A new glimpse at an upcoming book helped clear up some confusion regarding the timeline of Disney+'s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
One of the biggest plot twists in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe was at the very beginning of Avengers: Endgame when the world leaped five years into the future to 2023.
In the snap of a finger, everything had changed—again.
When it comes to a vast interconnected cinematic universe, a move like that knocks over a ton of dominos. It affects literally every corner of the world and every story that is told within it.
Of course, this led to lots of confusion from the fanbase, who wondered when certain movies or shows took place – especially after the end of the Infinity Saga.
One of the first projects in Phase 4 was The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which told the story of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes after the retirement of Steve Rogers. Many assumed that this took place in 2023, not too long after the events of Endgame.
As it turns out, that might be a bit off.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Take 2024
Marvel Studios is releasing an official book putting the entire MCU in chronological order later this year, and a new preview image of the book was unveiled for the first time.
The page, which will still feature incomplete additions, specifically pointed out how Sam Wilson donated Cap's shield "to the Smithsonian in 2024:"
"Sam Wilson decides the shield should be preserved as part of Steve Rogers and Captain America's history and donates the weapon to the Smithsonian in 2024."
Currently, Disney+ has its own official MCU timeline with all of Marvel Studios' projects listed in chronological order. This new information would confirm that anything listed after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier takes place in 2024 or later.
Timelines and Their Many Questions
At first glance, this new information seemingly goes against what the show's director, Kari Skogland, said on the topic. After she revealed the series is six months after Avengers: Endgame, many took that to mean it was simply later in 2023.
So, either there are some big contradictions or the assumed timeframe for Endgame was wrong all along, and six months after is actually in 2024.
As exciting as it is to get a proper timelines book for the MCU, one that can hopefully clear up multiple points of confusion over the course of 15 years of storytelling, such a project could also introduce more questions than answers.
It could be another Spider-Man: Homecoming title card controversy all over again—but this time, with hundreds of pages.
This adjustment creates a whole host of other questions, however.
Hopefully, at the end of the day, the book will prove to be far more insightful than it is troublesome for continuity.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now streaming on Disney+.
