MCU Phase 1’s Pre-Avengers Timeline Shows How Marvel Could’ve Avoided Its Saga Problem

The timeline markings previously used in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before The Avengers were much simpler and would have fixed a franchise Saga problem had it continued. Given the ever-expanding state of the MCU be it on TV or the big screen, it is becoming increasingly difficult to watch every single Marvel movie in order. From the immensely time-consuming task of watching 33 films and 10 TV shows to the way each of these installments fits into the timeline, the MCU remains one of the most dizzyingly sprawling franchises in movie history, something that is only set to continue with Marvel’s upcoming movie list.

Refreshingly, the one and only Marvel movie in 2024 to do this will be Deadpool 3, yet the combination of the MCU with 20th Century Fox’s X-Men universe will only further muddy the timeline. Despite the release of Marvel Studios’ timeline-dedicated book in October 2023, the clarification of the franchise’s timeline is more difficult than ever, especially across both the Infinity Saga and the Multiverse Saga. Ironically, if the MCU had stuck to a timeline barometer the franchise used before 2012’s The Avengers, this confusion may have been avoided entirely.

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As highlighted in The Art of Marvel’s Avengers, the MCU used to mark points on the timeline using BIM and AIM, before Iron Man and after Iron Man respectively. Any events on the timeline using BIM took place a set amount of time before the ending of Iron Man in which Tony Stark gave the “I am Iron Man” speech. For example, the events of Captain America: The First Avenger would have been stated as taking place in 63 BIM, while The Avengers would be 4 AIM.

This is not dissimilar to the timeline markings used for Star Wars, with BBY (before the Battle of Yavin) and ABY (after the Battle of Yavin) making the outlining of different events much easier. In using BIM and AIM, the MCU’s timeline would not be muddled with endless years and dates being attributed to different events. Similarly, using the Infinity Saga as a label for stories like Ant-Man or Iron Man 2 when these stories do not directly tie into the overarching narrative confuses elements. Instead, stating which year these movies take place in relation to Iron Man with flashpoints on a timeline would simplify it greatly.

The revelation that the MCU used to use BIM and AIM begs the question of why the franchise’s timeline is so difficult to perfect. The core reason is simply the sheer amount of content in the MCU of late. During the Infinity Saga, it was easier to see every event as a concise timeline as there were no TV shows tied into the wider story of the MCU. With the Multiverse Saga though, increased story output and those stories regularly dealing with alternate realities, timelines, and time travel make things much more confusing.

Secondly, if every MCU project had to clearly define where it takes place on the timeline, the storytelling integrity of the show or movie in question may be compromised. Having essentially an information dump at the beginning of every MCU story to alert audiences to its place on the timeline would ruin the immersion of the tale being told and take viewers out of the moment. For these reasons, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a major timeline problem, something that will undoubtedly grow more and more confusing as the franchise moves into the ever-expanding Multiverse Saga.

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