Production History
Phase One
The Avengers assembledThe Marvel Cinematic Universe first began with the movie Iron Man in 2008 in which they teased the Avengers Initiative. Iron Man, and its sequel Iron Man 2 in 2010, formally introduced S.H.I.E.L.D. and several of its agents. The next hero to receive a movie release was the Incredible Hulk (a reboot of the 2003 Hulk movie) in 2008.
In 2011 Marvel added two more films to the continuity, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. Thor introduced Loki, with Hawkeye making a cameo appearance. In Captain America, HYDRA was introduced as was the Tesseract, which would become an important plot device in The Avengers.
In 2012 The Avengers movie was released in which Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye were brought together by S.H.I.E.L.D. to fight an alien invasion lead by Loki and Thanos.
Most movies in the continuity had post-credit scenes which set up future movies and story lines. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been met with commercial and critical success.
Phase Two
Phase Two saw the return of the Avengers, as well as the debut of several new heroes2013 saw the release of Iron Man 3, which loosely adapted the Extremis storyline, and Thor: The Dark World. In addition to featuring Malekith the Accursed as the main villain, The Dark World also introduced the Collector and the Aether. This kicked off a running subplot throughout the movies concerning the Infinity Stones.
On September 24, 2013, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiered on television. The show deals with a small team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, lead by agent Phil Coulson, whose job is to handle strange cases. The show has seen the introduction of other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as well as some other characters from the original Marvel comics.
In 2014, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was released. The movie saw the return of HYDRA and left S.H.I.E.L.D. in disarray, while also introducing the new hero known as the Falcon. Guardians of the Galaxy was also released introducing the team as well as the Power Stone. Though considered a serious gamble at the time, Guardians proved to be a massive hit and one of the highest grossing films of the year.
On January 6, 2015, Agent Carter's first season started airing, during the mid-season break for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s second season. It followed the life of SSR Agent Peggy Carter in 1946 as she worked on helping Howard Stark gather his stolen weapons, and clearing his name of treason.
In April 2015, Marvel's Daredevil premiered on Netflix. It's first season showed Matt Murdock as the vigilante known as "The Devil of Hell's Kitchen", as he attempted to save his city from Wilson Fisk.
Next month, in May of 2015, The Avengers: Age of Ultron was released in American theaters. It featured the Avengers taking out one of the last HYDRA bases and dealing with the new threat of Ultron. The team also gained some new recruits in this movie, by the names of Pietro and Wanda Maximoff and the Vision.
In July 2015, Ant-Man was Released in theaters, and Jessica Jones was released on Netflix November 2015..
Phase Three
The Phase Three lineupIn October 2014, Marvel confirmed its Phase Three slate of films.
Phase Three consists of:
The announcements of Black Panther and Captain Marvel were warmly received, as the two properties will become the first MCU movies headlined by a minority actor and a woman respectively, as well as the first minority and female-led Marvel films in general since Blade: Trinity and Elektra.
It was also confirmed that Sony's Spider-Man franchise would be incorporated into the MCU beginning with Spider-Man appearing in Civil War.
During Phase Three, Daredevil and Jessica Jones will be followed with Luke Cage and Iron Fist, leading up to a miniseries based on the Defenders.
In April 2014, Kevin Feige and Marvel announced they had films and storylines planned out through 2028.
Phase 4
During SDCC 2019, Feige revealed the new slate for Phase 4, including integrated streaming series for Disney+.
Original announcementThis phase was largely affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which began in China in December 2019 and was worldwide by March 2020. Most companies followed the NBA's lead when they put all operations on hiatus starting March 11th 2020. Most of the production schedules were pushed back, making 2020 the first year since 2008 without a Marvel Studios movie in theaters.
The first crossovers with The Defenders franchise, originally streamed on Netflix, occur in this phase. Vincent D'Onofrio returns as Kingpin in Hawkeye and Charlie Cox returns as Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. This gave fans hope for a new Daredevil project which was eventually announced at SDCC 2022.
In August 2021, it was revealed that Marvel was developing holiday themed television specials. The first was the Halloween-themed Werewolf by Night, which was presented in black and white like a classic Universal horror movie. It was followed soon after by the Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas special, which included musical and animated segments.
Phase 5
Pre-pandemic Phase 5 slateWhen writer/director James Gunn announced that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would be his final Marvel film, actors Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista announce they too would no longer be portraying their characters. As such, the movie does not end with a message that "The Guardians Will Return," but rather only that "The Legendary Star-Lord" will.
In November 2023, the studio announced a new banner called "Marvel Spotlight," which was described as more grounded character stories. These stories would not require the audience to be completely caught up on Marvel properties in order to understand the events of the series. Echo was the first to be released under this banner. Wonder Man was expected to be the second.
Starting this phase, Marvel Studios would be changing the way they do television. Rather than copy their movie approach, they took on a more traditional approach. They started developing more projects than get chosen for production, with showrunners being hired to lead the shows instead of directors. As such, shows about Nova, Strange Academy, and Terror, Inc were indefinitely shelved in February 2025.
Phase 6:
RDJ announced as Doctor Doom- Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
- Eyes of Wakanda (Disney+) (2025)
- Marvel Zombies (Disney+) (2025)
- Wonder Man (Disney+) (2025)
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
- Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
- Avengers: Secret Wars (2027)
At the 2024 San Diego Comic Con, the previously announced Avengers: Kang Dynasty was officially retitled Avengers: Doomsday, with Doctor Doom replacing Kang the Conqueror, who was previously being set up to be the new overarching villain. This change was largely due to actor Jonathan Majors' legal troubles. They also had a surprise announcement that The Russo Brothers would be returning to direct the next two Avengers movies and starring in the role of Doctor Doom would be Robert Downey, Jr.
TBD Projects
- Armor Wars
- Blade
- VisionQuest (Disney+)
- The Punisher (Disney+)
Accolades
Top 10 Rated MCU Movies Per Metacritic
Highest Rated- Black Panther - 88
- Iron Man - 79
- Avengers: Endgame - 78
- Guardians of the Galaxy - 76
- Captain America: Civil War - 75
- Thor: Ragnarok - 74
- Spider-Man: Homecoming - 73
- Doctor Strange - 72
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - 71
- Spider-Man: No Way Home - 71
Top 10 Highest Grossing MCU Movies Per The-Numbers*
Highest Grossing- Avengers: Endgame - 2,717,503,922
- Avengers: Infinity War - 2,048,359,754
- Spider-Man: No Way Home - 1,921,206,586
- The Avengers - 1,515,100,211
- Avengers: Age of Ultron - 1,395,316,979
- Deadpool & Wolverine - 1,338,071,348
- Black Panther - 1,334,157,082
- Iron Man 3 - 1,214,630,956
- Captain America: Civil War - 1,151,899,586
- Spider-Man: Far From Home - 1,132,298,674
*Updated 6/25/2025
Awards
The following is not a complete list of awards that MCU projects have been nominated for or won.
Academy Awards
- Black Panther was nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture. They won Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress for Angela Bassett. They won Best Costume Design.
Golden Globes
- Black Panther was nominated for 3 Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture - Drama
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Angela Bassett won for Best Supporting Actress.
Hugo Awards
- Overall, the MCU has been nominated for 14 Hugo Awards (as of 2023)
- The Avengers won Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form)
- Guardians of the Galaxy won Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form)
Saturn Awards
Kevin Fiege with a Saturn Award- Overall, the MCU has been nominated for 180 Saturn Awards (as of 2023). They hold the record for the most nominations for a franchise and second for the most wins (behind Star Wars)
- Iron Man won Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director, and Best Actor for Robert Downey Jr.
- Thor won Best Costume Design
- The Avengers won Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director, Best Special Effects, and Best Supporting Actor for Clark Gregg
- Iron Man 3 won Best Comic-To-Film Motion Picture, Best Actor for Downey, and Best Supporting Actor for Ben Kingsley
- Guardians of the Galaxy won Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Make-up, and Best Actor for Christ Pratt
- Avengers: Age of Ultron won for Best Costume Design
- Ant-Man won for Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture
- Daredevil won Best New Media Television Series in 2016
- Captain America: Civil War won Best Performance by a Younger Actor for Tom Holland
- Doctor Strange won Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Tilda Swinton
- Luke Cage ties with Stranger Things for Best New Media Television Series in 2017
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 won Best Special Effects
- Spider-Man: Homecoming won Best Performance by a Younger Actor for Tom Holland
- Black Panther won Best Comic-to-Film Motion picture, Best Director, Best Production Design, Best Make-up, and Best Supporting Actress for Danai Gurira
- The Punisher won Best New Media Superhero Series in 2018
- Avengers: Infinity War won Best Supporting Actor for Josh Brolin
- Avengers: Endgame won Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Make-up, Best Special Effects, and Best Actor for Robert Downey Jr.
- Spider-Man: Far From Home won Best Performance by a Younger Actor for Tom Holland and Best Supporting Actress for Zendaya
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings won Best Supporting Actress for Awkwafina
- Spider-Man: No Way Home won Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture
- Daredevil won Best Streaming Superhero Television Series in 2019
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness won Best Music
- Loki won Best Fantasy Television Series
- Moon Knight won Best Actor in a Television Series for Oscar Isaac
- Ms. Marvel won Best Performance by a Younger Actor for Iman Vellani
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 won Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture
- Werewolf by Night won Best Television Presentation
- Deadpool & Wolverine won Best Action/Adventure Film, Best Film Editing, and Best Supporting Actor for Hugh Jackman
- Agatha All Along won Best Superhero Television Show
Sacred Timeline
History
13,800,000,000 BCE
The Big Bang creates the current known universe as well as six singularities: the Infinity Stones.
2,500,000 BCE
A meteorite made of vibranium landed on Earth in what would later be the nation of Wakanda.
5000 BCE
The Eternals are delivered to Earth by the Celestials to protect the planet.
2987 BCE
The Dark Elves and Malekith ruled the Nine Realms until Bor defeated them. The Dark Elves appear once every 5,000 years to unleash the Aether.
575 BCE
The Eternals defeat a pack of Deviants outside the gates of Babylon, where their spaceship was buried under the Hanging Gardens. As they leave Babylon, Ajak reveals the truth of their mission to Ikaris.
400 CE
Ikaris marries Sersi in India during the Gupta Empire.
965 CE
Battle of TønsbergThe Frost Giants of Jotunheim attempt to conquer Midgard/Earth. Their invasion point in Tønsberg, Norway becomes the site of an epic battle as Asgard's ruler, Odin, leads an army to repel the invasion and protect the planet. Odin and his forces push the Frost Giants back to Jotunheim where the All Father discovers an abandoned Frost Giant infant whom he adopts, names Loki and raises as his own alongside his son, Thor. A truce is negotiated between Odin and the Jotun king, Laufey.
1410 CE
Odin hides the Tesseract in Norway.
Odin tells Loki and Thor about the battle with the frost giants in Tønsberg.
1521 CE
The Eternals kill the last of the Deviants during the the Spanish invasion on the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. From that point on, they go their separate ways and agree not to mettle in human affairs.
Thena of the Eternals is diagnosed with Mahd Wy'ry, a form of PTSD that Eternals can develop.
Birth of Namor1571 CE
A South American tribe suffer a plague of smallpox. A shaman discovers a plant enhanced by vibranium that could cure them. It also causes them to mutate into water breathers, forcing them to move into the ocean and start the nation of Talokan.
Namor would be the first of them to be born underwater. As his mother was pregnant when she was treated with the plant, Namor had additional mutations including pointed ears and feathered wings on his ankle. He could also breathe under water or in the air
1631 CE
Namor's mother passes away. Per her wishes, Namor brings her body out of the ocean so she could be buried in her homeland. He finds it colonized by Europeans who are mistreating the natives.
Agatha's witch trial1693 CE
Agatha Harkness' coven turn on her, including her own mother, for practicing dark magic. She manages to escape and kill her coven before she could be executed.
1750
Agatha Harkness goes into labor when she is approached by Death. Her child was about to be stillborn, but she begs for more time with her son, Nicholas Scratch, which Death grants her.
1756
Nicholas Scratch died in his sleep. His death caused Agatha to grow cynical. She used the song her son created about the Witches' Road to trick witches into giving up their power to her.
1926
Agatha Harkness was paid to bind Jennifer Kale's magic, leaving her powerless for 100 years.
1930s
The Eternal, Kingo, becomes a movie star in India. Every few decades, he would pretend to be the son of his previous alias to keep his stardom going.
1934
During the Night of the Long Knives, Johann Schmidt, secretly a member of HYDRA, had his men eliminate Ernst Kaufmann and his men, taking over his special weapons program including Dr. Abraham Erskine's super soldier program
1937
On May 6, the Hindenburg zeppelin exploded and crashed in New Jersey. Agatha Harkness was photographed at the incident.
1940s
1940
Erskine managed a stable version of the super soldier serum. He refused to give it to Schmidt, who eventually took it by force. Erskine was imprisoned and his wife and child were sent to a concentration camp as punishment. Schmidt would take the serum, which increased his strength but deformed his appearance into that of a red skull.
Erskine would escape and defect to the United States with the help of Secret Scientific Reserve spy, Peggy Carter.
1942
ClanDestine find a quantum bandJohann Schmidt finds the Tesseract.
The ClanDestine find a bangle (an alien artifact known as a quantum band) in a Ten Rings temple in India that they hope will help get them to the Noor Dimension.
1943
A successful test of the super soldier serum was completed on volunteer, Steve Rogers. A HYDRA agent in attendance tried to retrieve the successful batch but was stopped by Rogers. Unfortunately, the agent managed to killed Pr. Erskine, who never documented the secret ingredient. Thus, Steve Rogers was the only WWII-era Allied Forces super soldier.
1944
Bucky Barnes was presumed killed during a mission to capture Arnim Zola. In reality, he was actually captured by agents of HYDRA, who used a series of surgeries and brainwashing regiments to begin his transformation into the Winter Soldier.
Bucky fallsSteve Rogers planned to take down Schmidt on his plane. Steve, the Tesseract, and Schmidt's plane fell into the arctic. Steve Rogers slept for about 70 years.
1945
Howard Stark finds the Tesseract. World War II ends with the defeat of Japan.
During the closing days of the war, Peggy Carter led the Howling Commandos on a raid of one of the last remaining HYDRA facilities. The Commandos recovered a Kree corpse, as well as an obelisk of seemingly alien origin.
Months after the war, Peggy later clashed with the Zodiac organization.
1946
Howard Stark had weapons stolen from his personal vault. When those weapons ended up in the Soviet Union, he was put on trial by Congress as a traitor. Howard eventually chose to run, being branded a fugitive, only to be vindicated later.
Peggy Carter joins Dum Dum Dugan and a post-war Howling Commandos team to infiltrate a Red Room Academy in Belarus.
1947
Kamala at the Partition of IndiaHoward Stark starts production on the cowboy movie Kid Colt, Outlaw, based on the comic of the same name.
Kamala Kahn time travels from 2025 to the Partition of India, where she becomes the savior that her grandmother has always told stories of.
1948
An unidentified Iron Fist is filmed protecting the entrance to K'un-Lun
1950s
1951
Isaiah Bradley and Winter Soldier fought during the Korean War.
1952
Assassination of Daniel SousaIsaiah Bradley is arrested and thrown in jail to keep him quiet about the super soldier program.
1954
The Stark World Expo is founded
1955
Yondu is sold into slavery to the Kree Empire.
Daniel Sousa, head of the SSR, is assassinated by a member of Hydra.
1960s
1962
Frank Morris and two other prisoners would escape from Alcatraz prison off the coast of San Francisco. A variant of Frank would later be recruited by the Time Variance Authority
1963
Anton Vanko works with Howard Stark on the Arc Reactor technology as "The Unity Project".
1966
Cosmo is sent to space by the Soviet Union.
1967
Anton Vanko is accused of espionage and deported. Howard Stark takes full credit for the Arc Reactor.
1970s
1970
Loki as D.B. CooperSteve Rogers and Tony Stark arrive from 2023 to the SHIELD facility, Camp Lehigh in New Jersey, to steal the Tesseract and extra Pym particles. Seconds later, having finished using the the stolen items, Steve Rogers returns to replace them before their absence could change the timeline.
1971
After losing a bet with Thor, Loki travels to Midgard and commits the D.B. Cooper theft and hijacking.
1972
Arnim Zola receives a terminal diagnosis. He begins preparation to save his mind on 200,000 feet of databanks.
1975
Howard Stark discovers the atomic structure of a new element but is unable to replicate it in a lab. He hides the structure in the architecture of the World Expos fairground for Tony to find later.
Mid-1970s
Karun Patel becomes Kingo's personal assistant, knowing he was faking his identity but believing he was a vampire.
1977
The world premiere of the horror movie, The Zaniac, starring Brad Wolfe, a variant of whom was recruited to the Time Variance Authority.
1980s
1980
An organic avatar of Ego the Living Planet visits Earth and courts Meredith Quill, fathering Peter Quill.
1987
Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, as Ant-Man and the Wasp, are on a special SHIELD mission to stop a Soviet missile. Janet was forced to go subatomic to bypass its titanium hull. This caused her to become stranded in the Quantum Realm
Tony Stark graduates MIT Summa Cum Laude at the age of 17.
1988
After the death of his mother, Peter Quill was abducted by Yondu and the Ravagers and taken into deep space.
1989
Carol caught in the engine explosionHank Pym resigns from SHIELD after finding plans to weaponize his size changing technology.
Carol Danvers volunteers for a test flight of a state-of-the-art engine created by Wendy Lawson. This engine got the attention of nearby alien, Yon-Rogg, who attacked. After crash landing, Wendy was revealed to be an alien and ordered Carol to destroy the engine. The resulting blast gave Carol amnesia and new superhuman abilities. She was taken by Yon-Rogg back to his home planet where she would be trained and conditioned as a super soldier for his people.
Late 1980s
Former SHIELD scientist, Elihas Starr, moves his family to Argentina to continue independent research into the Quantum Zone. Against Hank Pym's recommendation, he went forward with his experiments causing an explosion of quantum energy. Elihas and his wife would be killed, and their daughter would become molecularly unstable. Bill Foster would take her in, but SHIELD would turn her into the assassin, Ghost.
1990s
1991
The Winter Soldier is revived from cryogenic chamber to kill Howard and Maria Stark and steal the super soldier serum Howard was carrying.
1992
King T'Chaka confronts his brother, N'Jobu, in Oakland, CA. N'jobu was meant to be on a spy mission, however, he fell in love, had a child, and got involved in the political protest movements of African Americans. When T'Chaka tried to drag him back to Wakanda, he resisted and was ultimately killed for fighting back.
1994
The death of boxer, Battlin' Jack Murdock, by the mob
1995
Avenger initiative draftCarol Danvers crash landed back on her home planet of Earth. She would befriend SHIELD agent Nick Fury, who helped her research her past, eventually learning that the Kree had been lying to her. She would find Skrull refugees that Wendy Lawson was trying to protect and takes responsibility for them.
Nick Fury injures his eye.
Nick Fury writes the first draft of The Avengers Initiative plan.
A young Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova, living under cover in Ohio, escape the United States with their adoptive spy parents, Alexei Shostakov and Milena Vostokoff. Once back in Russia, Natasha is separated from her family and forced into the Red Room, a Russian Intelligence training program for young girls.
1996
Immortal Xu Wenwu comes across the spirit realm of Ta Lo and falls in love with the guardian of the entrance, Ying Li. The two would eventually have two children together, Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing
The death of Randall Spector, which ruined the relationship between Marc Spector and his mother.
1997
Frank Castle enlists in the United States Marine Corps
1998
The Skrull Varra meets Nick Fury, her future husband, in a diner in disguise as Priscilla Davis.
Maximoff twins trapped with a Stark missile1999
Marc Specter's dissociates for the first time into Steven Grant.
Iryna and Olek Maximoff are killed in a bombing in Sokovia by Stark Enterprise ordinance, orphaning Wanda and Pietro Maximoff.
At the new millenium New Years Eve celebration, Tony Stark met Maya Hansen and Aldrich Killian, who is a handicapped scientist for A.I.M. Maya tells Tony she is working on the Extremis project. He also meets Dr. Yinsen Ho, his future co-captor of the Ten Rings.
2000s
2000
Maya and Aldrich start work together to upgrade Extremis after they are both ignored by Tony Stark.
The Jones family are in a car accident with daughter, Jessica, reportedly the only survivor.
2001
Young Danny Rand surviving plane crashThaddeus Ross convinced the military to reincarnate the Bio Force Enhancement Project inspired from Project Rebirth on World War II. Bruce Banner and Betty Ross work on the project for 3 years.
A Rand Enterprise private jet goes down in the Himalayas. Neither Wendell or Heather Rand survived, but their son Danny is taken in by mystic monks and trained in martial arts.
2004
Bruce Banner tested gamma radiation on the same super soldier serum that Steve Rogers used. This causes him to become The Hulk, injuring his girlfriend, Betty Ross.
2007
Ying Li was killed by a rival gang of her husband, forcing Wenwu to grow bitter and vengeful.
Maya Lopez is in a car accident that causes her to lose a leg.
2008
Clint Barton flips Russian spy, Natasha Romanoff, who starts working for SHIELD. To prove her loyalty to SHIELD, she was ordered to assassinate Dreykov, the overseer of the Red Room. Natasha used a bomb, which also reportedly killed Dreykov's daughter.
Tony Stark held hostageTony Stark was captured by a terrorist group in Afghanistan known as the Ten Rings. Yinsen helped Tony work on an armor so Tony can escape. Tony continues to upgrade the armor to save more people as Iron Man.
Bruce Banner met Nick Fury who was disguised in a bar. Bruce Banner retreated to Rio de Janeiro to work on a cure, with internet help from Samuel Sterns. Nick Fury determined that Hulk is a minor threat.
Tony Stark battled Iron Monger and declared that he is Iron Man to the public. Nick Fury later approaches Tony and invited him to join the Avengers Initiative. Tony declined the offer. Nick Fury sent Natasha Romanoff undercover to keep an eye on Tony.
2010s
2010
Bruce Banner mistakenly left a hint of his blood on a soda bottle, when he sent a sample to Samuel Sterns to work on a cure. General Ross' armies traced Bruce to the soda factory.
Gen. Ross uses the super soldier serum on Emil Blonsky so he could take on The Hulk. Using Sterns' research on Hulk blood, Blonsky transformed into The Abomination and Sterns transformed into The Leader. The Hulk and The Abomination fight in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Gen. Ross apprehends Samuel Sterns as a patsy for the destruction of Harlem and holds him in a military blacksite where Ross could use Sterns' gamma mutated intellect
Stark realizes that other countries are using his technology. Stark names Pepper Potts as the new CEO of Stark Industries.
2011
Thor was banished to Earth after almost renewing war with the Frost Giants, and Odin enchanted his hammer with a spell that the wielder must be worthy of Thor's powers. On Earth, Thor met and fell in love with Jane Foster. With help from Sif and the Warriors Three, Thor managed to unravel a plot by Loki and defeat the Destroyer. Loki was believed dead after falling into a void below the Bifrost Bridge.
Frozen CapCaptain America's crash site was discovered by an oil team. Steve Rogers was thawed and sent to New York City. Steve wakes up and is informed by Nick Fury that he had been asleep for almost 70 years.
Hawkeye was assigned to PEGASUS to help Selvig work on the Tesseract.
2012
Assembled AvengersLoki activated the Tesseract with the help of Thanos and was given command of the Chitauri military. Nick Fury activated the Avengers Initiative to battle the alien invasion after Coulson died at the hands of Loki.
Coulson was later revived by S.H.I.E.L.D. through Project: Tahiti. During the Battle of New York, Col. James Rhodes used the War Machine armor to combat the Ten Rings in China.
After sending a bomb to the Chitauri's mothership, Tony Stark suffered PSTD. Extremis discharges happened at various locations including California, claimed to be attacks by Mandarin (an alias of Wenwu's who Aldrich Killian thought was a myth. He was portrayed by Trevor Slattery, a British drug addict and actor).
Loki and Thor returned to Asgard and gave the Tesseract to Heimdall. With the Tesseract, Heimdall fixed the Bifrost bridge.
2013
Stark's surgeryTony Stark undergoes surgery to remove the shrapnel from his chest. Afterward, he will only need the chest arc reactor to power the suit.
A revived Phil Coulson was tasked with heading up a new S.H.I.E.L.D. team and recruited the mysterious hacker Skye.
After Malekith's death, Sif and Volstagg gave the Aether to Taneleer Tivan, The Collector, because the Tesseract was already returned to Asgard. It would be very unwise to keep both Infinity Stones at the same place.
2014
Trevor Slattery is kidnapped from prison by men working for Wenwu, the real "Mandarin."
Fall of SHIELDAlexander Pierce was revealed to be a a mole working for HYDRA, who had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. in the decades since the end of World War II. With help from the Winter Soldier, Pierce attempted to use a new fleet of Helicarriers to take over the world, but was stopped by Steve Rogers, Nick Fury, Natasha Romanoff, and their new ally, Sam Wilson (The Falcon). Rogers and Wilson later headed off for parts unknown to track down the Winter Soldier, while Romanoff and Fury went into hiding.
During this time, Baron von Strucker was revealed to be the new leader of HYDRA, with teenagers Pietro and Wanda Maximoff working as volunteers for his genetic experiments. Strucker was also shown to be in possession of Loki's staff.
Phil Coulson and his team later succeeded in taking down another HYDRA cell led by John Garrett, which had tried to sell Deathlok technology to the military as part of a plan to conquer the United States. Agent Grant Ward was also revealed to be a HYDRA sleeper, and was defeated by Melinda May.
Nick Fury tasked Phil Coulson and his team with rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. while Fury went to Europe on a covert mission to eradicate the remaining HYDRA cells.
After the official dissolution of S.H.I.E.L.D., Maria Hill began working with Tony Stark on a new plan to protect the world by using the Avengers and Stark's Iron Legion drones.
Guardians harness the power stoneAfter a peace treaty was signed between the Kree and the people of Xandar, Ronan the Accuser partnered with Nebula and Gamora to find a rare silver orb for their father, Thanos, who agreed to wipe out Xandar in exchange for the orb. After Ronan discovered that the sphere contained one of the Infinity Stones, he attempted to kill Thanos and wipe out Xandar by himself. Gamora betrayed Ronan and partnered with a now adult Peter Quill to form the Guardians of the Galaxy, who killed Ronan and turned over the Stone to Nova Corp leader Irani Rael.
A new HYDRA cell led by Daniel Whitehall later emerged. The group was soon infiltrated by Bobbi Morse and Jemma Simmons, but not before a mission to retrieve an alien obelisk resulted in the death of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Isabelle Hartley and Idaho.
During a skirmish with HYDRA and Dr. Calvin Zabo, Skye was revealed to be Zabo's daughter, Daisy Johnson. She was also revealed to possess Inhuman heritage, which manifested when she underwent Terrigenesis.
Reva Connors, wife of Luke Cage, is killed by Jessica Jones, who was being mind controlled by Killgrave.
Yondu diesEgo finds Peter Quill after he makes a name for himself saving Xandar and holding an Infinity Stone. He invites the Guardians back to his planet, so that he could take advantage of the power Peter inherited from him for his ultimate goal of taking over the universe. After admitting to Peter that he was responsible for Meredith's cancer, Peter turned on Ego.
Yondu dies rescuing Peter from Ego.
Mantis joins the Guardians
Shang-Chi would be tasked by his father with killing the leader of the Iron Gang in retribution for the death of Shang's mother. After he completed the mission, he did not return home. Instead, he fled to the United States and attempted to start a new life.
2015
Matt Murdock crafts the Daredevil identity to protect Hell's Kitchen from various organized criminals, including Wilson Fisk, The Kingpin, who was arrested.
Aftermath in SokoviaThe Avengers assemble for a second time to clean up the remaining Hydra cells after the fall of SHIELD. They re-retrieve Loki's scepter and find the Mind Infinity Stone within it. Stark and Banner use the stone to complete their A.I. weapon and potential Avengers replacement, Ultron. However, Ultron sees humanity's violent nature as futile and decides to end the world, forcing the Avengers to stop him. In the process, the country of Sokovia takes heavy damage. The Maximoff twins join the Avengers to fight Ultron, but only one of the twins, Wanda, survives.
Vision is born by downloading the JARVIS A.I. into Ultron's final body and adding the Mind Stone to his circuitry. The Avengers move to a compound upstate.
The Hulk flies a quinjet into space and through a wormhole, landing in Sakaar.
Killgrave resurfaces in New York City, throwing Jessica Jones' life into turmoil. Ultimately, she breaks his neck.
Scott and Hank work togetherScott Lang is released from prison and recruited by Hank Pym to be the new Ant-Man. Together, they plan on stealing Pym's size changing technology from Pym's protegee who seeks to sell it to the highest bidder, including terrorists.
Lang is forced to shrink too small to disarm the Yellowjacket armor and gets lost in the Quantum Realm. Using a size changing disc, he is able to jury rig the suit to return him to his home realm.
Frank Castle's wife and two children are gunned down.
Elektra is killed and resurrected by The Hand.
Cottonmouth is killed, and his business is taken over by Black Mariah and Shades
2016
Doctor Stephen Strange injures his hands beyond medical repair and seeks out a magical cure. He studies at Kamar-Taj, a safe haven for sorcerers, eventually becoming one of their strongest magic users.
Sokovia AccordsDanny Rand resurfaces in New York with superpowers after being assumed dead
Peggy Carter dies of old age.
The Sokovia Accords are drawn up by the United Nations, with special consideration from the reclusive country of Wakanda, which would force The Avengers to work with the United Nation before any attempts to defend the planet.
The Avengers are splintered over whether to agree to the Sokovia Accords, causing a violent confrontation. Cap, Falcon, Widow, and Wanda end up as fugitives. Hawkeye and Ant-Man take plea deals that put them under house arrest. Rhodey is paralyzed from the waist down. Spider-Man is recruited as a reserve Avenger by Stark.
When The Hand tries to get a foothold in New York City, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist team up as the Defenders to stop them.
While on the run, Black Widow reunites with her old undercover family to take down the Red Room and free all the Black Widow trainees. Dreykov's daughter is revealed to be alive as the super solider, Taskmaster.
2017
Spider-Man proves himself to Stark by foiling an attempted heist on the final pieces of Stark tech being moved from Stark Tower to the Avengers Compound.
Aunt May, Ned Leeds, and The Vulture learn Peter Parker is actually Spider-Man
Mjolnir breaksAfter the death of Odin, the spell that imprisoned Hela, Odin's bloodthirsty first born, was broken. Hela quickly took over Asgard, destroyed Mjolnir, and exiled Thor and Loki. Thor and Loki ended up on Sakaar, a planet where all lost things end up. There, they find the last Valkyrie and the long lost Hulk. Together, they escape the planet and evacuate Asgard before it falls to Ragnarok.
Killmonger challenges T'Challa to a fight for leadership and nearly kills T'Challa. Killmonger manages to burn all but one heart shaped herb, the source of the Panther's power. With the help of the Jabari tribe, T'Challa is able to rally and lead a revolt against the false ruler.
2018
Deadpool, a hero from an alternate universe, uses a time travel device to visit the Sacred Timeline and interview with Happy Hogan for a spot on the Avengers. He is ultimately rejected.
Scott Lang begins sharing visions with Janet Van Dyne after connecting to her in the Quantum Realm. He reaches out to Hank and Hope, who were forced to go on the run due to the Sokovia Accords. Despite his house arrest, he helps them devise a way to rescue Janet.
Thanos attacks the AsgardiansThanos and his generals, The Black Order, make their final play for the Infinity Stones. He steals the Power Stone from the Nova Corps, and he steals the Space Stone from Loki aboard the Asgardian evacuation ship. Valkyrie gets many of the Asgardians to safety, however Heimdell and Loki are killed and Thor is left for dead.
Thor is rescued by the Guardians of the Galaxy, who strategize and split up. Rocket and Groot take Thor to get a new hammer, while the rest go to Knowhere to protect the Reality Stone. Thanos got their first taking the Reality Stone and Gamora. Thanos then killed Gamora as the sacrifice needed to get the Soul Stone.
The Black Order went to Earth to retrieve the Time Stone and the Mind Stone. Two of the generals attacked Doctor Strange, who was protected by Iron Man and Spider-Man. When Strange was abducted, Stark and Spidey stowed away on the alien craft to rescue him. They crossed paths with the Guardians and set a trap for Thanos on his homeworld, Titan. After Thanos had beat all of them and was about to kill Stark, Strange traded the Time Stone for Stark's life.
Thanos snapsTwo of the other generals tracked Vision to London where he was with Wanda. They were protected by Cap, Widow, and Falcon. After fighting off the Black Order, the outlaw Avengers reunited with Rhodey and Banner and made their stand behind Wakanda's defenses. Once their defenses were depleted, including Thor who teleported to Earth, Thanos ripped the Mind Stone from Vision's forehead. He snapped his fingers de-materializing half of all life in the universe.
Scott Lang volunteered to enter the Quantum Realm to take data readings for the Pyms, however, Hope, Janet, and Hank were de-materialized by the snap, trapping Lang in the Quantum Realm with no one to recall him.
Clint Barton was having lunch with his family at his farmhouse, while he was under house arrest, when his entire family was de-materialized by the snap.
Carol's beeperNick Fury was assessing the situation in Wakanda and New York with Maria Hill when people around them started de-materializing. Before it happened to him, Fury used his special communicator to send an SOS to Carol Danvers. The remaining Avengers recovered Fury's device and waited for someone to answer. When Danvers arrived, Rocket gave her a way to track the Guardians ship for possible survivors, saving Stark and Nebula, the only two heroes in space to survive the snap.
The Avengers, with Danvers, Nebula, and Rocket, track Thanos to a planet where he retired. They intended to steal the stones and use them to bring everyone back. Unfortunately, Thanos used the stones to destroy the stones.
Thanos was beheaded by Thor. The Avengers disbanded for five years
2019
Nakia gives birth in Haiti to an heir to the Wakandan throne, T'Challa II. T'Challa and Nakia agree that he would be raised in Haiti under the name Toussaint so that he could be raised like a normal child away from the politics and power of the Panther Tribe.
Bruce Banner works in a lab to merge himself with The Hulk into a single entity.
2020s
2021
Kingpin leaks info on a secret Tracksuit Mafia meeting to lure Clint Barton (as The Ronin). He wiped out the meeting, including William Lopez, whose death was witnessed by his daughter, Maya.
2022
Marc Specter is discharged from the United States Armed Forces and joins a mercenary outfit run by Raoul Bushman. They are hired as a protection detail for an archeology dig, but Bushman gets greedy for buried treasure and turns on the group, including Marc. Left for dead in the Temple of Khonshu, Marc makes a deal with the god becoming Moon Knight.
Mobius shows up to this year to witness his original self (before becoming a variant that is recruited to the TVA) for the first time.
2023
A rat accidentally activates the quantum tunnel, releasing Scott Lang from the Quantum Realm. While the outside world experienced five years, Scott only experienced five hours. Inspired to make a time machine, the Avengers reunited to retrieve variations of the Infinity Stones from their shared history, bring them to the present, use them to bring everyone back, and then return the stones to their respective places.
Black Widow's sacrificeBlack Widow sacrifices herself for the Soul Stone. Hulk volunteers to use the stones to bring everyone back, believing he was the only one strong enough to survive their power.
A variant of Thanos and his army follows the Avengers back to the present, fighting to ensure his victory. Stark uses the six stones to de-materialize Thanos and his army at the expense of his own life.
Captain America volunteers to return the stones by himself but decides to stay in the past and live a life with Peggy Carter. In the present, Steve as an old man visits the time machine and chooses Falcon to take over as Captain America.
Wanda receives a gift from Vision post-mortem. Vision had bought a plot of land in the suburbs and planned to build a house for the two of them to turn into a home. In her grief, Wanda uses her magic to turn the entire town into a sitcom happy place. This includes a figment of Vision and twins sons, Billy and Tommy.
Steve Rogers choose Sam Wilson as his replacementMonica Rambeau develops light-based powers after exposure to Wanda's magic. Vision's original body, repaired by Rambeau's agency, SWORD, is revived also from exposure to Wanda's magic. He has none of Vision's memories or personality. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
Wanda is revealed by rival witch, Agatha Harkness, to be the prophesized Scarlet Witch, a being with an innate, natural ability to spellcast. Wanda ultimately traps Agatha in an enchantment where she believed she was a mundane small town neighbor but frees everyone else from the sitcom spell. This also wipes out the figment versions of Vision, Billy, and Tommy. As the sitcom spell disappears, it distracts a family driving home, causing them to get into a car accident. Their teen son is killed, becoming a vessel for Billy, one of the twins.
2024
Deadpool is visited on Earth-10005 on his birthday by the Time Variance Authority with an offer to join the Sacred Timeline before his universe is destroyed. Deadpool rejects the offer and finds a way to save his universe.
John Walker celebrated as the new CapWenwu dies reviving the Dweller, a dark force which had tricked Wenwu into thinking it was Wenwu's dead wife. His last act was to grant his Ten Ring weapons to his son, Shang-Chi. His daughter, Xu Xialing, takes over the Ten Rings organization.
John Walker was announced as the US government’s choice for the new Captain America until he was recorded in public beating a suspect to death with the shield. Sam Wilson, who was initially hesitant of taking the role, finally embraces the mantle of Captain America.
Jennifer Walters is driving with her cousin, Bruce Banner, when they get into a bad car wreck. Banner is injured, and Jennifer is exposed to his blood becoming a gamma mutate. Banner takes her to an island refuge set up by Stark so she could learn to control her powers.
Tiamat stuck in the EarthTiamut the Communicator, the Celestial incubating at the center of the Earth, begins to rise out of the Earth. Its rise is stopped by the Eternals, who didn’t want the planet destroyed. Part of its hand and head are currently sticking out of the planet.
Wong is revealed to be the new Sorcerer Supreme
Spider-Man’s identity as Peter Parker is outed by Mysterio on the internet just as he is dying. Peter asks Doctor Strange for help erasing the world’s memory of his identity, but the spell goes wrong and breaks through the multiverse. Two variants of Peter Parker as well as some of the villains they had faced are brought to the main timeline.
Aunt May is killed by a variant of the Green Goblin. To restabilize the multiverse, Peter had Strange re-do the spell without any exceptions for the friends and family, wiping Peter Parker from everyone's memories, including his girlfriend, MJ.
Scarlet Witch templeAmerica Chavez is chased into the main timeline by agents of the Scarlet Witch. Wanda wanted to use America's powers to find variants of herself who still had children. Doctor Strange protected America and eventually finds her a home in Kamar-Taj
Wanda seemingly dies at the Scarlet Witch temple on Wundagore Mountain.
During the week of Christmas, Hawkeye meets his number one fan, Kate Bishop, who helps him retrieve the Ronin costume and a SHIELD spy-watch that were recovered from the Avengers Compound rubble and sold on the black market.
2025
Namor vs ShuriShe-Hulk’s powers interfere with her job as a lawyer. She is eventually hired by a law firm that wants her to specialize in superhuman cases.
T’Challa dies from an “incurable disease.”
Riri Williams creates a vibranium tracking prototype in college which is stolen by the US government. This gets her the attention of both Wakanda and Talokan, an underwater civilization with their own vibranium stockpile. Talokan wants her dead, but Wakanda offers to protect her.
Ramonda is killed by Namor, King of Talokan.
Shuri makes a breakthrough on genetically modifying a new strain of the heart shaped herb. She uses it to become the new Black Panther and take a stand against Namor.
Kamala Khan finds an heirloom of her grandmother, which turns out to be a Quantum Band. She manifests light based powers and is investigated by Damage Control.
Jane Foster is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. She investigates using Norse magic for a cure, and the broken Mjolnir reassembles to protect her, granting her the power of Thor.
Gorr meets EternityJane Foster and Thor team up against Gorr the God-Butcher. When he gets a single wish from Eternity, Jane convinces him to revive his daughter rather than end the lives of all the gods. Thor promised to care for her, since Gorr was already dying.
Jane Foster succumbs to her cancer but is granted entry to Valhalla.
Famed monster hunter, Ulysses Bloodstone, dies. His funeral is a competitive monster hunt to find a worthy heir of his power source, the bloodgem. His daughter, Elsa Bloodstone, takes the bloodgem for herself with the help of Jack Russell and Man-Thing.
The Guardians of the Galaxy buy Knowhere from The Collector to turn it into a refuge for lost space travelers and their new headquarters.
Bullseye attacks Josie’s Bar, killing a number of people, including Foggy Nelson. Matt Murdock stops Bullseye before he could hurt anyone else. He retires as Daredevil immediately. Eventually, he starts a law firm with lawyer Kirsten McDuffie and investigator Cherry (who knows his secret identity)
For Christmas, Drax and Mantis go to Earth to abduct Kevin Bacon, Quill’s favorite actor, as a Christmas gift. Mantis reveals to Quill that they are half-siblings, since Ego is also her father.
2026
Confronted by KangScott Lang and his family are pulled into the Quantum Realm after Hank and Cassie Lang, Scott’s daughter, send probes into the realm to continue studying it. A multiversal warlord known as Kang the Conqueror had been exiled to the Quantum Realm and wanted to use the Pym’s technology to escape. He failed and died in the process.
Star-Lord, Mantis, Drax, and Nebula quit the Guardians. Drax and Nebula decided to focus on the refuge they created at Knowhere. Mantis went on a journey of self-discovery, and Star-Lord returned to Earth to reunite with his grandfather.
Maria Hill is killed by a Skrull terrorist. Talos is also killed trying to save the US President from Skrull separatists. After the attack, the President of the US outlaws all extraterrestrials inside US borders.
G’iah, daughter of Talos, injects herself with the Harvest, a SHIELD genetic library of every superhuman at the Battle of Avengers Compound.
Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan’s light based powers become entangled when Kree nationalists start manipulating galactic jump points with the Quantum Band that pairs with Kamala’s. While fixing a jump point, Monica becomes trapped in an alternate reality.
The Witches Road manifestsAgatha Harkness is freed from the magical enchantment that Wanda put her in but without any of her powers. She assembled a coven (including the vessel of Billy Maximoff) to trick with the Witches' Road ruse. However, Billy's magic manifested the road for real. By the end of the road, most of the witches were dead, except Billy and Jennifer Kale, who unlocked the full potential of their power.
Bullseye is put on trial for the attack on Josie’s Bar. He is sentenced to 11 life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Wilson Fisk wins his campaign for New York City mayor.
2027
Gen. Thaddeus Ross replaces James Ritson as the President of the United States.
Red Hulk in the Rose GardenSamuel Sterns plots revenge on President Ross during his first 100 days for Sterns' years of confinement through the use of multiple brainwashed sleeper agents planted in the military. He uses CIA funds to hire mercenaries to steal adamantium, a new metal resource found in the Tiamat corpse, sabotaging President Ross' treaty on use of Celestial Island. He also attempts an assassination on the President using Isaiah Bradley and as a last resort, transforms Ross into a red Hulk, destroying part of the White House.
Both Sterns and Ross would be imprisoned on The Raft for their crimes.
White Tiger is accused of killing a cop who was hit by a train while trying to assault a criminal informant. Matt Murdock defends him, winning the case, however, White Tiger is assassinated once he hits the streets again.
Matt saves Fisk from a bulletDaredevil comes out of retirement to take on serial killer, Muse. Martial Law is then instituted after an assassination attempt on Mayor Fisk. Masked vigilantes are specifically targeted.
In preparation for her impeachment hearings, Valentina de Fontaine tried to destroy the evidence of her private black ops missions, including her black ops field agents, who band together rather than take each other out. After this team saves New York City from The Void, they are introduced to the media as the "New Avengers" by Val, who had decided to keep them around after all.
Marvel Cinematic Multiverse
Rights Issues
Due to the fact that 20th Century Fox and Sony were making licensed Marvel movies well before Marvel started making its own films, a number of properties were deemed off-limits to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Among the most prominent would be the X-Men and Fantastic Four, as well as most characters associated with them. For instance, director James Gunn stated that the Badoon were off-limits. The films were also forbidden from reference the term "Mutants", which is why Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. developed the term "Gifted" to describe people with superpowers. It has been widely suggested by many (including longtime X-Men writer Chris Claremont) that Disney's sudden interest in the Inhumans was spurred by their desire to create substitutes in the MCU for mutants. Any and all Spider-Man characters were also barred from appearing, thanks to Sony producing the Spider-Man films.
Curiously, there were a select few characters who, thanks to murky legal statuses, could be used by both studios. For instance, Quicksilver appeared in both Fox's X-Men: Days of Future Past and Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron, in both cases played by completely different actors and with completely different roles. This is often chalked up to the fact that despite primarily being associated with the Avengers, the hero originated during the Silver Age X-Men run. Film rights to the Skrulls are also confirmed to be owned by both studios.
Rights to the Daredevil franchise were previously owned by Fox, but the rights reverted to Marvel after Fox failed to enter a reboot into production before the designated deadline. This meant that film makers behind The Wolverine were forced to abandon plans to use The Hand and instead opted to use a similar group of ninja known as the Black Clan. In 2015, Marvel rebooted the character by introducing their own version of Daredevil in a live-action mini-series show set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Netflix. A similar fate nearly befell the Fantastic Four, but Fox was able to start production on the reboot, The Fantastic Four, in time to block Marvel's attempt to regain the property.
There were plans for Sony and Marvel to crossover their universes by having the Oscorp building from The Amazing Spider-Man appear in The Avengers, but this idea never made it to fruition. By the time Disney got to Captain America: Civil War, Disney and Sony finally ironed out the details of sharing Spider-Man. Sony would produce a third attempt on Spider-Man starring Tom Holland, who also appeared in MCU movies. In exchange, Sony attempted noncanon spinoff movies for Spider-Man supporting characters like Venom, Morbius, and Madame Web.
On December 14, 2017, it was announced that Disney would be acquiring the film and television studios owned by 20th Century Fox (now just called 20th Century Studios under Disney's corporate structure). This meant Marvel properties licensed by 20th Century Fox, specifically X-Men, Deadpool, and the Fantastic Four, would now be available to be used as part of the shared canon.
Returning Actors
Many of the movies that came before the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been treated like separate universes within a Marvel Cinematic Multiverse.
- J.K. Simmons reprises his role as J.J. Jameson in Spider-Man: Far From Home
- Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, and Thomas Haden Church reprise their roles from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy in Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Andrew Garfield, Jamie Foxx, and Rhys Ifans reprise their roles from the Amazing Spider-Man movies in Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Tom Hardy cameos as Eddie Brock and the voice of Venom from Sony's solo Venom movies in Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Michael Keaton reprises his MCU role of The Vulture in Non-MCU movie, Morbius
- Patrick Stewart reprises his role as Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Donald Glover reprises his MCU role of The Prowler in the mostly animated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Also included are references to the Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, the Amazing Spider-Man movies, and Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Kelsey Grammar reprises as the voice of a CGI Beast in The Marvels.
- Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reprise their X-Men franchise roles in Deadpool & Wolverine, which is expected to feature many more cameos from previous Marvel movies. Other characters appearing in marketing material include Aaron Stamford as Pyro, Tyler Mane as Sabretooth, and Dafne Keen as X-23.
- Other cameos from other movies in Deadpool & Wolverine are Chris Evans as Human Torch, Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Wesley Snipes as Blade, and Channing Tatum (in a role he was to play in a canceled project) as Gambit. Other characters appear but not played by the original actors.
- An Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement included previously returned actors plus Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, James Marsden as Cyclops, and Ian McKellan as Magneto.
Original Earths
The Marvel Cinematic Universe was originally designated Earth-199999 in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z (Vol 1) #5 when only two movies have been released, however, the canon Earth in the MCU was designated Earth-616 in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Earth-616 is usually reserved for the canon Earth of the Marvel Comic Universe. After The Infinity Saga (the first 3 phases), the next saga was title The Multiverse Saga, which introduced new original Earths. The following are notable original Earths featured in the Cinematic Multiverse (although not a thorough list):
Strange memorial on Earth 838- Goddess of Mischief: On this Earth, Loki dreamt of becoming a Valkyrie and presented as female.
- Earth-82111: Peggy Carter receives the super soldier serum and becomes the hero of WWII. This version of Peggy becomes lost in the multiverse, showing up on multiple Earths.
- Earth-89521: An Earth where Janet Van Dyne contracts a zombie virus in the Quantum Realm and spreads it across Earth after she is rescued.
- Earth-72124: Howard the Duck and Darcy Lewis get hitched and have a kid after Thor throws a party on Earth. Their child as an adult, joins a team led by Peggy Carter defending the multiverse.
- Earth-838: A universe visited by Doctor Strange, where his variant abused the Darkhold to stop Thanos as a member of the Illuminati
- Killer Strange: A universe visited by Doctor Strange, where his variant yet again abused the Darkhold and caused an incursion to happen.
Cast and Credits
Principal Players
The cast of Age of Ultron- Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter (Captain America series, Agent Carter, Ant-Man, Avengers: Endgame, What If...?, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)
- Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer (Guardians of the Galaxy series, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor:Love and Thunder)
- Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson/Quake (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)
- Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher (Daredevil, The Punisher)
- Paul Bettany as JARVIS and The Vision (Iron Man series, The Avengers series, Captain America: Civil War, WandaVision)
- Josh Brolin as Thanos (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers series, What If...?)
- Daniel Brühl as Helmut Zemo (Captain America: Civil War, Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
- Mike Colter as Luke Cage (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Defenders)
- Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon (Guardians of the Galaxy series, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder)
- Alaqua Cox as Echo/Maya Lopez (Hawkeye, Echo)
- Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Daredevil, The Defenders, Spider-Man No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Echo, Daredevil: Born Again)
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange (Doctor Strange series, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, What If...?Spider-Man No Way Home)
- Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple/Night Nurse (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Defenders)
- Vin Diesel as Groot (Guardians of the Galaxy series, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder)
- Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin (Daredevil, Hawkeye, Echo)
- Michael Douglas as Henry "Hank" Pym/Ant-Man (Ant-Man series, Avengers: Endgame, What If...?)
- Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man (Iron Man series, The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers series, Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming)
- Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America (Captain America series, The Avengers series, Spider-Man: Homecoming)
- Jon Favreau as Harold "Happy" Hogan (Iron Man series, Spider-Man series, Avengers: Endgame, What If...?, Deadpool & Wolverine)
- Karen Gillan as Nebula (Guardians of the Galaxy series, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder)
- Danai Gurira as Okoye (Black Panther series, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame)
- Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness (WandaVision, Agatha All Along)
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor (Thor series, The Avengers series, What If...?)
- Tom Hiddleston as Loki (Thor series, The Avengers, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Loki, What If...?)
- Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man series, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame)
- Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers series, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Captain Marvel, Spider-Man: Far From Home, What If...?, Secret Invasion)
- Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Iron Man 2, The Avengers series, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Black Widow)
- Pom Klementieff as Mantis (Guardians of the Galaxy series, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder)
- Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, The Marvels)
- Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp (Ant-Man series, Avengers: Endgame, What If...?)
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina de Fontaine (Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Widow, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
- Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Captain America series, Ant-Man, Avengers series, Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
- Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Captain America series, Avengers series, WandaVision, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)
- Teyonah Parris as Spectrum/Monica Rambeau (WandaVision, The Marvels)
- Natalie Portman as Jane Foster (Thor series, What If...?)
- Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Guardians of the Galaxy series, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Avengers Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder)
- Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova (Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thunderbolts*)
- Lewis Pullman as The Sentry (Thunderbolts*, Avengers: Doomsday)
- Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Thor, The Avengers series, Captain America: Civil War, What If...?,Hawkeye)
- Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool (Deadpool & Wolverine)
- Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones (Jessica Jones, The Defenders)
- Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Ant-Man series, Captain America: Civil War, Ant-Man & The Wasp, Avengers: Endgame, What If...?)
- Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk (The Avengers series, Iron Man 3, Thor: Ragnarok, What If...?, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law)
- Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S.Agent (Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Thunderbolts*)
- Zoe Saldana as Gamora (Guardians of the Galaxy series, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame)
- Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill (The Avengers series, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Spider-Man Far From Home, What If...?, Secret Invasion)
- Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Captain America series, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, What If...?, Thunderbolts*)
- Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie (Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, The Marvels)
- Emily Van Camp as Sharon Carter (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, What If...?)
- Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel (Ms. Marvel, The Marvels)
- Benedict Wong as Wong (Doctor Strange series, Avengers: Infinity War, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law)
- Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther (Black Panther series, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame)
Characters with More Than One Actor
- Terrance Howard originated Col. James Rhodes in Iron Man, but he was replaced starting in Iron Man 2 by Don Cheadle.
- John Slattery plays an older Howard Stark starting in Iron Man 2, while Dominic Cooper plays a young adult Howard Stark starting in Captain America: First Avenger. Either actor has reprised their role depending on what era the character is appearing in.
- Joshua Dallas was cast as Fandral in Thor but was unavailable for the sequel. The original first choice, Zachary Levi, replaced him.
- Abby Ryder Forsten originates the role of Cassie Lang, Ant-Man's daughter, in Ant-Man. She is replaced with the older actress, Emma Furhman, in Avengers: Endgame due to the 5 year jump in time. Furhman is replaced with Kathryn Newton for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
- Gen. Thunderbolt Ross is played by William Hurt up to his death, at which point, Harrison Ford took over.
Actors With More Than One Role
- Laura Haddock was cast as the mother of Star-Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, but was first an unnamed fan of Captain America in Captain America: The First Avenger
- Alfre Woodard was cast as one of the main antagonists, Mariah Dillard, in the Luke Cage Netflix series as well as Miriam Sharpe in Captain America: Civil War
- In addition to playing the titular Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch also voiced Dormammu in the same movie.
- Tony Curran appeared as the Irish gangster, Finn Cooley, on season 2 of Daredevil after appearing as Bor, grandfather of Thor, in Thor: Dark World. He would then be cast on Secret Invasion as a UK spy.
- Clancy Brown voiced Surtur for Thor: Ragnarok and then went on to play a villain from Frank Castle's past on Netflix's The Punisher.
- Gemma Chan played Kree sentry, Minn-erva, in Captain Marvel before leading the cast of Eternals as Sersi.
- Patton Oswalt played identical siblings on the Agents of SHIELD tv series and made a post-credit appearance as Pip the Troll in Eternals
- Mahershala Ali was announced as Blade and made a small voice only cameo in Eternals after already playing the gangster, Cottonmouth, on the Luke Cage Netflix series.
- Michelle Yeoh made a cameo as a classic Ravager, Aleta, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and then played Shang-Chi's aunt in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
- Nathan Fillion voiced a random alien prisoner in the first Guardians of the Galaxy. He would play a different character in Vol. 3 of the same franchise. He would then voice Zombie Deadpool in Deadpool & Wolverine.
- Linda Cardellini plays Laura, the wife of Hawkeye, but she also voiced Lylla the Otter for James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
- Judy Greer plays Maggie, ex-wife of Scott Lang, in the Ant-Man movies, but she also voiced the original character, War Pig, for James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach played Microchip in The Punisher Netflix series but was later cast as The Thing in Fantastic Four: First Steps.
- Robert Downey Jr would become one of the most popular actors to portray any MCU character as Iron Man in the Infinity Saga but would return to the Multiverse Saga to play Doctor Doom.
Original Characters Later Introduced in Marvel Comic Universe
Agents of SHIELDIn Memorium
Actors who passed away during their tenure as an MCU character:
- Chadwick Boseman died on August 28, 2020 after a private struggle with colon cancer. He is remembered in the MCU for playing T'Challa/Black Panther (Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, Avengers Infinity War, Avengers Endgame, What If...?). Because he had kept his diagnosis private, his death came as a shock to he public as well as director of the Black Panther franchise Ryan Coogler. Coogler opted to have T'Challa die due to a mysterious illness rather than recast.
- William Hurt died on March 13, 2022 due to complications with terminal cancer. It was announced in 2018 that his prostate cancer metastasized to his bones. He is remembered in the MCU for playing General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Black Widow). In October 2022, Harrison Ford was chosen as Hurt's replacement for Thunderbolt Ross.
Log in to comment