Disney+ Makes Mistake With New Marvel Phase 5 Timeline Update

The listing for the MCU in timeline order on Disney+ in the Philippines made an error concerning its Secret Invasion placement.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become such a grand tapestry of interlocking stories over the past fifteen years that it can be difficult to keep track of everything.

With over 30 movies, as well as several series and specials, and multiple orderings in which to consume them, the MCU is certainly confusing for many new and casual fans as it enters Phase 5.

Disney+ Commits Another Disney+ Timeline Snafu

The official “Marvel Cinematic Universe in Timeline Order” list on Disney+ in the Philippines placed Secret Invasion, Marvel’s newest series and the first Phase 5 show, between Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special:

This contradicts Secret Invasion’s position on the Disney+ timeline in most other territories where it‘s listed as the most recently occurring installment.

However, in every region of the globe, this official chronological list for the MCU has been noted as wildly inaccurate and rife with bad placements.

Additionally, the only remark made on Secret Invasion’s time setting from higher-ups at the studio has been the vague note that it’s “post-She-Hulk,” which was the last Phase 4 series.

How Disney+’s MCU Timeline Is Wrong

One might believe that if the Marvel timeline on Disney+ is official, then it must be correct. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

First things first, the streamer’s timeline has likely led thousands of MCU newcomers quite astray. Those who are unfamiliar with Marvel’s vast library of content might see this list on Disney+ and think it’s a good order to watch the films, shows, and specials. 

But release order is far and away the best sequence in which to check out the MCU. That way, the shared universe groundwork is established properly and viewers are eased into Marvel Studios’ long-form, interconnected storytelling.

Moving on, as discussed, the platform’s judgment on how the MCU fits together could use some work. Phases 1 through 3 are solid, it’s only after Avengers: Endgame that things become topsy-turvy. 

For one, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania very likely took place in mid-2025, but Disney+ has it post-The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which is almost certainly set during Christmas of that same year.

Furthermore, Thor: Love and Thunder has been set down between Ms. Marvel and Werewolf by Night, which would suggest that all the action in that film went down in 2025, but most agree that Thor 4 was actually in 2024, chronologically speaking.

Indeed, the furthest MCU project out on the timeline is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 which is heavily speculated to be somewhere around June or July of 2026 based on in-movie dialogue and context clues. Since Vol. 3 has not yet been added to Disney+, it’s still impossible to ascertain whether or not they get things right this time.

It should be noted that an officially sanctioned MCU timeline book was published by Dorling Kindersley and released in October. And for those fans who might want a more comprehensive chronology than what is currently offered, there are unofficial breakdowns available, such as the work being done by Geekritique on YouTube.

Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion drops new episodes weekly, exclusively on Disney+.