The timeline of events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was somewhat straightforward and then it wasn’t. The chronology of Marvel Studios’ sprawling cinematic universe had changed following 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Instead of an easy-to-follow chain of events starting from 2008’s Iron Man, Phase 4 of the MCU feels like it’s all over the place. Plenty of events that happened in one show or movie don’t seem like they affected others at all. As a result, there’s plenty of confusion, especially among casual audiences, about which shows and films take place first and so on. Thankfully, a solution is coming soon.
According to a product listing on the website of Penguin Random House, Marvel Studios will release an unannounced product soon. The book, Marvel Studios The Marvel Cinematic Universe, is described as “the definitive, filmmaker-endorsed guide to the lore, timelines, and characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This 320-page book will hit the store shelves (or is it book shelves?) on September 5 and is currently listed at a $50 price point.
Debates all over the internet, in pubs, and in playgrounds, can get heated when fans talk about which movies come first. The incoming release of the officially-endorsed version of the MCU timeline can put these discussions to rest. But, you can’t help wonder if fans will react negatively when they find out that the book won’t meet their expectations. After all, there’s such a thing as “headcanon” within the community. Not to mention, the timeline book might be official material but it probably won’t be impervious to flaws. We only need to look at the “Chronological Order” for the MCU on Disney+ to know that things can get quite messy real fast.
Of course, it’s been said that Kevin Feige and the rest of the powers that be over at Marvel Studios have assigned someone to keep track of everything (sort of like Uatu, The Watcher, except, you know, he’s real).
Fingers crossed, Marvel Studios The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline helps clear things up instead of making everything more confusing.
In the meantime, the MCU timeline could get even more confusing once Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17.
