A 12 months After Captain America 4

The MCU has obtained its newest installment with the discharge of Thunderbolts*, and understanding the place the movie suits within the franchise is essential. The timeline of Marvel movies has been complicated, with numerous movies occurring at a number of totally different intervals within the franchise’s timeline. Upcoming Marvel movies will proceed this, with Spider-Man 4 and Avengers: Doomsday theorized to happen concurrently.

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Apparently, the ending of Thunderbolts* hints that the movie coincides with one other essential Marvel challenge. Captain America: Courageous New World and The Incredible 4: First Steps had been the opposite Marvel movies released in 2025. The latter was teased within the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts*, indicating that each movies are the newest within the franchise’s chronology.

With this tease, and certainly the teases of The Incredible 4: First Steps, it appears each movies happen concurrently. Each function arrange for 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, as did Captain America: Courageous New World earlier than them. With all this speak in thoughts, it’s value exploring precisely the place Thunderbolts* slots into the MCU’s huge timeline.

When Thunderbolts* Takes Place In The MCU Timeline

Thunderbolts Below Grand Central Station

When linking Thunderbolts* to Captain America: Courageous New World, the previous seemingly takes place in 2027, a yr after the latter. The ending of Captain America: Brave New World befell within the latter months of 2026, provided that the film started in November 2026.

Regarding how this hyperlinks to different current tales within the MCU timeline, Thunderbolts* takes place after Captain America 4 and an essential TV challenge like Daredevil: Born Once more. Daredevil: Born Once more takes place across the similar time as Captain America: Courageous New World. Thunderbolts* takes place round a yr after each, as confirmed by a story throughline involving Bucky Barnes.

Thunderbolts* Is Set About A 12 months After Captain America: Courageous New World

Bucky Barnes looking off-screen with microphones near him in Thunderbolts — Bucky Barnes trying off-screen with microphones close to him in Thunderbolts

In Thunderbolts*, it’s revealed that Bucky Barnes has turn into a US congressman. A remark from Valentina Allegra de Fontaine reveals that he has been a congressman for half a time period, with a full time period being two years. In Captain America: Courageous New World, Bucky is campaigning for his position, with Ruth Bat-Seraph dubbing him “Future congressman James Buchanan Barnes.”

Subsequently, Bucky seemingly turned a congressman not lengthy after Captain America: Courageous New World within the latter months of 2026. After serving half a time period, round a yr, Bucky appeared in Thunderbolts*, putting the movie within the latter months of 2027.

The MCU Timeline Has By no means Correctly Recovered From Endgame’s 5-12 months Time Soar

Earth's Mightiest Heroes assemble for Marvel Studios' Avengers Endgame poster — Earth’s Mightiest Heroes assemble for Marvel Studios’ Avengers Endgame poster

The MCU timeline was fairly straightforward to observe. Some issues occurred, reminiscent of Spider-Man Homecoming stating that the story was set eight years after the occasions of The Avengers. In actuality, Spider-Man: Homecoming was solely 4 to 5 years after The Avengers. No matter minor points like this, most motion pictures had been chronologically straightforward to observe.

Nevertheless, the Blip that occurred in Avengers: Infinity Warfare modified every little thing. Avengers: Endgame started with a time soar that moved the MCU timeline ahead by 5 years, ushering in larger issues. Ever since, understanding the timeline of the MCU has been harder. Some tales have jumped backwards and forwards between when half of the world’s inhabitants was lacking.

Others have been set in a extra steady window of the MCU. Both manner, with a lot time to look at and gaps within the real-world manufacturing between initiatives, it turns into obscure precisely the place every challenge sits on the Marvel timeline. This has solely gotten worse as a consequence of launch date adjustments and rescheduling.

Regardless of the MCU’s timeline being extra shaky of late, it’s not less than clear that the occasions of Thunderbolts* happen in 2027. Fortunately, Thunderbolts*, Captain America: Courageous New World, and The Incredible 4: First Steps are providing a clearer path for the MCU as soon as extra, due to Avengers: Doomsday, which can function a set level on the timeline that every of those movies leads into.