Buzz
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) kicked off in the summer of 2008 with the debut of Iron Man. What was their grand plan? To introduce four core superheroes and unite them for an Avengers film. This was later revealed as Phase I of their somewhat ambitious blueprint.
Each film is packed with callbacks to the others, from casual mentions to actual character cameos in post-credit scenes. While these appeared to be mere Easter eggs at first, it quickly became clear that they were constructing a timeline that would lead to the ultimate goal of assembling the Avengers. Now, we’re heading toward the final showdown with the formidable Thanos, and the movie timeline still seems to be holding steady.
Or is it?
If you’re like us and have a treasure trove of movie trivia, you’ve probably noticed some inconsistencies. But for those who haven’t, let’s take a closer look at the MCU under a magnifying glass.
Warning: This article contains major spoilers for all the current Marvel movies, so proceed only if you're okay with spoilers. You've been warned.
10. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Let’s kick things off by diving into the much-anticipated Marvel-produced Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming. After we got a glimpse of the new web-slinger in Captain America: Civil War, we finally get to see him take center stage in his own solo film. It was fun, thrilling, and everything you’d expect from a Spider-Man movie. But it also turned out to be the most noticeable flaw in the MCU’s continuity.
How so?
The movie begins with Adrian Toomes, who later becomes the Vulture, working as a construction foreman cleaning up after the Avengers’ battle with the Chitauri in Manhattan. His team soon loses the job when the government creates the Department of Damage Control, led by Tony Stark.
His crew leaves the site, but they take Chitauri technology with them. They use it to craft superpowered weapons. The movie then jumps to present day (2016, a few months after the events of Civil War) with the title card 'Eight Years Later.'
This would be fine, except that The Avengers came out in 2012, which is only four years earlier by this point. You might think, 'Whoever said these movies were strictly following real-world time?' That would be a valid point if not for a casual line in Civil War.
9. Captain America: Civil War
Released in May 2016, Captain America: Civil War marked the third entry in the Captain America trilogy. In this film, which concluded Phase II of the MCU, Captain America and Iron Man clash over the Sokovia Accords, a law designed to put the Avengers under government oversight after the widespread damage caused by their actions. Much unfolds before the climactic battle, but the key moment happens right after the Accords are introduced to the Avengers.
As the team debates their views on the issue, Vision reveals his support for the Accords. His reasoning is that since Tony Stark revealed himself as Iron Man, the frequency of superpowered attacks has risen. Why are we focusing on this? It's all in the way he phrased it.
“In the eight years since Mr. Stark revealed himself as Iron Man . . .”
Eight years. It's been eight years since Tony Stark held the press conference where he publicly identified as Iron Man. In other words, Tony Stark's reveal as Iron Man and the battle in Manhattan happened in the same year. You might think, 'That seems completely feasible.' But . . .
8. Iron Man 2
In Iron Man 2, Tony Stark is summoned to a Congressional hearing to address the claims that his Iron Man suit is a weapon in the government's eyes. In classic Tony Stark style, he deflects these accusations like a goalie with spider-sense, prompting them to bring in Justin Hammer, an old rival from Stark’s weapons-manufacturing days. As he outlines the argument against the Iron Man suit, he makes the following announcement:
“In the past six months, Anthony Stark has developed a sword with limitless potential.”
Six months ago. If the events of Iron Man are set in 2008, as indicated by the Vision’s 'eight years' comment, then this moment happens six months later. When exactly would that be?
By looking at the other events in the movie, we can actually figure it out. Not long after this, Tony participates in the Monaco Grand Prix, which happens at the end of May. There's also a scene where Tony, whose birthday is coming up soon, gets completely hammered at his birthday party.
With these two events, we can conclude it’s late May. If we consider the announcement to be in 2008, it would be 2009, seven years before Civil War. If the announcement was in 2007, then it would be 2008, making it nine years before Civil War.
With all this in mind, let's narrow down exactly when that announcement was made.
7. Iron Man
Here we are, back to where it all began! This is the movie that kicked everything off. Tony Stark, while testing weapons for the military, gets kidnapped by terrorists and is forced to create his Jericho missile. Fearing for his life, he builds it, and they use it, and the story ends . . .
Just kidding! Instead, he crafts something that is definitely not the Jericho missile, takes them down, and makes his escape. Then, he heads back home. After Pepper insists Tony should go to the hospital, Tony responds with:
“I’ve been held captive for three months. There are two things I want to do.”
Three months. If Iron Man 2 is set in May 2009/2008, then Tony’s reveal as Iron Man must have happened around November of the previous year. Three months before that would bring us to August. If we factor in the events of the movie, let's say it happened as early as July.
With all the facts laid out, it's safe to say the timeline is a bit tangled. But let's dive deeper and explore what else may be off.
6. Captain America: The First Avenger
Marvel's Golden Boy! The hero who embodies the spirit of America, Captain America, made his debut in 1941, even before Marvel became Marvel. Fast forward 70 years, and we find ourselves watching the first truly great Captain America film, starring a then-skinny Chris Evans who would later bulk up for the role.
The film shows Steve Rogers battling Hydra with the Howling Commandos and taking on Red Skull to claim the Tesseract. Amidst some Thor-related events, Steve heroically crashes a jet into the North Pole to save the US. Decades later, the wreckage is found, and Steve is resurrected from his icy slumber, ready to face the modern world in New York.
For the most part, the first half of the film follows a fairly consistent timeline. It kicks off in March 1942 with the scrawny Steve, and later transitions to the now-muscled Steve leading the troops in November 1943.
After Steve rescues the Howling Commandos, a montage follows showing their battles against Hydra. During this, Bucky 'dies,' and they strategize to take on the main Hydra base. A quick glimpse of a newspaper reveals that the final battle happens on VE Day, May 1945. So, Steve spent two years in Europe before his crash landing into the ocean.
When Steve wakes up, everyone informs him that he's been frozen for 'almost' 70 years. Interpreting the wording, we gather he was likely frozen for 65-69 years. If we go with the lower estimate, that means Steve was frozen from 1945 to 2010, which is two years after Tony Stark's Iron Man reveal and the Manhattan battle.
This raises a few complications of its own.
5. Back To Iron Man 2
Back in familiar territory! Remember the subplot in Iron Man 2 about Tony's arc reactor? It was slowly poisoning him, and he desperately searched for an alternative or a cure.
At a critical moment when everything seems nearly lost, Tony watches an old video of his father discussing the Stark Expo. Near the film’s conclusion, his father speaks directly to Tony, leaving behind clues for him to complete what his father refers to as 'the future.' He also mentions that the limitations of the technology at the time prevented him from advancing further. This is revealed to be the key to a brand-new element.
To create the new element, Tony ends up destroying his lab once more. But before doing so, he uses Captain America’s shield to hold up one of the pipes. It doesn't look like the real one, but Agent Coulson’s reaction makes it clear that it certainly is.
It’s important to remember that the events of this film likely took place back in 2008 or 2009, which would be one or two years before Captain America was found and woke up. One might argue that the shield could have been discovered first. However, looking back at Captain America, it seems that both he and the shield were found simultaneously.
Now, let's examine a few more discrepancies in the MCU timeline.
4. The Incredible Hulk
Do you remember back in 2008 when the Hulk was not played by Mark Ruffalo? If not, let me give you a quick refresher.
Before Mark Ruffalo could win us over with his slightly awkward charm, Edward Norton took on the role of a mild-mannered man with a destructive alter ego. This was a first for him. In this semi-sequel to the largely forgettable 2003 Hulk film, we find Bruce Banner hiding out in the slums of Brazil, evading the government while searching for a permanent cure for his Hulk problem.
After a series of events, Bruce ends up fighting the Abomination in Harlem and then escaping to Canada. The film closes with an end-credit scene where Tony Stark pitches the Avengers Initiative to a drunk General Ross.
Since Iron Man and this movie are meant to happen around the same time (with The Incredible Hulk coming later), this sequence makes sense. Ross even makes a comment about Tony's suit, implying that Tony's announcement was pretty recent.
However, there is a slight issue with this. While it appears that Tony is fully on board with the Initiative, we later learn in Iron Man 2 that he doesn’t commit until the end of that film. You know, the scene at the doughnut shop where Tony tells Nick Fury:
"I told you I don’t want to join your supersecret boy band."
If he’s not interested in joining six months later, then why is he practically selling the idea to Ross as though he were pushing some shady product? While this might just be nitpicking a fairly forgettable movie, it’s still worth pointing out.
3. Groot
It’s been confirmed that we’ll be seeing teenage Groot in Avengers: Infinity War. This means the Guardians will finally be catching up with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
If the movie is set in 2018, the year it is scheduled to be released, it means we will be viewing the Guardians of the Galaxy several years into the future. The first hint we got of this was during one of the five post-credit scenes from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, where we saw the moody tree and dad-mode Peter Quill.
However, we must also consider how Groot’s unique biology works. In just a few months, Groot manages to walk, talk, dance, and even take down enemies, all while being no larger than a rat.
If the next Avengers film is indeed set in 2018, it would imply that Groot takes about three to four years to mature into his teenage form. This seems like a long time, especially considering the rapid development he underwent in Vol. 2. Ultimately, the timeline would depend on how much time passes in the films following Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
2. Guardians Of The Galaxy
The MCU's most unexpected delight was undeniably this band of misfit heroes. With an incredible cast, a memorable soundtrack, and a fresh new universe, these films have turned into box-office hits and pure entertainment. They also stand out for having one of the most straightforward timelines.
The first film begins with Peter Quill being taken by Yondu’s ravagers after his mother passes away in 1988. The story then jumps forward 26 years, which places the events in 2014 on Earth. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, our heroes join forces to defeat Ronan the Accuser. After securing one of the Infinity Stones and saving the day, they embark on yet another adventure.
The second movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, follows the same pattern as the first, starting in the past. This time, we’re in 1980, where we are introduced to Ego, the Living Planet, who is dating Peter’s mother. The timeline then jumps ahead 34 years to 2014, suggesting that this sequel occurs a few months after the first film, based on Groot’s growth from a tiny twig to a walking, adorable twig.
In this film, Peter finally meets his biological father, Ego, only to learn that Ego plans to destroy multiple worlds to create a new galaxy filled with Celestials like himself. The Guardians battle against Ego and triumph—but not without the tragic loss of Peter’s adoptive father, Yondu, who might have had a cannibalistic side.
In the midst of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we get our customary Stan Lee cameo, where he entertains the Watchers with tales of his other cameos. He recalls his time as a FedEx delivery guy in Civil War. Since Civil War took place around 2016, this would place his cameo two years after the events of this film, creating another continuity hiccup, as usual, Stan.
1. Thor
Thor, the Norse god, is transformed into an alien and later a superhero, all thanks to Marvel!
The first Thor movie was decent. It served its purpose by establishing the character, which was exactly what we needed. This film is set shortly after Iron Man 2, which occurs a year after Tony's big reveal. The events unfold over a few days, with no significant time jumps. However, we can definitively say it took place at least seven months after Tony’s announcement.
We could delve into the many challenges this movie faced leading into The Avengers. How much time passed after Thor destroyed the Bifrost and Loki fell into the wormhole? How long did it take for Asgard to rebuild the Bifrost?
In the end-credits scene of Thor, it appears he has assumed Erik Selvig’s form to seize the Tesseract. But in the opening of The Avengers, Thor seems to have just arrived and quickly brainwashes both Selvig and Hawkeye.
Loki struck a deal with the Chitauri to hand over the Tesseract, but when did that happen? If he was on Earth, why did it take Thor so long to track him down? Loki mentions seeing many worlds during his exile, suggesting he must have been stranded for quite some time. How long did it take him to make his way to Earth?
Given the information provided, it's unclear how much time passed between the two films. It could have been a matter of weeks, several months, or even years.
