You Won’t Believe When Thunderbolts Actually Takes Place in the MCU Timeline!

by

Understanding the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s timeline became more challenging after the five-year leap in “Avengers: Endgame”, which moved the franchise’s current time well beyond our present. Each subsequent film and series is built upon this new timeline, often shifting between past and future events, making accurate placement crucial for grasping the bigger MCU storyline. For instance, the movie “Thunderbolts“*, marking the end of Phase Five with a team of unpredictable anti-heroes, might leave some fans puzzled due to its absence of clear timeline indicators. However, by considering context clues, it’s feasible to determine when Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and their allies’ mission transpires.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Thunderbolts*

To precisely position “Thunderbolts” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) timeline, we must first determine the timeframe for “Captain America: Brave New World”. The storyline of this film unfolds decisively in spring 2027, as evidenced by several key in-universe details. For instance, Thaddeus Ross, portrayed by Harrison Ford, is shown to be the newly elected President of the United States, implying his term started either late in 2026 or early 2027. Furthermore, a White House summit invitation seen on screen is dated April 16th, 2027, offering a specific reference point for the film’s central conflict. Additionally, the events occur approximately two years after Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) officially assumed the shield in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”, a series that concluded in mid-2024. These converging details unequivocally place the main action of “Brave New World” within the first half of 2027.

In Thunderbolts, Bucky Barnes has assumed the role of a Congressman for Brooklyn, a position he was merely running for in Brave New World. The events are further established by explicit references to the end of Brave New World. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) brings up President Ross’ metamorphosis into the Red Hulk and the subsequent chaos at the White House, making it clear that Thunderbolts is a direct continuation of Brave New World. Moreover, Valentina’s comment about Bucky serving “less than half a term” indicates that only a few months have passed since his election as a Congressman, given a Congressman’s term lasts two years. As the film appears to take place without winter in New York City during Thunderbolts, it can be assumed the story unfolds during the summer or fall of 2027.

Thunderbolts* MCU Timeline Placement Includes a Massive Time Jump (SPOILERS)

In the main plot of Thunderbolts, set in 2027, the post-credits sequence takes a leap forward in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) timeline. After the team undergoes a public transformation and is now known as the “New Avengers,” orchestrated by Valentina, the story moves ahead by a clear 14 months. This brings us to late 2028, making this scene the latest event in the ongoing MCU timeline.

2028 finds a landscape drastically changed. The New Avengers squad, consisting of Yelena, Bucky, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Red Guardian (David Harbour), have been on duty for more than a year from their base, the Watchtower (formerly known as Avengers Tower). Their time there has been met with public skepticism and an ongoing rivalry with Sam Wilson’s Avengers initiative, which emerged in Brave New World. This rivalry extends to legal battles over team name rights. Moreover, this scene hints at the arrival of Marvel’s First Family into the Sacred Timeline after The Fantastic Four: First Steps, suggesting that the New Avengers will likely be the first to react when crisis strikes, paving the way for Avengers: Doomsday.

The leaps in time taken by Thunderbolts significantly propel the storyline towards the impending multiversal clash, providing room for future MCU projects such as Daredevil’s second season, “Born Again.” It’s also crucial to recall that Marvel Studios has an unnamed film set for release on February 13, 2026, mere months before Avengers: Doomsday graces the silver screen. Given that the New Avengers will encounter the Fantastic Four in post-credits scenes, it’s reasonable to speculate that this unannounced project may unfold within this 14-month timeframe. Fingers crossed, we might even witness another exciting Avengers escapade before the next grand crossover event.

1. The movie titled “Thunderbolts” is now showing in cinemas.
2. The film entitled “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” will be released in theaters on July 25th.

Both sentences use simple and easy-to-read language, while maintaining the original meaning of the given sentences.

Read More

2025-05-02 19:18