An Official Timeline Could Solve the MCU's Biggest Continuity Question

Marvel Studios is releasing the official MCU timeline, which means it's finally time to get answers to the biggest continuity questions.

The MCU's official timeline could finally resolve the franchise's biggest continuity question -- whether or not older Marvel TV shows are considered canon. Continuity is an essential part of any shared universe; at the most basic level, the concept of continuity ensures that everything is related to everything else. Such is the case with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the most successful and compelling shared universe of all. She-Hulk: Lawyer lead writer Jessica Gao recently revealed that a dedicated Marvel employee would keep track of the schedule and serve as a creative resource. ^Disney+ includes an option to view the MCU in chronological order, but frankly the Disney+ timeline is broken. It now appears that the official MCU timeline book will be published in September 2025, published by Penguin Random House and created in close consultation with Marvel Studios. That doesn't necessarily mean the book should be considered canonical -- Marvel Studios has worked closely with publishers in the past, only labeling them non-canon because plans changed. Still, the publication is sure to tackle one of the lore's most difficult questions; whether Marvel Television's older shows are considered part of canon, or part of another timeline.

Marvel Television's flagship TV show, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., was originally conceived to be closely tied to the movies — as were various other series, including the one originally released on Netflix. But there's always only one way to connect, and over time, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. timeline disconnected from the main MCU narrative. That's mostly because of changes behind the scenes; Marvel Studios pulled out of the broader Marvel Entertainment Group in 2015, and a corporate reorganization eliminated lines of communication between the film and TV divisions. Marvel TV was eventually shut down when Disney tasked the studio with launching a new slate of big-budget shows for Disney+ that would be more directly tied to the movies. For a while, it really seemed like older Marvel TV entries had been effectively wiped from continuity.

Nobody Really Knows Whether Marvel Television's Shows Count To The MCU

However, Marvel's recent decisions seem to complicate matters. Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio are now reprising their roles on Marvel Netflix, raising the question of whether the Daredevil series is considered MCU canon. Interestingly, even the former Daredevil star doesn't seem particularly sure, let alone the audience. The situation has become somewhat like It's a mess, and the official MCU timeline should give an indication somehow.

Previous Marvel Studios stories have carefully avoided commenting on this. Marvel Studios Stories: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for example, deliberately focuses only on what the studio makes; its author Tara Bennett insists on social media that she deliberately avoids Comment on canon issues. But the official timeline simply can't do that, especially when discussing characters like Daredevil and Kingpin. Any past relationship between the two characters is sure to be discussed, and Marvel will need to decide whether or not it aligns with Netflix's Daredevil series.

The MCU's Official Timeline Can Settle The Issue At Last

Interestingly, the official MCU timeline book will apparently include alternate timelines - a possibly indicative comment. The inclusion of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfiel's Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home would certainly mean that all previous Marvel entries were part of the same multiverse, so the timeline will likely discuss events like S.H.I.E.L.D. Shows like Secret Service and the Marvel Netflix series are canon in a very different way. Hopefully it won't be long before the true nature of the MCU continuity becomes clear Last.

Go enjoy your day! pic.twitter.com/x36s3uAVWF— Tara Bennett (@TaraDBennett) October 21, 2021

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