Disney+ Reveals New MCU Timeline Featuring Eternals

By Tom Drew Updated:
Eternals, Disney+, Richard Madden, Ikaris

Eternals has finally launched on Disney+, allowing fans to experience the sci-fi epic right from the comfort of their homes. With the additions of new installments to the streaming platform, it has become somewhat of a tradition to find out when projects take place chronologically in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's timeline.

Loki was revealed to have a surprising slot on the timeline, indicating that the Multiverse has been in full effect throughout Phase 4's projects. What If...? and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings also had their timeline placements unveiled on the platform.

Hawkeye took the final slot in chronological order, allowing fans to deduce when exactly Spider-Man: No Way Home is set.

One of the producers at Marvel Studios previously gave an indication of where Eternals would fall, but now, fans have definitive evidence of the film's placement in the chronological timeline.

Disney+ Reveals Eternals' Place in the MCU's Timeline

With the release of Eternals on Disney+, the Marvel Cinematic Universe Timeline Order on the streaming service has been adjusted accordingly to showcase when the film takes place.

MCU Timeline Order Eternals
Disney+

The chronological order for the MCU now stands as:

  1. Captain America: The First Avenger
  2. Captain Marvel
  3. Iron Man
  4. Iron Man 2
  5. Thor
  6. The Avengers
  7. Thor: The Dark World
  8. Iron Man 3
  9. Captain America: The First Avenger
  10. Guardians of the Galaxy 
  11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
  12. Avengers: Age of Ultron
  13. Ant-Man
  14. Captain America: Civil War
  15. Black Widow
  16. Black Panther
  17. Doctor Strange
  18. Thor: Ragnarok
  19. Ant-Man and the Wasp
  20. Avengers: Infinity War
  21. Avengers: Endgame
  22. Loki
  23. What If...?
  24. WandaVision
  25. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
  26. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  27. Eternals
  28. Hawkeye

It should be noted that this list excludes The Incredible Hulk, as well as the three MCU Spider-Man films.

The above list details the chronological order of the MCU. For the best order to watch the MCU, click here!

When Does Eternals Take Place In the MCU?

This placement on the timeline lines up with what has been said prior about Eternals, with Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore previously mentioning that the film occurs around the same time as Spider-Man: Far From Home. Spider-Man's second solo outing takes place about eight months after Avengers: Endgame, placing the world-ending threat of the Emergence somewhere in and around Peter Parker's trip to Europe.

With this in mind, fans now know that there is around a four-month gap between Eternals and Hawkeye, with the latter set a year after Endgame. Therefore, there may be some room for Marvel Studios to insert some future projects into this time period, such as Ms. Marvel or Moon Knight.

Eternals' timeline positioning does raise some questions about its narrative being impacted by other projects and how it affects other MCU entries. Being set so far after Endgame may seem odd considering the Blip was said to generate the energy necessary for the Emergence to occur. However, perhaps a couple more Earthlings needed to be produced before Tiamut could hatch.

It is also interesting that a big Celestial head wasn't mentioned at all in Spider-Man: No Way Home or Hawkeye, as it likely would've been pretty big news.

It is possible that Peter Parker's identity crisis could have taken over headlines though, and Hawkeye being set a few months after Eternals may have provided enough time to forget the horrible thought of a giant being lurking underneath the Earth's core.

Plus, no one wants to be thinking about that while they're trying to be holly and jolly.

Eternals is available now on Disney+.

- About The Author: Tom Drew
Tom Drew is the Executive Editor at The Direct. Tom writes for The Direct's Marvel, Star Wars, and DC branches while specializing in all things movies, from blockbuster to indie darlings.