Phase 4 has already introduced audiences to new starring heroes including Shang-Chi and the Eternals on the big screen, but Disney+ just brought viewers another: Moon Knight. Reactions to the psychological thriller are beyond ecstatic, but intriguingly, Moon Knight may be the most disconnected MCU entry to release since 2008's Iron Man.
Based on the first episode and hints from reviewers towards the first four installments, the series appears to be nearly devoid of links to the larger MCU story. But the move looks to be intentional as one producer explained the decision to open up the series to new audiences as it stands alone within the universe.
Despite this, recent rumors have pointed to one Avenger showing up in the series, and the cast and crew are already talking about where Marc Spector will go within the MCU. As Phase 4 begins to expand the universe with prequels, spin-offs, and alternate universes, many may be eager to know where Moon Knight places in relation to the timeline. Well, Disney+ just answered that question.
When Does Moon Knight Take Place in the MCU Timeline?
Disney+ updated the Marvel Cinematic Universe Timeline Order following the release of Moon Knight to place the psychological order after Hawkeye.
The chronological placement of Moon Knight makes it the most recent in the timeline, taking place after Eternals, Hawkeye, and therefore, Spider-Man: No Way Home.
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Captain Marvel
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 2
- Thor
- The Avengers
- Thor: The Dark World
- Iron Man 3
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Ant-Man
- Captain America: Civil War
- Black Widow
- Black Panther
- Doctor Strange
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers: Endgame
- Loki
- What If...?
- WandaVision
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Eternals
- Hawkeye
- Moon Knight
Due to their absence from Disney+, this list excludes The Incredible Hulk and Tom Holland's MCU Spider-Man trilogy.
How Does Moon Knight Fit Into the MCU?
With its chronological placement of the MCU blockbusters and Disney+ series, the streaming service has finally offered audiences a definitive ordering of the timeline. Although, there have been a few minor mistakes in the placement that have since been corrected.
With Hawkeye taking place about a year after Endgame, this puts Moon Knight sometime after December 2024, meaning the series could be the first MCU project set in the far distant 2025. Moon Knight being devoid of connections to the rest of the superhero world may make a bit more sense now, given that the news of Endgame's universal impact will have quietened down.
This also means that Moon Knight exists in a time where the Multiverse is officially in full swing, due to the show coming after Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home. With multiple versions of Moon Knight existing within Steven Grant/Marc Spector's own body, who knows how many more Moon Knights are floating around in alternate worlds.
Given how disconnected the Moon Knight is from the bigger mysteries building in the MCU, fans shouldn't get too bogged down with how it fits into the timeline. But if rumors of Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner showing up in the later episodes do pay off, then the series' chronological place may prove relevant to his upcoming role in She-Hulk.
According to press reactions, the first four episodes of Moon Knight will remain a largely standalone adventure. However, there's a strong chance the final chapters will begin to create links between Marc Spector and the MCU, setting him up for team-ups down the line, and teasing his future direction in this world.
The first episode of Moon Knight is streaming now, exclusively on Disney+.
