist him with stopping the plot of his former protège, who cast him away from his own company. During the film, Lang becomes Ant-Man after being gifted a suit and trained to use Pym Particles to shrink his size, giving him superhuman strength and the ability to control ants.

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While not an Avengers film by name, Captain America: Civil War brings most of the superhero cast together for a face-off over a disagreement on the Sokovia Accords following the events of Age of Ultron. Civil War was also used to introduce a few new characters to the Avengers’ roster, including Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland).

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Finally getting her own origin film after being part of the MCU for over a decade, Natasha Romanoff heads back to her roots in Black Widow, which launched earlier this year. The film introduced us to Natasha’s sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who fans got to see again in Hawkeye and who will undoubtedly be appearing again, possibly in a villainous team-up compliments of a certain character who appears in the post-credits scene.

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Despite what the movie may have led you to believe, it does not take place eight years after The Avengers. Marvel finally addressed the snafu after years of sweeping it under the rug in the official Marvel Studios: The MCU — An Official Timeline book, confirming it was indeed only four years after the Battle of New York. Taking place right after the events of Civil War, Spider-Man’s MCU debut chose not to retell the hero’s origin story, instead giving us a coming-of-age film that finds Peter Parker juggling his duties as Spider-Man with the demands of high school. There are plenty of comic book Spidey villains teased throughout the film, but his biggest threat is the Vulture, menacingly played by Michael Keaton, who is apparently bad with math.

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Instead of an origin story, when we pick up in Black Panther, T’Challa has already taken on the mantle as the titular hero after the ing of his father in Civil War. This film gives viewers their first look at the inner workings of the afrofuturistic Wakanda, as well as an epic tale of personal and ideological rivalry between T’Challa and Killmonger (Michael B Jordan).

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The first time we are treated to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in the MCU is in his self-titled film. The story explores the origins of Stephen Strange’s character and teases the ideas of multiple dimensions, cosmic beings, and time-traveling threats. As you’d expect, the Time Stone is also a crucial element of the film and only becomes more important from here on out. Other standout characters in the film include Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), Wong (Benedict Wong), Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).

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Directed by Taika Waititi and taking on a different style and tone than the previous Thor films, Ragnarok has a more comical personality while maintaining high-quality action sequences. The film addresses many of the loose ends following Age of Ultron and follows Thor and Loki as they attempt to stop their half-sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett) from taking over Asgard. The ending of this film offers a jaw-dropping lead-in to what quickly becomes the beginning of the end of the Infinity Saga.

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The first part of the epic culmination of all the previous MCU films, Avengers: Infinity War finally gives us our first major introduction to Thanos (Josh Brolin), who has been working behind the scenes to gather the Infinity Stones with the goal of wiping out half of all life in the universe with a snap of his fingers. The movie takes place in 2018 and ultimately, leaves fans with a stunning cliffhanger that segues directly into Avengers: Endgame.

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The sequel to Ant-Man, this film takes place at the same time as the events of Infinity War in 2018 and does a great job of telling its own story within the Ant-Man comic book canon. This one digs deeper into the relationship between Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her mother (Michelle Pfeiffer), and also introduces a mysterious new villain, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). Just like Infinity War, the final moments of this film leave viewers breathless for answers in anticipation of the impending Endgame.

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The epic conclusion to over a decade of storytelling, Avengers: Endgame has everything fans could ever want in a Marvel film. It takes place in October 2023, five years after the events of Infinity War, and sees the remaining Avengers attempt to regain hope of defeating Thanos and restore what was lost after his infamous “Snap,” which was later renamed “The Blip.” In the closing act, Endgame boasts one of the most epic action sequences in all of cinema, blasting expectations wide open and forever changing the MCU as we know it.

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Shang-Chi is one of the latest heroes to the MCU, and in this first film exploring his character’s origin, we learn more about his role amidst the greater events playing out within the franchise. Alongside his friend Katy (Awkwafina), Shang-Chi is drawn back into the life he used to know and must face the father (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) he thought he left behind. During the iconic bus fight scene between Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings operative Gao Lei, we’re shown the dates July 21 to 28 in a Jazz Blues Festival ment. Since Katy’s grandma also mentions the “Day of the Dead,” a festival resembling the Chinese Qingming Festival — which takes place in April — and the film itself spans two weeks, we can assume the movie takes place in April 2024. This would put it before Far From Home.

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Picking up right after Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home addresses the events that took place during the previous film while also introducing some new faces and returning characters from the past. It takes place during the summer of 2024, eight months after The Blip. This is the perfect bridging point to close out Phase Three and enter Phase Four of the MCU — after watching Shang-Chi, of course.

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With its many flashbacks telling the story not only of the Eternals themselves but also the history of the universe, it can be difficult to give this film a true place in the MCU timeline. That said, its present-day moments take place around the same time as Far From Home in 2024, likely just afterward given that the events of the film were not mentioned in the Spider-Man sequel. Fans and critics were largely split on the film (to put it mildly), except in regard to that colorful cameo by Harry Styles in the post-credits scene. Whether Styles will actually return to the MCU is another matter entirely.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Logan took place in 2029, so Deadpool & Wolverine must also take place during or after that, meaning it should be at the bottom of this list. Well, no. The Merc with the Mouth’s first foray into the MCU actually occurs in 2024. We know this because after Happy Hogan rejects Wade’s request to the Avengers (on March 14, 2018, on Earth-616) the time stamp on the screen tells us we jump six years into the future — back on Earth-1005 — which would place the film in 2024. And because we see Wade celebrating his birthday and he’s said in the comics that he’s a Scorpio (on the cusp of a Libra, thank you very much) — and because Deadpool & Wolverine showcases a decent amount of fall foliage — we can safely assume the film occurs in October 2024. As for why Earth-10005’s Wolverine is already dead at the beginning of Deadpool & Wolverine when Logan’s death shouldn’t have occurred for another five years — well, it’s likely that Wade jumped forward in time using the TVA’s TemPad. That, or we’re just going to file the mistake away with all of Marvel’s other embarrassing timeline errors.

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Spider-Man: No Way Home takes place immediately after its predecessor, Far From Home around Nov. 2024. The film brings Peter Parker on the most mind-blowing adventure of his life ⏤ which, unfortunately, no one but he will . The film saw him grapple with everything from losing his Aunt May, to facing off against villains from completely different universes. It also led to Peter finding an unexpected brotherhood with alternate versions of himself, perfectly brought to life by Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire in tear-inducing appearances that will stand the test of time.

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Benedict Cumberbatch’s return as the title character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness picked up after the events of No Way Home. It saw Strange deal with the implications of multiversal travel while facing new friends and foes, some of whom created serious trouble for him (ahem – Wanda). Wanda’s future was thrown into flux after she was presumably killed off in the movie’s final moments, but she is rumored to return in a Disney Plus spin-off series, which may or may not happen since Marvel subtly announced that the Earth-616 version of the character is canonically dead. Strange, too, received a cliffhanger ending, something we hope will be addressed in the rumored Doctor Strange 3.

In the meantime, you can rest assured that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes place after Spider-Man: No Way Home, which takes place right around the events of Hawkeye, which takes place around Christmas 2024.

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Thanks to Disney Plus, we now know that — in the eyes of Marvel Studios — this film takes place after Doctor Strange 2. It also takes place after Ms. Marvel, which is believed to take place around Sept. 2025 because of the school’s homecoming dance. However, in Love and Thunder Jane Foster’s eppendorf vial’s tag includes the date April 30, suggesting it takes place in the beginning of 2025. Unfortunately, since we don’t know exactly when Thor and Jane broke up, the God of Thunder’s comments about their breakup happening 8 years 7 months and 6 days before the movie doesn’t exactly paint a clear picture either. Our best bet is to just assume Love and Thunder takes place in April 2025, especially when looking at the next MCU installments on the timeline.

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According to Black Panther Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore, we have a place in the timeline to slot Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Moore says that this film takes place alongside the events of Thor: Love and Thunder, around the start of 2025, so for all rewatching purposes you should be able to enjoy either film first. This placement would make a lot of sense, since neither film directly affects the events of the other. Secret Invasion, on the other hand, almost had us questioning the timing of things when our favorite CIA from Wakanda Forever was revealed to be a Skrull (that was all put to rest in the season finale, though).

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For those who are sticklers for dates, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes place during the start of 2025, like Wakanda Forever. How do we know this? A news clip in Wakanda Forever mentions Scott Lang’s book tour, and because book tours don’t last entire years, Quantumania definitely takes place before The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which occurs later that year during Christmastime, which also means it takes place before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, Disney Plus messed with the timeline when it decided to place Quantumania after The Guardians Holiday Special, which it most certainly is not, resulting in MODOK-sized canon headache, if you ask us. It wouldn’t be the first time Disney Plus goofed with the MCU’s timeline, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the time Quantumania was accidentally erased from Phase Five. (Don’t worry, it’s not).

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Ms. Marvel provides us with a pretty good guestimation where The Marvels takes place on the MCU timeline. Because the Disney Plus series is believed to take place around Sept. 2025 and Kamala Khan’s body-swapping problem doesn’t go unaddressed long, The Marvels likely takes place before 2026, which means it comes before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Carol Danvers’ intergalactic team-up with Captain Rambeau and Kamala to defeat the Kree general Dar-Benn in the highly-anticipated sequel to her billion-dollar predecessor, Captain Marvel, also happens to be the shortest movie in MCU history. Should any information in the movie, which will premiere in just a few short days, contradict this entry, we will revise it ASAP.

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It’s hard to give Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 an exact place on the MCU’s timeline since it is unaffected by previous films and has little effect on the overall MCU storyline. However, it’s safe to say that this intergalactic, twisty-turny threequel takes place in 2026 since it occurs after the events of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in Dec. 2025. As a rule of thumb, here’s every MCU movie you should watch before starting Vol. 3.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in the midst of some glorious destruction at the moment. After a swath of post-Endgame struggles led the franchise to readjust their attack plan, it looks like Marvel is finally going to make good on those promises of a brave new world; indeed, Deadpool & Wolverine is just the beginning.

Nevertheless, one can’t help but wonder what might have been if the “quality first” mindset had been in place throughout the Multiverse Saga. For one, Eternals probably would have been a much better film, and that in turn may have increased the odds of Marvel confidently plugging ahead with a sequel.

Unfortunately, now we’re not even sure when or if that sequel is going to happen, according Kevin Feige himself.

As one of the most divisive features in the entire franchise, this news has been received with very little mirth from either side of the divide; some are disappointed over the indefinite hiatus of the Eternals, while others believe that they got exactly what they deserved after the underwhelming thrust of the 2021 film.

More than anything, this announcement is once again a reminder of what a privilege it would have been for us all if Chloé Zhao had been given even more creative freedom than she was already given with Eternals. It would have been no great task to solve its writing issues if Zhao didn’t need to rope in as many characters as she did; Kingo was objectively useless, while Gilgamesh and Thena only added unnecessary narrative complications without any real emotional or thematic heft to justify their presence.

In other words, the biggest problem with Eternals is that it was an MCU movie; had Zhao not been beholden to the canon, we could have had an utterly sensational treat on our hands. But, that wasn’t to be, and the Eternals’ reputation has paid the price now.

Luckily, Deadpool & Wolverine was given permission to break the rules, and we’ll all get to see how that paid off when it releases to cinemas on July 26.

The first trailer for Captain America: Brave New World has descended upon us, and while production on this film has seemed troubled to us outsiders, it’s hard to disagree that our first big look at Anthony Mackie’s solo Marvel outing goes hard as hell.

Indeed, Julius Onah’s flick looks to be invoking a swath of the spy thriller stylings that earned The Winter Soldier its distinction as one of the MCU’s finest entries. Time will only tell if the film’s final form will live up to the trailer, but a good foot forward is a good foot forward.

Of course, when it comes to the fans, Marvel movies are rarely measured solely by their storytelling quality; Easter egg abundance plays an important role in their books as well. And while this latest possibility is a bit of a stretch, its confirmation could lead to the moment that we’ve all been waiting for for far too long.

One Daniel Richtman has taken to X with a screencap from the trailer in tow, suggesting that that large shape in the background looks a bit like a giant hand. He is, of course, insinuating the possibility that the MCU canon is finally going to address Tiamut in a proper fashion.

Ever since Tiamut’s titanic frozen body rose out of the Indian Ocean in Eternals, fans have been impatiently wondering why none of Earth’s champions or organizations have seemed to take notice of such a geographically game-changing event. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law hinted at it before, but it was played as little more than a joke.

But now, there’s a chance that Brave New World will be roping in Tiamut’s corpse as a genuinely significant setting, if not a deeper plot point. And with mutants on the precipice of taking up tremendous space in the MCU, along with fan theories pointing to Tiamut’s body being used as the island of Genosha, the timing is certainly spot on.

But we’ll just have to see what the deal is later on, when Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters on Feb. 14, 2025.

There’s a definite feeling that, just like Ant-Man, the MCU is about to shrink. Although Marvel Studios releasing just the one movie in 2023 won’t be the norm going forward, it certainly seems likely that the once ever-growing franchise has reached its peak level of output and can only go down from here.

That means that, where every movie was once almost guaranteed a sequel or spinoff, Marvel will now be much more reluctant to greenlight projects unless it’s a surefire thing that they’ll perform well. The reason for the change? Disney’s purse strings have suddenly become much tighter since Bob Iger confirmed that the House of Ideas won’t have so many ideas in future. According to the prodigal CEO, the studio will “reduce volume” and focus on proven “stronger franchises.”

So what does that mean for those more divisive entries in the canon? Chief among them, Chloé Zhao’s Eternals, perhaps the most divisive MCU movie of them all? Well, depending on which side of that division you fall on, you’re either going to love this news or hate it.

For the love of Eros, is Marvel really cancelling Eternals 2? 57h6t

If you’ve heard talk about Eternals 2 getting cancelled, then I’m afraid to say there is some fire behind the smoke here. Having said that, it’s nothing official, but it is a very plausible-sounding rumor. According to scooper Daniel Richtman, an Eternals sequel is “no longer in development.” The reason why is very much in keeping with Iger’s prior comments about Marvel’s future direction, with it claimed that “Marvel Studios is said to be focusing on less risks with their movies and more guaranteed hits.”

Given that, it’s hardly surprising that we’re hearing Marvel could be canning a follow-up to what stands as its fifth lowest-performing release of all time. While it didn’t bomb as hard as The Marvels, Eternals only brought home about $402 million when it hit theaters in Nov. 2021, putting it fifth from the bottom in the MCU’s box office ranking — only higher than Black Widow, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Incredible Hulk, and the aforementioned Brie Larson film.

Coming out towards the tail-end of the pandemic certainly didn’t help its profits, but going down as the worst-reviewed Marvel movie at the time (now the second worst, behind Quantumania) only damaged its chances even further. The gloomy tone and emotionally detached storyline wasn’t exactly what most audiences wanted from their MCU content, although it has earned itself a devoted fanbase over time and can now be considered one of the universe’s more cultish entries.

Honestly, though, when no concrete news on a sequel emerged after a full two years plus change, we kind of figured there was no hope for an Eternals 2, so this rumor doesn’t come as the greatest shock. The much bigger surprise is that Marvel appears to have wasted the attention-grabbing casting of Harry Styles as Thanos’ brother, imprisoned in a post-credits scene that seems doomed not to go anywhere. Could plans for Eternals 2 be rebooted as a buddy cop movie between Eros and his resurrected purple bro? You heard it here first.

Kumail Nanjiani has shocked his fans by revealing that he had to go to therapy following the release of his so-far single Marvel movie, Eternals, in November 2021 due to the intense backlash the Chloe Zhao-directed film received. On top of people being concerned for his mental health and sympathetic to his experience, Nanjiani’s revelations also shocked people as many had completely forgotten Eternals ever existed, even if they were among those scathingly reviewing it at the time.

For Marvel commentators and critics it’s easy to lay into the latest piece of subjectively disappointing MCU content online and then move onto the next thing to get annoyed about, but Nanjiani’s discussion of his own personal experience reminds us that internet chatter can have a longer-lasting effect in the real-world. Given the impact it had on his mental health last time, the actor would be forgiven for turning down the opportunity to return as Kingo in the future.

In this regard, Nanjiani’s situation is recalling the equally unsavory treatment of another Marvel star. Ever since Captain Marvel released in 2019, Brie Larson has faced endless hate from some quarters online. To date, the actress has yet to publicly address the toxicity or if and how it has had an impact on her, but rumors abound that it has dampened her enthusiasm for playing what should be the role of a lifetime. Her own future in the franchise is equally as in doubt as Nanjiani’s, going by comments from the Oscar-winning actress’ own mouth.

Obviously, toxic fandom is not exclusive to the MCU, far from it, but a community that used to be full of positivity has certainly become typified by vitriol in many instances over the past few years. Clearly, it would be beneficial to remind folks that these packages of Marvel content are made by real people with real feelings and not simply developed by Kevin the robot from She-Hulk just to irritate us. If only there was the perfect series sitting on Disney Plus ready to binge to educate us all? Oh, wait, there is…

Brie Larson and Kumail Nanjiani’s experiences prove one underrated Disney Plus series should be compulsory viewing 1l253v

The backlash that both Larson and Nanjiani and sadly many other cast and crew of the MCU have faced, particularly across the Multiverse Saga, makes it all the more necessary for fans to check out Marvels Studios: Assembled on Disney Plus. A fresh hour-long special is released anytime a new movie or TV show lands on the streamer that dives behind the scenes of the production, allowing the viewer unique insight into how the project came to life.

Even if you’re not a fan of the project in question, every episode of Assembled is an essential watch as it reminds you that this movie, no matter how flawed you might find the finished product, was put together by a huge and very dedicated team full of ionate and talented people who made every creative decision with the best of intentions. It’s easy to come out of one of these specials with a newfound appreciation for the film or show, now that you’ve seen the hard work that went into it.

For example, The Making of The Marvels showcases the moment when Larson wrapped on the sequel, at which point she was overwhelmed by emotion. As the star makes clear in a voiceover, she isn’t sure where her character goes from here and therefore if she’ll get to play her again. That’s pretty meaningful for an actress who once signed a seven-picture deal with the studio. For context, she’s only appeared in four films to date. Who knows what may have happened to cause this uncertainty, but the fact that these movies haven’t gone down as Larson was no doubt hoping they would must be a factor.

Likewise, Eternals had one of the finest casts Marvel has ever assembled, Nanjiani very much included, and yet its poor reception has seemingly blocked the way to all of them from returning — even Harry Styles, at present. Both Brie Larson and Kumail Nanjiani, and many more, deserved better from the MCU fandom, and perhaps even from Marvel Studios as a whole. We know all too well that it’s not easy being a superhero within the Marvel universe. It turns out it’s not so easy being one in the real universe either.

The level of fame and exposure that mainstream actors and artists in general have to deal with is both a blessing and a curse. It might present them with opportunities we common folk could never dream of, and that’s certainly part of the appeal, but it’s also worth considering what having so many people freely voice their opinions about your work might do for your self-confidence and outlook on life. That’s exactly what Kumail Nanjiani had to navigate following the failure of his Marvel Cinematic Universe juggernaut Eternals.

Directed by Chloé Zhao and released on the heels of her Oscar sweep with her film Nomadland, Eternals was meant to be a turning point for Marvel. A leap of faith in a different means of filmmaking, dependent on a more independent voice and style. It turned out to be, instead, one of the brand’s worst-reviewed and worst-performing films to date, bashed for being simultaneously overstuffed and empty. Nanjiani was sure it was going to be a hit, so when it wasn’t, the shock made him reevaluate the way he approached his work.

What was the effect of Eternals‘ underperformance on Kumail Nanjiani’s professional life? 6u2m13

Like many actors, Nanjiani used to choose his projects somewhat cynically, combining those that were fulfilling with those that could finance his life and keep his career alive. The 45-year-old revealed on the Inside You podcast that his approach to taking on Eternals was based on a belief that by doing such a massive film more opportunities would surface. “I was looking at like, ‘Okay, if I do this, this movie’s going to come out in theatres, it’s going to be a big hit, and I’ll get more’,” he said, implying he didn’t exactly pick Eternals because it was an exciting challenge, but more so because it could be useful in the long run.

The problem was that the movie did not meet everyone’s expectations. Not even an Oscar-winning director and a star-studded cast featuring the likes of Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, and up-and-coming talents like Brian Tyree Henry and Barry Keoghan could rescue it. Nanjiani struggled to cope with the disconnect, saying it impacted even his family, and began counseling to deal with work-related frustrations.

“I realized that too much of how I’m evaluating what I want to do is based on the result or what other people think of it,” he shared, adding “I can’t approach my work this way anymore, some s**t’s gotta change.’ So very intentionally I did start counseling.” He its to still talking to his therapist about it today and that his wife, writer and producer Emily Gordon, believes he has trauma from the experience.

Nanjiani wasn’t the only one to find the backlash against Eternals “tough.” The Oscar-nominated actor and screenwriter mentioned meeting with a cast-mate from the film who shared his concerns, which made him realize they had all gone through something similar.

Counseling helped Nanjiani shift his perspective, evolving from prioritizing results to valuing the experience of the things he can control.

“I realised I can’t be so results-based in my work anymore cause I can’t really control it. I can control my experience. I can control how I am to the people around me. I can control what I learn from it. I can control how I work. I can’t control what people are going to think of it.”

We would all do well to those words.

There are so many questions still lingering from Marvel’s Phase Four. Did Scarlet Witch really die in Doctor Strange 2? What’s next for Peter Parker after Spider-Man: No Way Home? And what, for the love of Kingo, happened to the Eternals? For the most part, we’re confident that all these mysteries will be cleared up before the Multiverse Saga has concluded. Except that third question, that is, as Eternals 2 seems so unlikely.

While the fate of Chloe Zhao’s immortal superhero team remains as up in the air as Ikaris after he flew into the sun (sorry, too soon, Richard Madden fans?), it is possible that these characters could return to the MCU in a slightly different form in the not-so-distant future. And, if we’re to believe the latest intel, it’s all thanks to What If…? season 3.

The Eternals mystery could be solved in What If…? c1p5o

According to scooper CanWeGetSomeToast, the Eternals will have a major starring role in one episode of the animated anthology show’s next season as the run is allegedly set to include an installment titled “What if… the Eternals never stopped the Emergence">what happened to Harry Styles’ Eros, though, will have to wait a little longer.

Over 30 movies and 16 years in, the MCU surely has the biggest cast of characters of any franchise ever, but there’s a sense following the failures of Phases Four and Five so far, that Marvel might be slimming down its universe.

For example, talk of sequels to the likes of Ant-Man 3 and Eternals stalled once those films released to, let’s say, less than positive receptions. Meanwhile, She-Hulk season 2 is almost definitely not happening and the chances of The Marvels producing Captain Marvel 3 seem smaller than Scott Lang.

Speaking of which, luckily for the stars of these frozen sub-franchises, there’s another shared universe out there that seems happy to take on those actors ill-treated by the MCU. In short, when ex-Marvel stars are in need of a job… Who they gonna call?

Ghostbusters: Afterlife trailer confirms it’s playing home to half a dozen of Marvel’s most unfortunate actors 4k6v1a

At a time when family-friendly blockbusters aren’t the reliable cash-cows they used to be, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire could go either way for Sony when it releases this March 22. Whether it’s a good or bad sign that its cast is made up of actors who either escaped from poor-performing MCU movies or were criminally underused in popular ones remains to be seen.

Fresh off Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Paul Rudd is back to lead his first big-budget film since the threequel that landed with a thunk. Funnily enough, he’s sharing the screen once more with Bill Murray, who cameod in Quantumania as Krylar. The sequel’s trailer confirms that both Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt will get in on the ghost-catching action this time around, which may make up for the fact Marvel probably isn’t returning their calls to return as Eternals‘ Kingo and Pip the Troll.

Meanwhile, there’s Carrie Coon, one of those actors nobody re is part of the MCU thanks to her being wasted under unrecognizable CGI as Thanos’ lady lackey Proxima Midnight. As for the younger cast , McKenna Grace was only allowed a brief few moments of screentime as a young Brie Larson in Captain Marvel and Celeste O’Connor features in Sony’s next Spider-Man-less spinoff that’s bound to spin out of control, Madame Web.

All in all, that makes a total of seven actors Marvel did dirty finally finding a more beneficial blockbuster home for themselves. Let’s hope the talented cast is rewarded this spring by Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire making Marvel movie. Uh, I mean pre-Endgame Marvel money, not post-Endgame Marvel money.

Just promise me, Sony, whatever happens, please don’t name the next film Ghostbusters: Ghostmania.

With its live-action movies and TV shows currently not in the best shape, it seems Marvel Studios is relying hard on arguably its sturdiest, if often underappreciated, medium — animation.

While other every other series apart from Loki has failed to get a second season to date, both I Am Groot and What If…? have gotten sophomore runs. Likewise, the otherwise sparse MCU 2024 lineup has just been filled out with newly announced animated series Eyes of Wakanda and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

And the expansion of the MCU in animation won’t stop there either. Who knows exactly what else Marvel has planned, but rumored leaked intel swirling on social media indicates that another animated show could be a revival of a franchise we all thought dead. That’s right, could Eternals finally get a sequel in the form of a Disney Plus anime show?

According to the info, this series, that’s only known for now as Untitled Marvel Animated Show, is anime-influenced and features a “diverse group of leads.” The logline reads: “A clandestine group of ancient cosmic beings living undercover on Earth are trying to protect the world without being discovered by humans. They find themselves entangled in a cosmic battle that could reshape the fate of the universe.”

Um, that’s literally just the plot of Eternals, right? When you think about it, following up on the 2021 Phase Four film in animated form probably is the smartest play. The movie itself underperformed, but this corner of the MCU mythology is much too vast to leave abandoned. So why not make an animated show to expand on it that hardcore fans would lap up? It’s probably also easier to get Angelina Jolie et al back for voiceover roles to boot. Although what this means for Harry Styles’ Eros, though, we’re still dying to find out.

Of course, there’s also the chance this could be about the Inhumans instead, as that description could conceivably apply to the royal family of Attilan as well, but the odds are stronger that, if we can indeed trust this intel, that it’s all about the Eternals.

So don’t get the Mahd Wy’ry just yet, Eternals enthusiasts, your patience might just pay off eventually.

Ever since Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel launched at the tail-end of the Infinity Saga, a certain subset of fans — who have been colorfully and accurately described by Samuel L. Jackson — have feared that women are taking over the MCU. Well, I am delighted to inform these people: it’s true.

Although this used to be a rare occurrence, the Multiverse Saga has become increasingly obsessed with taking male characters from the comics and reimagining them as female. We’ve known all along that Marvel Studios was very keen to diversify its roster of heroes, and villains, in meaningful ways in Phase For onward, especially after a couple of casting snafus in Phase Three (more on that in a moment).

So here are 10 Marvel characters who started out as male comic book characters but entered the MCU as women. And, you know what, in all but this first case that was unequivocally the right creative choice.

The Ancient One 4m6u2h

Casting Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One in Doctor Strange is perhaps still the MCU’s most controversial gender-swapped casting, although fans probably would’ve been fine with it if the character was still portrayed as Asian. Kevin Feige, rarely one to it a mistake, has confessed he regrets white-washing the Ancient One, calling it a “wake up call.”

Ghost 682e1q

Ghost from Ant-Man and the Wasp? Well, the tragic villain was basically an original creation for the MCU, with little but the comic book character’s name and intangible powers remaining. Hannah John-Kamen’s Ava Starr is due to return — we think — in the long-delayed Thunderbolts movie.

Mar-Vell 2v2o6p

On paper, you’d think Marvel recasting Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel in the comics and a major figure in Marvel lore, as a woman would cause a stir, but apparently Annette Bening is just that good that nobody minded. Or else those people that like to complain about things like this decided to focus all their hate on Brie Larson instead. Actually, yeah, probably that.

Ajak 3u515z

Say what you like about Eternals, but Chloe Zhao’s divisive DC wannabe of a Marvel movie did an excellent job diversifying a superhero team that’s basically a load of white guys on the page. For starters, we have Salma Hayek as (the, honestly, shamefully underused) team leader Ajak.

Sprite 5o4n3t

Sprite, outwardly the youngest member of the Eternals, was another of the film’s characters reimagined as female, with Lia McHugh taking on the role. McHugh was good in the part, but this means a fascinating note from Neil Gaiman’s Eternals comics — that Sprite was inspiration for Peter Pan — had to be junked.

Makkari 305e2e

The most notable male Eternal made female in the MCU has to be Makkari, though. Lauren Midloff’s casting made the character so much more interesting that they are on the page. We have more than enough white male speedsters on our screens, thanks. Here’s hoping Makkari gets a chance to make a comeback.

Captain Britain w1j2e

Although Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter is never explicitly referred to as Captain Britain in either What If…? or Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, well, come on, just look at her outfit — clearly, that’s who she’s based on. It’s important to note, though, that Peggy Carter herself namedropped the original Captain Britain, Brian Braddock, in Avengers: Endgame. So watch this space.

Sonya Falsworth 6t212i

Technically speaking, Sonya Falsworth is an original character, as the slightly batty MI6 chief doesn’t have a direct counterpart in the comics, but clearly she’s inspired by James Montgomery Falsworth aka Union Jack, so it counts. Imagine if Secret Invasion hadn’t given us Colman’s eccentric Sonya. None of us would’ve made it to the finale. Actually, maybe that wouldn’t have been so bad.

Judge Gamble y304k

Liz Carr had a ing role in Loki season 2 as Judge Gamble, a TVA leader who became an ally to Loki and his friends. She was a very loose adaptation of a wholly different comics character — namely, Professor Gamble, who is basically Marvel’s own thinly veiled spoof of Doctor Who.

Dogpool 6n2b18

Marvel’s next most merchandise-able character is about to drop in Deadpool 3, with Ryan Reynolds confirming Dogpool is set to feature in next summer’s MCU blockbuster. In the comics, Dogpool is a male canine variant of Wade Wilson from another universe. In the MCU, though, she is a very good girl.

Dar-Benn 601q3m

You’d be forgiven for missing that Dar-Benn was a gender-flipped character, on of the fact that the comic book version is a complete non-entity, with only two appearances to his name. Zawe Ashton had free reign to do what she liked with the villain in The Marvels — it’s just a shame she was so underwritten.

Bonus round: 1 character the MCU switched from female to male 5a1y3t

Skrull Emperor 6h3sy

In The Marvels, of all places, the MCU actually for once reversed its usual trick and recast a female character as a male one. And it might’ve cost us a top-tier villain!

In Nia DaCosta’s sequel, Carol Danvers and her friends encounter the Skrull emperor Drogge, based on Skrull colony planet Tarnax. Apart from totally flying in the face of Secret Invasion (wasn’t the whole point of that show that they had no other planet to live on?) this was also a vague surprise as Drogge isn’t the Skrull king in the comics. He’s actually the head scientist of Skrull Queen Veranke, a villain who seriously deserves her shot in the MCU. The Veranke erasure ends now, Marvel.