The Marvel Cinematic Universe Timeline: Post-Endgame Explained

With the events of Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) timeline has faced its biggest challenge yet. The premise that a time traveler creates new timelines rather than altering past events has set the stage for a complex series of events. Let's break down the timeline and explore the implications of these events.

Establishing the Time Travel Rules

The main rule that has been established in Endgame is that time travelers create new timelines instead of changing their past. This rule is crucial because it explains why certain characters behave differently from how we remember them in previous movies. For example, Loki, who was seen evading the Chitauri in the Battle of New York (2012) and escaping to Asgard, has a new timeline that diverges from the one in the main MCU stories. Similarly, Gamora and Thanos have variations from their respective timelines.

The Characters and Their Timelines

Version of Loki: After the Battle of New York, a version of Loki avoided the Chitauri and went to Asgard, where he was imprisoned. This version continued to live through the events of the subsequent Thor films before ultimately perishing in Infinity War. Version of Gamora: A 2014 version of Gamora is now active in 2023 within the MCU. This version helped found the Guardians of the Galaxy and was killed in 2018 on Vormir. The 2014 Gamora we see in the film is not the same as the 2018 Gamora who was killed, but rather a new timeline that diverges from the past. Version of Thanos: A 2014 version of Thanos and his army traveled to 2023 and perished in battle. In the main MCU timeline, Thanos gathered the Infinity Stones in 2018 and snapped, eliminating half the universe’s population. His actions in 2014 are separate from the 2018 events.

One key demonstration of this rule is seen when 2023 Nebula kills 2014 Nebula without any repercussions. This clearly shows that the past Nebula, from the main timeline, is protected by the fact that she is still alive in 2023.

Avengers: Endgame and the Time Travel Explanation

Avengers: Endgame begins exactly five years after the events of Infinity War. The team is aware that they can travel through time to retrieve the Infinity Stones and prevent the snap. They send different members to different dates to gather the stones, leading to a series of adventures and misadventures.

Tony Stark, Captain America, Hulk, and Ant-Man go to 2012. Hawkeye and Black Widow go to 2013. Nebula and War Machine go to 2014. Tony and Cap retrieve their stones and return to 2023. Hawkeye returns to 2023 with his stone, while Black Widow stays behind. Nebula and War Machine return to 2023 with their stones. Thanos uses time travel to bring 2014 Nebula back to 2023, attempting to snap again but failing. The movie concludes in 2023, with the heroes having fully reversed the snap.

Therefore, the timeline shows that the Avengers are four years ahead of the initial 2018 timeline. By the time Phase 4 of the MCU concludes, with prequels and future films, the gap may close, and the narratives might align with real-world timelines once more.

Conclusion

The events of Avengers: Endgame have opened up a whole new universe of possibilities within the MCU. Understanding the time travel rules and how they apply to different timelines is crucial for enjoying the rich narrative tapestry that the MCU has woven together. As the story continues, fans can look forward to exploring these timelines further and witnessing how they evolve.