The Entire MCU Timeline Explained (2023 Update)

Looper2 minutes read

The Marvel Cinematic Universe spans thousands of years, with Celestials creating life forms, Eternals protecting worlds, and significant events like Thanos's quest for the Infinity Stones. Numerous characters, from Iron Man to Black Widow to Spider-Man, play essential roles in the complex narrative, leading to battles, alliances, and the emergence of new heroes like Kate Bishop and America Chavez.

Insights

  • The Marvel Cinematic Universe's vast narrative spans thousands of years, beginning with Celestials creating life forms and Eternals to combat deviants, leading to significant events like the formation of Wakanda and the rise of Hydra, shaping the MCU's rich history.
  • Various characters, from Thanos seeking Infinity Stones to the emergence of heroes like Daredevil, Black Widow, and Doctor Strange, play crucial roles in shaping the MCU's interconnected storyline, with key moments like the Battle of New York and the defeat of Ultron impacting the universe's trajectory.
  • The Multiverse's emergence introduces new challenges, like the Guardians of the Multiverse battling a variant Ultron, while characters like America Chavez and Spider-Man navigate fractured realities, setting the stage for a complex and interconnected future within the MCU.

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Recent questions

  • What is the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a vast interconnected series of superhero films and television shows produced by Marvel Studios, based on characters from Marvel Comics.

  • Who are the Eternals and Deviants?

    The Eternals are synthetic life forms created to protect life from the Deviants, genetically engineered monsters that became a threat to all life forms in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

  • What are the Infinity Stones?

    The Infinity Stones are six powerful singularities scattered across the universe in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, each possessing unique abilities that can alter reality when combined.

  • Who is Thanos?

    Thanos is a powerful villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe obsessed with balance, who seeks to acquire all the Infinity Stones to achieve his goal of wiping out half of all life in the universe.

  • What is the Multiverse in the MCU?

    The Multiverse in the Marvel Cinematic Universe refers to the existence of multiple alternate realities and timelines, allowing for the coexistence of different versions of characters and events across various dimensions.

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Summary

00:00

"MCU Origins: Celestials, Eternals, Infinity Stones"

  • The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been active since 2008, with its story spanning thousands of years as of Phase 5.
  • The universe's origins trace back to before the Big Bang, with Celestials, led by Eresham, creating planets, stars, and life forms.
  • Celestials genetically engineered deviant monsters to eliminate apex predators, but the deviants became a threat to all life forms.
  • Eternals, synthetic life forms, were sent to different worlds to combat deviants and protect life forms, with their memories wiped after each emergence.
  • The six singularities that formed the Infinity Stones scattered across the universe, leading to significant events, including a purple sociopath using them to decimate half the universe.
  • Ego, the living planet, attempts to create another Celestial but is essentially a selfish and deadly figure, leading to conflicts.
  • The arrival of the Eternals on Earth in 5000 BC marks the beginning of their protection of humankind through epic battles with deviants.
  • The vibranium meteor landing in Africa leads to the creation of Wakanda, while another meteor in the Atlantic Ocean mutates undersea plant life, giving rise to the underwater kingdom of Telecon and its ruler, Namor.
  • The Cree conduct experiments on humans, creating the early Inhumans, with one, Hive, establishing Hydra, a terrorist organization destabilizing Earth's society.
  • Significant events include the discovery of the Rings by Shu Wenwu, the creation of the Darkhold, and the emergence of characters like the Ancient One, Agatha Harkness, Red Skull, and Captain America, shaping the MCU's narrative.

15:35

Marvel Origins: Heroes, Villains, and Betrayals

  • In 1987, Janet Van Dyne and Hank Pym try to stop a rogue Soviet missile targeting the US, leading Janet to shrink into the Quantum realm, devastating her family.
  • By 1989, Pym resigns from the SSR due to their weaponization plans for his Pym particles.
  • In the same year, Carol Danvers volunteers for a light-speed engine test, gaining powers from the Tesseract and losing her memory.
  • Thanos, obsessed with balance, seeks Infinity Stones, adopting Gamora and Nebula in the late 80s or early 90s.
  • The High Evolutionary creates The Sovereign and intelligent humanoid animals, including Rocket, who rebels against him.
  • Janet Van Dyne encounters Kang the Conqueror in the Quantum realm, aiding him before realizing his true nature.
  • In 1991, the Winter Soldier is sent to assassinate Howard and Maria Stark, leaving Tony Stark in charge of Stark Industries.
  • In 1992, King T'Chaka investigates arms deals involving stolen vibranium, leading to tragic events involving his brother and nephew, Erik Killmonger.
  • Matt Murdock becomes Daredevil after being blinded by toxic waste, mentored by Stick, and trained to use his heightened senses.
  • Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova undergo Black Widow training in the Red Room, with Natasha defecting to SHIELD in 1995.

31:07

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Heroes, Villains, Battles

  • The Avengers, including Iron Man and Hawkeye, win their first battle together against Loki, but the fight results in significant damage to Hell's Kitchen, leading to corruption and graft.
  • Blind lawyer Matt Murdoch adopts the identity of Daredevil to combat criminal Kingpin Wilson Fisk, later teaming up with Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and the Punisher to fight street-level crime.
  • The Department of Damage Control takes over the reconstruction of New York, leaving construction foreman Adrian Toomes bitter and in possession of advanced alien technology, leading him to build an underground criminal enterprise.
  • Ten-year-old Kate Bishop is inspired by Clint Barton's heroics during the Battle of New York, taking up archery and martial arts to protect her family, becoming a gifted but reckless prodigy.
  • Tony Stark faces post-traumatic stress as Aldrich Killian creates a genocidal robot named Ultron, leading to the destruction of an entire city and the breakup of the Avengers.
  • Peter Quill, along with Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot, form the Guardians of the Galaxy, recovering the Power Stone and defeating Ronan in a dance-off.
  • Scott Lang becomes the second Ant-Man, helping Hank Pym and Hope prevent the evil Darren Cross from obtaining Pym Particles, leading to Cross's transformation into the villainous Yellowjacket.
  • Natasha Romanov, aided by her sister Yelena, takes down the Red Room, a brainwashing facility run by General Drakoff, freeing Black Widows and defeating the villain.
  • Dr. Steven Strange becomes a master of the Mystic Arts, trapping Dormammu in a time loop to save Earth, while the Guardians of the Galaxy face Ego, Peter Quill's father, and defeat him with the help of Mantis.
  • Thanos decimates half of all life in the universe after acquiring all the Infinity Stones, leading to the Avengers' desperate attempt to stop him, resulting in the death of Thanos and the return of the surviving heroes.

45:48

Marvel Universe: Heroes, Villains, and Multiverse Battles

  • The Avengers, including Monier Circa 2013, inadvertently bring Thanos of 2014 to 2023 along with his minions and an alternate Gamora with no memory of her past.
  • Hulk uses a rebuilt Infinity Gauntlet to resurrect everyone, leading to a battle where Iron Man sacrifices himself to defeat Thanos.
  • Steve Rogers returns the Infinity Stones to their original places and lives a full life with Peggy Carter, passing on his shield to Sam Wilson, the new Captain America.
  • Loki, freed from an alternate 2012, ends up in the Gobi desert and is recruited by the Time Variance Authority (TVA) to hunt down rogue variants like himself.
  • Loki teams up with Sylvie, a female variant of himself, to discover the TVA's true nature and faces a variant of Kang, the TVA's leader.
  • The emergence of the Multiverse leads to the formation of the Guardians of the Multiverse to stop a variant Ultron from destroying all sentient life.
  • America Chavez develops reality-traveling powers, accidentally sending her parents to another world, and teams up with Doctor Strange to save Earth.
  • Spider-Man, manipulated by Mysterio, faces a threat from various villains from different universes, leading to a fractured Multiverse and his identity being exposed.
  • Kate Bishop takes on the mantle of Hawkeye with Clint Barton mentoring her, facing off against various adversaries like Kingpin and Elena Bilova.
  • Wanda Maximoff's grief leads her to create a false reality in Westview, attracting the attention of S.W.O.R.D. and Agatha Harkness, ultimately embracing her role as the Scarlet Witch.

01:00:56

She-Hulk, Prodigy, and Ant-Man's Adventures

  • Jennifer Walters, also known as She-Hulk, works as an attorney in Los Angeles, representing super beings like the Abomination and Wong in court cases. In Wakanda, King T'Challa falls ill with a mysterious disease, leading Shuri to try and save him with an artificial heart-shaped herb, but he ultimately dies.
  • Riri Williams, operating as Prodigy in Cambridge, runs a business doing classmates' homework for money to fund her projects, including an Iron Man-style armored suit. The CIA appropriates her vibranium detector, leading to conflict with Namor's people and a potential alliance between Wakanda and Telecon.
  • Scott Lang, attempting to retire from superheroics, gets sucked into the quantum realm with his daughter Cassie, Hank, Janet, and Hope. They face challenges from Kang, but with Cassie's leadership, they defeat him and return to Earth. Rocket becomes the new captain of the Guardians of the Galaxy, forming a new team with various members.
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