Marvel Studios Confirms the MCU’s First Canon Event

The MCU‘s timeline of events has been officially confirmed as the studio explains important moments from films such as Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers, Black Panther, and Eternals.

As reported by The Direct, Marvel Studios has achieved a feat unrivaled by other Hollywood production companies. With 24 shows and 33 films released (up to Echo and The Marvels), the MCU’s tapestry of stories has so far racked up a whopping runtime of 121.9 hours (or 7,315 minutes). It recently confirmed six canon Netflix shows which adds another 161 hours to this for a total runtime of 282.9 hours or 11.79 days, making the MCU one of the most elaborate and expansive entertainment franchises to date. It’s only fitting that a canon of chronological events was eventually established, something that Marvel Studios’ The Marvel Cinematic Universe – An Official Timeline has plotted in painstaking detail.

The book is a definitive guide to the MCU and its numerous canon events, and as expected, most are likely curious to first discover the entire universe’s genesis. The book confirms this in an entry titled “The Handiwork of Celestials,” which depicts the beings as “one of the oldest and most powerful forms of life to ever exist.” The Celestials were briefly referenced in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy before they were fully fleshed out by Ego (played by Kurt Russell) in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and by Arishem’s appearance in Eternals.

The book also confirmed the chronological order of events that shaped the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from the creation of the Infinity Stones after The Big Bang to the formation of Earth, Asgard, and Yggdrasil, the Tree of the World referenced in Thor and Thor: The Dark World (the same tree was recently alluded to in Loki‘s Season 2 finale). The timeline also highlights the significant role of the Eternals in cosmic-level events; 2021’s Eternals explored their origins and purpose as a countermeasure against the Deviants. That film confirmed Earth was host to conceive Tiamut, one of many Celestials Arishem implanted in countless other planets.

As an all-encompassing guide to everything that happened in the MCU so far, the book succeeds in providing context to the backstory of many Marvel films. The creation of Mount Wundagore knits the Scarlet Witch prophecy into the multiverse, as explored in WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Other canon events like the arrival of Vibranium on Earth were mentioned, referencing the genesis of Wakanda and Atlantis. The book serves as a timely reference for MCU canon as the franchise ventures further into the multiverse.

Avengers 5 and 6, Marvel Studios’ next tentpole events, are currently slated to come out in 2026 and 2027. All of the MCU releases up to Echo and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 are streaming on Disney+; The Marvels is currently pending streaming release.

Source: The Direct and Marvel Studios’ The Marvel Cinematic Universe – An Official Timeline