Fans now know when Eyes of Wakanda takes place within MCU canon, and all of the connections to the franchise that the new series includes. Eyes of Wakanda may be a new series that is a part of Phase 6, but it recently replaced a Phase 1 project at the top of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's chronological timeline.
Disney+ recently updated its chronological MCU Complete Timeline Order on the platform. Previously, Captain America: The First Avenger was placed at the very top, as it primarily took place during the early to mid-1940s. The First Avenger has held the first slot in the MCU timeline since its release in 2011, but Eyes of Wakanda has now replaced it.
Eyes of Wakanda includes four episodes, each set in a different year (some even take place thousands of years apart). For reference, the episodes are set in 1260 B.C., 1200 B.C., 1400 A.D., and 1896 A.D.
Eyes of Wakanda tells the story of the Hatut Zaraze, who are Wakandan warriors who go on missions throughout Wakanda's history to recover Vibranium artifacts. The series stars Winnie Harlow, Cress Williams, Anika Noni Rose, Jona Xiao, Patricia Belcher, Gary Anthony Williams, and Adam Gold.
Is Eyes of Wakanda Canon In the MCU?
Even though Eyes of Wakanda (read The Direct's full review of the series here) does not directly continue the overarching story told within the MCU, it is still recognized as canon. More than anything, the animated Disney+ show's main goal is to provide some backstory to Wakanda and its most notable warriors from history.
While the show tells its own stories, it still contains multiple connections to the greater MCU.
Hatut Zaraze/War Dogs
The Hatut Zaraze are the main focus of Eyes of Wakanda. Also known as Wakanda's War Dogs, the Hatut Zaraze are extremely skilled warriors who venture to the outside world to bring stolen Wakandan artifacts back to their home.
In Eyes of Wakanda's first episode, Noni becomes a War Dog at the end of the installment. It is also established throughout the show that Memnon, Basha, Kuda, and Tafari are also War Dogs.
In Black Panther, N'Jobu and Nakia are War Dogs. So, something that was established in Black Panther returned in Eyes of Wakanda, with one main character in Black Panther (Nakia) even being a member.
Wakandan Tribes
One thing Black Panther spent a lot of time establishing was the different tribes in Wakanda. For example, the Panther Tribe, the Golden Tribe, the River Tribe, the Merchant Tribe, the Mining Tribe, and the Jabari Tribe were all introduced in the first film.
In Eyes of Wakanda, Noni is a part of the Merchant tribe, and Kuda is part of the Mining tribe. Even though the series is set thousands of years before Black Panther, Wakanda's tribes that were established in the films were brought back for the animated show.
Dora Milaje
The Dora Milaje was another major component of the Black Panther films. The Dora Milaje is an all-female royal guard for the Black Panther, and they were even featured in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Most notably, Okoye led the Dora Milaje in the MCU. In Eyes of Wakanda, it was revealed that Noni was a former member of the Dora Milaje, providing yet another connection between the greater MCU and the animated Disney+ show.
Black Panther
The Black Panther needs no introduction in the MCU anymore. The character has become as big as any superhero the franchise has ever featured, and different versions have been brought to the big screen. Most notably, Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa and Letitia Wright's Shuri have built the legacy of the Black Panther in the MCU.
However, Eyes of Wakanda has its own Black Panther. Anika Noni Rose portrays a Black Panther in Eyes of Wakanda, proving that the Wakandan hero has been relevant for centuries within the MCU. The newly featured Black Panther even got her own character poster for the recently released series.
Iron Fist
Marvel fans surely received a surprise when it was revealed that Iron Fist would be featured in Eyes of Wakanda. In that series, Jorani appears as a female version of Iron Fist, and is featured on-screen in a prominent role.
Danny Rand's version of Iron Fist was explored in a Netflix series centered around the character. Now that the Netflix shows are on Disney+ and some of those stories (like Daredevil) were continued within the MCU, they are considered to be a part of the MCU's continuity.
The Watcher
The Watcher most notably appeared in the What If...? animated series. Since then, he has appeared in multiple animated shows within the MCU, such as Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, I Am Groot, and X-Men '97.
The Watcher also made a brief cameo appearance in Eyes of Wakanda. Like most of his appearances, he appeared as a giant silhouette in the sky, but it was obvious that the Watcher was there.
That character has seemingly been used to connect all of the MCU's animated projects, and Eyes of Wakanda is no different.
Killmonger
Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger appeared in both Black Panther films in the MCU. His impact on the MCU and the Black Panther movies has been felt since his first appearance, but Eyes of Wakanda used Killmonger to show just how much the course of history can be changed.
Killmonger made a brief cameo appearance in Eyes of Wakanda. It was a non-speaking role, but he showed up in a scene set in the future to show that the axe seen in Black Panther was returned by Prince Tafari and Kuda.
Specifically, Killmonger can be seen in the Museum of Great Britain in the same manner he was shown in Black Panther. This indicated that, because the axe was returned by Tafari and Kuda, it was able to make its way to the museum and the events of Black Panther could take place.
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