Congratulations are in order for Tom Holland and Zendaya, whose unofficial engagement announcement is threatening to upend social media as we know it. So far, People has confirmed the engagement via sources, and the internet sleuths have gone as far as unearthing every subtle sign Zendaya has blessed us with through her fashion. 1n4h5x

But beyond the engagement ring, the “t”-shaped tattoo, and Holland protecting his girl through a swarm of paparazzi, the internet’s also throwing it back to all their favorite TomDaya moments! While there’s a lot to swipe through, one iconic moment will always stand out in the timeline of their relationship. In fact, it could very well be the most significant entry in their courtship, and any NatGeoWild expert would agree!

Tom’s iconic peacock moment 286y61

Once upon a time, celebrities let their hair down to battle it out on Lip Sync Battle. By the time season 3 rolled out, fans thought they’d seen enough. After all, nothing was going to top Channing Tatum demolishing ex-wife Jenna Dewan by bringing Beyoncé out to perform “Run the World (Girls)” with a slew of backup dancers. But little did the world know that Tom Holland was in a corner preparing to not only break the internet, but leave a mark on Zendaya for good!

In season 3, episode 16, Tom and Zendaya battled it out just before Spider-Man: Homecoming was released in theaters nationwide. Peter Parker and Michelle Jones duked it out in front of a live audience, with Holland’s performance of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” quickly becoming the most-watched on YouTube, with over 150 million views. While Z’s version of Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” was also brilliant, there was absolutely no touching Holland’s acrobatics, confidence, and swag!

The road to “I Do!” 3m533t

Now, almost eight years later, Holland and Zendaya are embarking on the road to marriage. For months, fans have predicted that the Hollywood A-listers would reach this milestone, but nothing prepared the world for it regardless. While both stars were once open on social media, they have since retreated to a more private relationship, only sharing bits and pieces of their relationship, and letting their talents do the talking. 

At the Golden Globes, Zendaya, nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy for her movie star-making turn in Challengers, shone through in a jaw-dropping copper number, channeling old glamor effortlessly. But even with her blinding Bulgari jewelry, the star accessory was the striking engagement ring on her finger. The ring is reportedly from the London-based jeweler Jessica McCormack, and costs northwards of $200,000. Holland evidently spared no expense in purchasing the best for his fiancé. And per People, the engagement happened over the holidays, which he spent with Zendaya and her family. 

But as for exact wedding plans, a source told People that the pair are in absolutely no rush to head to the altar. “They will just enjoy things for now and won’t rush a wedding. They are both busy with work projects.”

Nonetheless, congratulations are in order for the duo, whose Hollywood romance has been melting hearts for a number of years now.

Tom Holland and Zendaya are the perfect on-screen partners and off-screen couple, and he just proved why in a new podcast interview.

Unarguably everyone’s favorite Hollywood couple by now, Tom Holland and Zendaya never miss a chance to bring each other up and drop affirmations of love for each other anytime they speak to the media. A month after Zendaya opened up about what it’s like to make Spider-Man movies with her boyfriend, Holland has given his word on what it’s like to work with his lady love. Warning: you might feel overwhelmingly single after hearing this.

In a recent Christmas-themed episode of the Dish podcast, the host asked Holland what all of us had been dying to know: What is it like acting opposite his longtime girlfriend Zendaya? And well, I wouldn’t say the internet was not ready for the answer, but it’s still enough to have everyone kicking their feet in the air. “Oh God, yeah. It’s a saving grace. Yeah, the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he remarked (via Variety).

But before he gave this sweet and cheeky answer, Holland first hilariously quipped, “Studios love it. One hotel room. Separate drivers. We’re not crazy now. Listen it’s work, alright">they prove true love exists.

Let us first put forth the disclaimer that the Morbius post-credits scene is, actually, Michael Keaton‘s best Marvel scene, purely due to the fact that it was so impossibly desperate and so unthinkably shoddy with its writing and setup, that it’s actually kind of amazing that it exists at all.

Of course, we’re not going to put money on Keaton having ed his Morbius scene, especially considering that the storied actor completely forgot one of his most memorable scenes in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Participating recently in a WIRED video, wherein he answers the internet’s most-searched questions about him, Keaton stumbled upon one enquiry about who he played in Homecoming. Most anyone who’s even tangentially plugged into the MCU could tell you that he played the Vulture, but apparently, Keaton’s time as Vulture isn’t completely ed for in the actor’s memory banks.

I just saw this shot the other day; this great shot in the car where I’m looking in the mirror. Somebody was asking me a question about this, and I honestly couldn’t . I had to Google myself to figure out what the hell I was doing in that shot.

The scene in question was the moment that Vulture discerned that Peter Parker was actually Spider-Man, the latter having clocked the identity of the former earlier that night. Vulture, of course, turned out to be the father of Peter’s then-love interest Liz, who Peter had asked to the homecoming dance. Peter tried to play it cool as Vulture drove them to the dance, but the night ultimately devolved into an incredibly explosive battle that ended in Vulture’s arrest.

Keaton probably isn’t unique in having hazy memories about his time in the MCU, but his are more justified than most. The actor has a particularly unique relationship to superhero media, not only because of his legendary portrayal of Batman in various live-action DC films, but also of his turn in the critically-acclaimed Birdman, in which Keaton portrays an actor known for playing a popular superhero (Birdman), and whose relationship to his own artistry revolves around his history of playing the character.

Indeed, it might be true that Robert Downey Jr., Christopher Reeve, and Hugh Jackman are among the acting greats of comic book movies, but Keaton’s contributions to the genre/culture are so impossibly singular, metatextual, and significant, that we’d all do well to give him a on not ing one of his best scenes from one of his smallest comic book movie roles.

For the time being, Keaton is zhuzhing up theaters in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, in which he reprises the role of Betelgeuse after 36 years, and he hasn’t lost even an ounce of that gonzo touch that made him so entertaining all those years ago.

In 1883, the volcanic Indonesian island known as Krakatoa erupted, causing an explosion that clocked in at about 172 decibels. This was roughly one-third of the volume of Hall H when Robert Downey Jr. was revealed as the MCU‘s Doctor Doom during San Diego Comic-Con.

Indeed, as far as the fans are concerned, the Oppenheimer Oscar winner is the North Star when it comes to endorphins, and given Marvel’s apparent commitment to fan service after the show that Deadpool & Wolverine put on, roping Downey Jr. back into the fray was a financial no-brainer.

It’s only a financial no-brainer, however, in that it’s a particularly steep investment in equal measure. By a firm distance, Downey Jr. is the highest-paid Marvel actor ever, and with Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars reportedly set to net him even more money, no one’s going to be catching up with him any time soon.

All this begs the question; how did we get here? Here’s how much money Downey Jr. pocketed from each Marvel movie he had a hand in.

Iron Man — $2 million 3p1v61

Just as we all have to start somewhere, we also all need to start over somewhere. For Downey Jr., that was the shoes of Tony Stark, which he was paid $2 million to fill in 2008’s Iron Man film, and later in a brief cameo in The Incredible Hulk. His salary initially began at $500,000, but a share of the film’s profits (Iron Man made $585.8 million at the box office) brought the final tally in and around $2 million.

The inaugural MCU film and one of the superhero genre’s finest flicks ever, Iron Man flew on the back of what would become one of the defining performances of a generation; a performance that Downey Jr. brought to roaring life until the very end (which, evidently, wasn’t quite the end in the purest sense).

Iron Man 2 — $10 million 5q382f

Downey Jr. received a pretty significant pay raise for Iron Man 2, going from $2 million to $10 million in what would be the first of many payday increases for the leading man, who very quickly became figuratively (and perhaps literally) essential to the Marvel organism.

That said, one would be forgiven for thinking that the additional $8 million on Downey Jr.’s salary came out of Iron Man 2‘s storytelling budget. This to say that, for those who can look past Downey Jr.’s nostalgic x-factor, it’s clear he doesn’t render the franchise completely bulletproof.

Spider-Man: Homecoming — Between $10 million and $15 million 2o4f4s

By 2017, Downey was able to get a salary equal to or greater than his Iron Man 2 payday with a fraction of the screentime. Such was the case in Spider-Man: Homecoming, where Downey Jr. was paid between $10 million and $15 million to appear in a relatively small ing role.

Tom Holland, the MCU’s Spider-Man, would go on to make $10 million for his work on the bombastic and lucrative Spider-Man: No Way Home, in case you needed a scale for how deeply Marvel and its fanbase valued (and continue to value, evidently) Downey Jr.’s presence.

The Avengers — $50 million 43405k

When it came time for the Avengers to first assemble back in 2012, it was abundantly clear just how all-in Marvel was about propping Downey Jr. up as their MVP, with a $50 million paycheck landing in Downey Jr.’s pocket for his work on The Avengers. The sum includes both box office bonuses and back-end compensation.

Reportedly, Downey Jr.’s Marvel compatriots Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, and Mark Ruffalo all made just $3 million from the film at the end of the day. Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson, meanwhile, clocked out of Avengers with $6 million each. As with Holland, the gulf in those numbers speaks for themselves.

Iron Man 3 — $50 million 2k1k4h

The $50 million payday continued with Tony Stark’s third solo outing in Iron Man 3. After kicking off Phase One with Downey Jr., it probably made sense in Marvel’s mind to kick off Phase Two with him, too.

In many ways, they were correct; the film snagged $1.2 billion at the box office and was a critical success, although it remains rather divisive in the realm of the MCU fandom. But, as long as Downey Jr. is involved, the complaints will probably never truly take center stage there (which, we assume, is the logic that was applied when he was cast as Doctor Doom).

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars — $50 million apiece, reportedly 6c1v4w

That’s right folks, if these numbers are accurate, a $100 million payday is on the horizon for Downey Jr. as he prepares to step into the shoes of Victor Von Doom, with $50 million due to come from Doomsday, and another $50 million due to come from Secret Wars.

It is, of course, hard to say at this point how things are going to shake out for the franchise as we approach the Multiverse Saga’s attempt at the Thanos-level one-two punch. Indeed, with Downey Jr.’s casting already being dubbed by many as a desperate attempt by the MCU to fan-service its way to box office victory rather than actually make good movies, Doomsday might just end up being too apt a title for the next Avengers film.

Avengers: Age of Ultron — Between $50 million and $80 million 3y654f

His highest unofficial payday yet, Downey Jr.’s second participation in the Avengers ensemble earned him between $50 million and $80 million. It sounds ludicrous to pay anyone that much, and it is, but the correlation between Downey Jr.’s face and Marvel’s box office fortunes at the time was all Marvel needed to keep full-sending this particular outlay (and indeed, Avengers: Age of Ultron crossed the $1.4 million mark during its theatrical run).

Captain America: Civil War — $64 million 6fo1e

How very like both Tony Stark and Downey Jr. to cheekily nab a payday with a number as untidy as 64. Just as well, of course, because Captain America: Civil War saw Downey Jr. take on a more antagonistic role in the Marvel proceedings, depending on who you ask.

$64 million remains Downey Jr.’s third-highest (soon to be fourth-highest) payday ever, on of his last two hurrahs as Iron Man rounding out to the same amount.

Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame — $75 million each 5n4l6d

Roughly $400 million in earnings all became justified in a single snap of the fingers; a snap that was heard around the world before that very world burst into tears like never before. Indeed, when it came time for the Infinity Saga’s curtain call, Downey Jr. was paid $75 million to inspire us, and then another $75 million to shatter our hearts.

And now he’s about to get paid even more to toss on a green cloak and rescue the MCU from itself. Life is strange.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the most in-depth and successful franchise of all time during its 16-year run at the box office. While it began with Iron Man in 2008, for fans following the narrative, that’s not where the story actually begins.

There are currently 34 movies in the MCU — soon to be 35 with Captain America: Brave New World — released in five phases. Phases One through Three, known as the Infinity Saga, collectively bring viewers closer to the arrival of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and its epic follow-up, Avengers: Endgame. Meanwhile, phases Four through Six, known as the Multiverse Saga, began in 2021 and will eventually bring viewers closer to Robert Downey Jr.’s ultimate MCU comeback as Doctor Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and its subsequent multiversal showdown in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. : Kang is a thing of the past.

Phase Four began in 2021 with the Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and continued into 2022 with three major franchise sequels: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Phase Five began in 2023 and also included four franchise sequels, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, and most recently Deadpool & Wolverine.

Following the success of Marvel’s Disney Plus streaming hits like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki, we’ve received fresh entries like Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Secret Invasion, Loki season 2, and soon Agatha All Along. They aim to continue the budding tradition of bringing focused character studies to the small screen, but in light of criticism over reduced quality, Marvel has scaled back these productions a bit. Nevertheless, these shows tie into the larger Marvel universe, which is actually more of a multiverse now. However, those shows won’t be mentioned on this list, as this list pertains to feature films only.

There are numerous ways to enjoy Marvel films, including the order in which they were released, or drawn out of a hat at random, although that last option isn’t recommended for first-time viewers. However, in this article, we’ll be breaking down the chronological timeline of all films in the MCU so you can watch them in the correct narrative order. An at-a-glance lineup of Phases One through Three can be found below:

Below is a breakdown of every MCU film in narrative-timeline order, all of which, save Deadpool & Wolverine, are available to stream now on Disney Plus. Thanks to Marvel’s official The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline, we now have a clearer picture of not only what is and isn’t MCU canon, but also whether the nuggets of information we’ve compiled over the years do, indeed, fit into the slots we’ve given them. Spoiler alert: they do.

Captain America: The First Avenger 47504y

Taking place first in the timeline, Captain America: The First Avenger provides the origin story for one of Marvel’s most popular heroes, Steve Rogers, played by the dynamite Chris Evans. This film mostly takes place in 1942 and showcases Rogers’ journey from a scrawny infantry soldier to full-blown Captain America who faces off against Red Skull.

Captain Marvel 2q673

Next up is Captain Marvel, which is set in 1995, much closer to modern times. This movie is the first in the timeline to explore space travel and intergalactic threats. As we are introduced to both Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and soon-to-be S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the pair gets involved in the conflict between the Kree and the Skrulls, with surprising results.

Iron Man 5we3w

The third film in the timeline was the very first Marvel film to be released: Iron Man. The billionaire philanthropist-turned-superhero Tony Stark has his origin story told in this fan-favorite film. Thanks to its box office success and fans’ adoration of Robert Downey Jr.’s performance, the film ultimately kicked off the entire MCU franchise.

Iron Man 2 6t1j5d

Picking up shortly after the events of the first Iron Man, Iron Man 2 continues the story of the suited superhero now with his identity known to the public. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), the son of a scientist who previously worked at Stark Industries, is back with a grudge and creates his own weaponry with the goal of taking revenge for his fallen father. The film also introduces a soon-to-be Avenger in Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).

The Incredible Hulk 3t3210

While many fans may choose to forego 2008’s The Incredible Hulk in their MCU binge given that it features Ed Norton in the role instead of Mark Ruffalo (who later became the official Banner), it’s still technically a part of the MCU timeline. This movie gives fans a unique take on the Hulk’s origin story and hints at more things to come in the closing credits.

Thor 3hy18

Thor’s initial big-screen debut took place in 2011 and gave fans their first look at Asgard and other realms via the Bifrost. This one finds the titular god traveling to Earth to defend the world from Loki and a Frost Giant threat. For many moviegoers, this was their introduction to the beloved character, played by Chris Hemsworth, and for many it solidly delivered.

The Avengers i2i64

The first crossover film in the timeline came with The Avengers, which was set at the conclusion of Marvel’s Phase One. The Avengers brought together Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, the Hulk, and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to protect the Earth from Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the Chitauri invasion. The movie also played a key role in introducing the Tesseract as the first of the Infinity Stones. These stones were ultimately the key to all future plans in the MCU.

Thor: The Dark World 2u6o32

The second Thor film in the MCU, Thor: The Dark World, gives us a closer look at Asgard, its inner workings, and the relationship between Thor, his brother Loki, and their father, Odin. The film also gives us insight into the second Infinity Stone, the Aether, which was wielded by the movie’s antagonists, the Dark Elves. Though it’s largely considered one of the less-impressive Marvel films, it serves its purpose and thankfully paves the way for a wonderful Thor threequel.

Iron Man 3 6x4gp

In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark deals with anxiety after experiencing the intergalactic invasion of the Chitauri. After diving into full damage control mode and assembling an army of suits, he’s forced to choose between being Iron Man and protecting those he loves. Meanwhile, he must also deal with the looming threat of “The Mandarin.”

Captain America: The Winter Soldier 1w5r39

Hailed as one of the best films in the entire MCU franchise, Captain America: The Winter Soldier introduces viewers to more of Captain America’s past and throws Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, back into the fray. The movie also reveals the hidden HYDRA threat still present among the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D that ultimately leads to its demise.

Guardians of the Galaxy 6q4w5x

When it was announced that Disney was going to bring the Guardians to the big screen, many were skeptical, but Guardians of the Galaxy turned out to be one of the best space films ever, let alone one in the MCU. It introduced us to Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel), an unlikely team that attempts to stop the plot of Ronan the Acc (Lee Pace) from using the Power Stone to destroy Xandar.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 3771d

Taking place shortly after the first film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 gives us a closer look at Peter Quill’s backstory and heritage while also introducing a new member to the squad in the form of Mantis (Pom Klementieff). The story also dives deeper into the sibling rivalry between Gamora and Nebula (Karen Gillan) and shines a light on their relationship with their adoptive father, Thanos, which would pay off in just a few short films.

Avengers: Age of Ultron 682n13

Crossing over once again, the cast of the original Avengers film s forces to defend the Earth from the threat of Ultron (James Spader), a supercomputer developed to be a peacekeeping program by Tony Stark, which overrides its programming and now seeks to eliminate all mankind. In the latter half of the film, the Avengers get a few new additions in the form of Vision (Paul Bettany) and the Maximoff twins, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

Ant-Man 591j15

Ant-Man tells the story of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a thief who is recruited by Dr. Hank Pym to assist him with stopping the plot of his former protège, who cast him away from his own company. During the film, Lang becomes Ant-Man after being gifted a suit and trained to use Pym Particles to shrink his size, giving him superhuman strength and the ability to control ants.

Captain America: Civil War 3p75p

While not an Avengers film by name, Captain America: Civil War brings most of the superhero cast together for a face-off over a disagreement on the Sokovia Accords following the events of Age of Ultron. Civil War was also used to introduce a few new characters to the Avengers’ roster, including Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland).

Black Widow 49f4r

Finally getting her own origin film after being part of the MCU for over a decade, Natasha Romanoff heads back to her roots in Black Widow, which launched earlier this year. The film introduced us to Natasha’s sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who fans got to see again in Hawkeye and who will undoubtedly be appearing again, possibly in a villainous team-up compliments of a certain character who appears in the post-credits scene.

Spider-Man: Homecoming 432h3h

Despite what the movie may have led you to believe, it does not take place eight years after The Avengers. Marvel finally addressed the snafu after years of sweeping it under the rug in the official Marvel Studios: The MCU — An Official Timeline book, confirming it was indeed only four years after the Battle of New York. Taking place right after the events of Civil War, Spider-Man’s MCU debut chose not to retell the hero’s origin story, instead giving us a coming-of-age film that finds Peter Parker juggling his duties as Spider-Man with the demands of high school. There are plenty of comic book Spidey villains teased throughout the film, but his biggest threat is the Vulture, menacingly played by Michael Keaton, who is apparently bad with math.

Black Panther 5g1r6t

Instead of an origin story, when we pick up in Black Panther, T’Challa has already taken on the mantle as the titular hero after the ing of his father in Civil War. This film gives viewers their first look at the inner workings of the afrofuturistic Wakanda, as well as an epic tale of personal and ideological rivalry between T’Challa and Killmonger (Michael B Jordan).

Doctor Strange 2l3v18

The first time we are treated to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in the MCU is in his self-titled film. The story explores the origins of Stephen Strange’s character and teases the ideas of multiple dimensions, cosmic beings, and time-traveling threats. As you’d expect, the Time Stone is also a crucial element of the film and only becomes more important from here on out. Other standout characters in the film include Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), Wong (Benedict Wong), Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).

Thor: Ragnarok 306w67

Directed by Taika Waititi and taking on a different style and tone than the previous Thor films, Ragnarok has a more comical personality while maintaining high-quality action sequences. The film addresses many of the loose ends following Age of Ultron and follows Thor and Loki as they attempt to stop their half-sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett) from taking over Asgard. The ending of this film offers a jaw-dropping lead-in to what quickly becomes the beginning of the end of the Infinity Saga.

Avengers: Infinity War 6d215i

The first part of the epic culmination of all the previous MCU films, Avengers: Infinity War finally gives us our first major introduction to Thanos (Josh Brolin), who has been working behind the scenes to gather the Infinity Stones with the goal of wiping out half of all life in the universe with a snap of his fingers. The movie takes place in 2018 and ultimately, leaves fans with a stunning cliffhanger that segues directly into Avengers: Endgame.

Ant-Man and the Wasp 6e5a4l

The sequel to Ant-Man, this film takes place at the same time as the events of Infinity War in 2018 and does a great job of telling its own story within the Ant-Man comic book canon. This one digs deeper into the relationship between Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her mother (Michelle Pfeiffer), and also introduces a mysterious new villain, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). Just like Infinity War, the final moments of this film leave viewers breathless for answers in anticipation of the impending Endgame.

Avengers: Endgame 61293i

The epic conclusion to over a decade of storytelling, Avengers: Endgame has everything fans could ever want in a Marvel film. It takes place in October 2023, five years after the events of Infinity War, and sees the remaining Avengers attempt to regain hope of defeating Thanos and restore what was lost after his infamous “Snap,” which was later renamed “The Blip.” In the closing act, Endgame boasts one of the most epic action sequences in all of cinema, blasting expectations wide open and forever changing the MCU as we know it.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 6b33w

Shang-Chi is one of the latest heroes to the MCU, and in this first film exploring his character’s origin, we learn more about his role amidst the greater events playing out within the franchise. Alongside his friend Katy (Awkwafina), Shang-Chi is drawn back into the life he used to know and must face the father (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) he thought he left behind. During the iconic bus fight scene between Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings operative Gao Lei, we’re shown the dates July 21 to 28 in a Jazz Blues Festival ment. Since Katy’s grandma also mentions the “Day of the Dead,” a festival resembling the Chinese Qingming Festival — which takes place in April — and the film itself spans two weeks, we can assume the movie takes place in April 2024. This would put it before Far From Home.

Spider-Man: Far From Home 6b2t2s

Picking up right after Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home addresses the events that took place during the previous film while also introducing some new faces and returning characters from the past. It takes place during the summer of 2024, eight months after The Blip. This is the perfect bridging point to close out Phase Three and enter Phase Four of the MCU — after watching Shang-Chi, of course.

Eternals 1s9i

With its many flashbacks telling the story not only of the Eternals themselves but also the history of the universe, it can be difficult to give this film a true place in the MCU timeline. That said, its present-day moments take place around the same time as Far From Home in 2024, likely just afterward given that the events of the film were not mentioned in the Spider-Man sequel. Fans and critics were largely split on the film (to put it mildly), except in regard to that colorful cameo by Harry Styles in the post-credits scene. Whether Styles will actually return to the MCU is another matter entirely.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Logan took place in 2029, so Deadpool & Wolverine must also take place during or after that, meaning it should be at the bottom of this list. Well, no. The Merc with the Mouth’s first foray into the MCU actually occurs in 2024. We know this because after Happy Hogan rejects Wade’s request to the Avengers (on March 14, 2018, on Earth-616) the time stamp on the screen tells us we jump six years into the future — back on Earth-1005 — which would place the film in 2024. And because we see Wade celebrating his birthday and he’s said in the comics that he’s a Scorpio (on the cusp of a Libra, thank you very much) — and because Deadpool & Wolverine showcases a decent amount of fall foliage — we can safely assume the film occurs in October 2024. As for why Earth-10005’s Wolverine is already dead at the beginning of Deadpool & Wolverine when Logan’s death shouldn’t have occurred for another five years — well, it’s likely that Wade jumped forward in time using the TVA’s TemPad. That, or we’re just going to file the mistake away with all of Marvel’s other embarrassing timeline errors.

Spider-Man: No Way Home 6f1f57

Spider-Man: No Way Home takes place immediately after its predecessor, Far From Home around Nov. 2024. The film brings Peter Parker on the most mind-blowing adventure of his life ⏤ which, unfortunately, no one but he will . The film saw him grapple with everything from losing his Aunt May, to facing off against villains from completely different universes. It also led to Peter finding an unexpected brotherhood with alternate versions of himself, perfectly brought to life by Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire in tear-inducing appearances that will stand the test of time.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 561g47

Benedict Cumberbatch’s return as the title character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness picked up after the events of No Way Home. It saw Strange deal with the implications of multiversal travel while facing new friends and foes, some of whom created serious trouble for him (ahem – Wanda). Wanda’s future was thrown into flux after she was presumably killed off in the movie’s final moments, but she is rumored to return in a Disney Plus spin-off series, which may or may not happen since Marvel subtly announced that the Earth-616 version of the character is canonically dead. Strange, too, received a cliffhanger ending, something we hope will be addressed in the rumored Doctor Strange 3.

In the meantime, you can rest assured that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes place after Spider-Man: No Way Home, which takes place right around the events of Hawkeye, which takes place around Christmas 2024.

Thor: Love and Thunder 4h62a

Thanks to Disney Plus, we now know that — in the eyes of Marvel Studios — this film takes place after Doctor Strange 2. It also takes place after Ms. Marvel, which is believed to take place around Sept. 2025 because of the school’s homecoming dance. However, in Love and Thunder Jane Foster’s eppendorf vial’s tag includes the date April 30, suggesting it takes place in the beginning of 2025. Unfortunately, since we don’t know exactly when Thor and Jane broke up, the God of Thunder’s comments about their breakup happening 8 years 7 months and 6 days before the movie doesn’t exactly paint a clear picture either. Our best bet is to just assume Love and Thunder takes place in April 2025, especially when looking at the next MCU installments on the timeline.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 373f4w

According to Black Panther Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore, we have a place in the timeline to slot Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Moore says that this film takes place alongside the events of Thor: Love and Thunder, around the start of 2025, so for all rewatching purposes you should be able to enjoy either film first. This placement would make a lot of sense, since neither film directly affects the events of the other. Secret Invasion, on the other hand, almost had us questioning the timing of things when our favorite CIA from Wakanda Forever was revealed to be a Skrull (that was all put to rest in the season finale, though).

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania 2p265m

For those who are sticklers for dates, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes place during the start of 2025, like Wakanda Forever. How do we know this? A news clip in Wakanda Forever mentions Scott Lang’s book tour, and because book tours don’t last entire years, Quantumania definitely takes place before The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which occurs later that year during Christmastime, which also means it takes place before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, Disney Plus messed with the timeline when it decided to place Quantumania after The Guardians Holiday Special, which it most certainly is not, resulting in MODOK-sized canon headache, if you ask us. It wouldn’t be the first time Disney Plus goofed with the MCU’s timeline, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the time Quantumania was accidentally erased from Phase Five. (Don’t worry, it’s not).

The Marvels g4h6j

Ms. Marvel provides us with a pretty good guestimation where The Marvels takes place on the MCU timeline. Because the Disney Plus series is believed to take place around Sept. 2025 and Kamala Khan’s body-swapping problem doesn’t go unaddressed long, The Marvels likely takes place before 2026, which means it comes before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Carol Danvers’ intergalactic team-up with Captain Rambeau and Kamala to defeat the Kree general Dar-Benn in the highly-anticipated sequel to her billion-dollar predecessor, Captain Marvel, also happens to be the shortest movie in MCU history. Should any information in the movie, which will premiere in just a few short days, contradict this entry, we will revise it ASAP.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 6x4o5f

It’s hard to give Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 an exact place on the MCU’s timeline since it is unaffected by previous films and has little effect on the overall MCU storyline. However, it’s safe to say that this intergalactic, twisty-turny threequel takes place in 2026 since it occurs after the events of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in Dec. 2025. As a rule of thumb, here’s every MCU movie you should watch before starting Vol. 3.

A lot of actors famously hate to watch their own movies, maybe because they find watching their own acting too uncomfortable. Thankfully, Tom Holland doesn’t have that problem. As a lifelong Marvel fan, you bet he’s going to stick on his own MCU films while having a cozy night in with Zendaya.

Holland rocked up on the red carpet for the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, Jan 14 (he sadly didn’t win for Best Actor in a Limited Series with The Crowded Room), and he was asked by ExtraTV if he ever watches his own stuff in his spare time. The 27-year-old itted that, yes, actually he does as he finds it to be a helpful tool that allows him to keep on improving his craft.

“I definitely watch my stuff,” Holland revealed. “I sometimes think I am my best critic. I really, like, know what it is that I can do, and sometimes I will see something and go, ‘Damn! I could have pushed more there.’ Really, once something has come out, I kind of leave it to bed.”

At the same time, Holland can also kick back and rewatch one of his films for pure nostalgic enjoyment. The Uncharted star went on to add that he and girlfriend Zendaya (yes, they’re still going strong, internet!) often watch one of their Spider-Man movies, and fans of the A-list couple’s relationship will not be surprised by which of the trilogy it is.

“Zendaya and I will, every now and then, watch Spider-Man 1 and reminisce about being 19 and making those movies again,” Holland continued. “I love those movies, and I love savoring those moments, so I try not to watch them as often as I would maybe like to because it’s so special. It’s such a luxury, such a gift to be able to sit down and sort of relive your youth.”

Yes, as any Holland/Zendaya follower worth their salt knows, 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming was the first time the pair worked together, forming a close friendship which eventually blossomed into one of Hollywood’s most beloved romances — the couple first publicly confirmed they were dating in 2021. Unfortunately, the fictional love story of Peter Parker and MJ has not run so smoothly, with Spider-Man: No Way Home seeing MJ’s memories of Peter erased.

Basically, Marvel and Sony need to hurry up and make Spider-Man 4 — whether it happens to feature Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin or not — so we can get a different, happier ending to Peter and MJ’s tale. It’s not just for us, guys — think of it as giving Tom Holland and Zendaya something new to watch on their movie nights.

Disney Plus officially launched in 2019, and when it did, the entire library of the Marvel Cinematic Universe transferred over. Well, most of the library.

Universal still owns the film rights to The Incredible Hulk, and due to Sony’s possession of Spider-Man, the web-slinging superhero and the three films starring Tom Holland’s Peter Parker (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home) were notoriously absent on Disney Plus for years.

However, thanks to a long-term contractual deal between Sony and Marvel, which was signed back in 2021, that is now changing. Disney Plus will soon feature almost all of the Spider-Man movies, including Tom Holland, Toby Maguire, and Andrew Garfield’s iterations of the web-crawler. This means that Marvel fans are one step closer to completing an entire watch-through of the MCU. 

Here are all the Spider-Man movies available on Disney Plus 5c5ft

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies aren’t the only iteration of the character that made his grand entrance on Disney Plus. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s films have landed there, too. And on April 21, all three Toby Maguire movies dropped on the platform. 

The Amazing Spider-Man starring Andrew Garfield also made its Disney Plus debut on April 21, with its sequel — The Amazing Spider-Man 2 — following suit on Aug. 11.

As for Tom Holland — Spider-Man: Homecoming ed its MCU brethren on Disney Plus on May 12, with Far From Home ing shortly thereafter, on Nov. 3. Its blockbuster-annihilating sibling, No Way Home, remains in limbo, and unfortunately could stay that way for a while longer if Sony and Disney’s lack of updates are any indication.

In addition to Holland, Maguire, and Garfield’s Spider-Man films, Disney Plus also recruited the 2018 movie Venom, starring Tom Hardy, to its platform.

Here is a breakdown of the full list of Spider-Man (and Venom) movies available on Disney Plus: 

• Spider-Man (2002)
• Spider-Man 2 (2004)
• Spider-Man 3 (2007)
• The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
• Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
• Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
• Venom (2018)

Countless continuity errors have haunted the MCU over the last 15 years, but you usually have to be an incredibly attentive Marvel nerd in order to spot them. That’s not the case with the franchise’s most glaringly obvious timeline mistake, though, which was proudly proclaimed in large letters at the beginning of a major movie.

Yes, Spider-Man: Homecoming kicks off with a flashback to the aftermath of The Avengers, in which Vulture and his team are sorting through the wreckage caused by the Chitauri invasion. Once things skip forward to the present day, the caption reads “8 Years Later.” This has always been a truly perplexing goof and you don’t have to be a hardcore Marvel expert to see why. The Avengers released, and is set, in 2012 while Homecoming was only released in 2017, and takes place slightly earlier in 2016.

Naturally, fans wasted no time in noticing the embarrassing error and Marvel quickly waved it away as a temporal glitch that we shouldn’t take as canon. For years there, we had no real reason behind the mistake, but now at last we do. And we know exactly whose fault it was.

Marvel Studios: The Marvel Cinematic Universe — An Official Timeline, a reference book with Kevin Feige’s stamp of approval, is the first time a thorough breakdown of the entirety of MCU continuity has been released. The book is narrated by Miss Minutes who occasionally interjects to explain timeline errors and, yes, that includes the Homecoming debacle.

“Hi again!” Miss Minutes says on the matter. “Adrian Toomes says the Battle of New York was 8 years ago, but that event was only 4 years prior. This one’s a real head scratcher for us — I reckon an analyst misplaced a case file.”

So, there you go, it seems that good old-fashioned poor filing is the reason behind this strange time slip. Going by Miss Minutes’ words, at some point the TVA intervened in the Battle of New York and by pruning some branched timeline they created a peculiar side-effect where Toomes believes he’s four years older than he is.

We need a What If…? episode to clear this up ASAP.

When it comes to Marvel movies, the issue of production budgets has proven to be an increasingly hot-button topic. The latest example of this debate can be found in reports surfacing for the forthcoming The Marvels, whose budget was recently in dispute.

While it’s basically considered par for the course for an Avengers movie to cost north of $300 million nowadays, it’s also now a standard for those films to gain over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. As a result, no one really bats an eyelash at the hefty expense for the MCU’s flagship crossover franchise.

However, with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, for instance, people have questioned its $200 million budget since it barely managed to eke out a profit at the worldwide box office and failed to impress critics or audiences. In other cases, the scrutiny comes from asking whether a Marvel movie’s budget is too low.

The highs and lows of The Marvels‘ budget saga 5x216o

With The Marvels, it was apparently misreported by Vanity Fair that the film would only have a budget of $130 million, making it $45 million lower than the first film in the franchise, Captain Marvel. This led to speculation that Disney was perhaps divesting in the series for whatever reason. However, it turned out the budget for The Marvels was much higher. As Disney later clarified (as reported by Forbes), the cost of The Marvels was actually north of $270 million but ended up netting $220 million, thanks to a U.K. tax incentive.

The Marvels‘ true budget makes a lot more sense to us, considering MCU sequels generally get more money funneled to them than the first installment. Even still, the entire discussion had us curious about looking at the entire list of Marvel movie budgets and ranking them from most to least expensive — so that’s exactly what we did, thanks to information from The Numbers.

For the purposes of our list, we are excluding The Marvels and any other MCU film that has yet to be released in theaters since the final number for those budgets could change. Bear in mind, that when multiple movies are listed as having the same budgets, we’ve considered that to be a tie for that entry in the list. With that said, here’s the entire breakdown:

1. $400 million – Avengers: Endgame (2019)
2. $365 million – Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) 
3. $300 million – Avengers: Infinity War (2018) 
4. $250 million – Captain America: Civil War (2016); Thor: Love and Thunder (2022); Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022); Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) 
5. $225 million – The Avengers (2012) 
6. $200 million – Iron Man 3 (2013); Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017); Black Panther (2018); Black Widow (2021); Eternals (2021); Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021); Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022); Ant-Man and the Qasp: Quantumania (2023) 
7. $186 million – Iron Man (2008)
8. $180 million – Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
9. $175 million – Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017); Captain Marvel (2019)
10. $170 million – Iron Man 2 (2010); Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014); Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
11. $165 million – Doctor Strange (2016)
12. $160 million – Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
13. $150 million – Thor (2011); Thor: The Dark World (2013); Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
14. $140 million – Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
15. $137.5 million – The Incredible Hulk (2008)
16. $130 million – Ant-Man (2015); Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

How will forthcoming MCU movies like The Marvels and next year’s Deadpool 3 ultimately shake out on this list after they release? Only time will tell. However, we have a feeling the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes may have an inflating impact on some of these projects in a comparable manner to the COVID-19 pandemic. With no crystal ball in site, however, we are left to only speculate.

For now, you can check out The Marvels in theaters on November 10 to decide for yourself if it lives up to that $270 million or so production value.

A genetically “engineered” spider bit Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man and Andrew Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man got the bite from a genetically “modified” spider. And Tom Holland’s Spider-Man was maybe bitten? Probably?

Aside from a brief conversation between Peter Parker and his best friend Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spidey’s very familiar origin story was not featured prominently or at all inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper. The MCU version of the character was a fully-fledged superhero (or at least mostly) when he was first introduced to audiences in Captain America: Civil War. After three solo movies of his own and multiple cross-franchise appearances, audiences have yet to see a trace of any spider bite, radioactive or otherwise.

Has the MCU ever addressed how Tom Holland’s Spider-Man got his powers? 3q5r1h

A few years after Spider-Man: No Way Home broke record box office numbers and became one of the highest grossing MCU movies of all time, director Jon Watts finally revealed what we already knew to be true: Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home all represented the MCU’s version of Peter Parker’s origin story, ending with the tragic death of Aunt May and Peter beginning his journey as a young superhero struggling to make ends meet in a budget apartment in Queens.

Still, the MCU has never formally come out and shared how Peter became Spider-Man in the first place, but that hasn’t stopped fans from crafting theories. One in particular leads the charge. (You probably know the one).

Why people believe Tony Stark had a hand in Peter’s origin story 2c1z6k

Because Oscorp doens’t exist in the MCU, the main question at large has been how Peter came in with the radiaoctive spider that gave him powers. More than a few people are convinced Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is behind the whole thing, and that the YouTube video Tony says led him to Peter aka Spider-Man in Civil War was not how he found him, but why.

See, the belief is that Tony was motived by guilt and responsibily in seeking Peter out. As we know, Stark Industries is the MCU’s leader in sceince and technology, and because Tony has never shied away from his mad scientist tendencies (Ultron, anyone?), it’s more than plausible that the raditoactive spider Peter came into with was from his company.

But wait, how do we know Peter was ever in close proximity to Stark Industries? Well, for starters, Stark Expo takes place in Flushings, New York, as shown in Iron Man 2. Flushings, it just so happens, is a community in Queens, Peter’s hometown.

Furthermore, it’s been confirmed by both Tom Holland and Kevin Feige that the young boy Tony saves in Iron Man 2, the one wearing an Iron Man helmet, is in fact a young Peter Parker. And becauase its totally reasonable to assume Peter, being the science nerd he is, returned to Stark Expo year after year, it would also stand to reason he could have easily come in with one of Stark’s escaped experients.

Of course, Tony’s hand in Peter’s origin has not been confirmed by Marvel so take what you will from the theory. Nevertheless, you can’t deny it has legs. Eight of them, in fact.

We won’t have to wait in suspence much longer as the Peter Parker’s origin story in the MCU is expected to be revealed in Spider-Man: Freshman Year, which may or may not be coming anytime soon. Anything beyond that, well, Tom Holland can’t talk about it.

Fans seem to have ignored the significance of the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home in favor of Marvel doing more of the same stuff.

The third MCU Spider-Man movie gave us the perfect end for an era of web-slinging films that, whilst they were great, had one major flaw: the mentor figures. It kind of sucked that Peter Parker always seemed to be looking to someone more experienced than him for direction, be it Iron Man, Mysterio or Doctor Strange. He also got some pretty overpowered tech that made fights feel less tense.

Spider-Man is more fun to watch when he’s doing his own thing so many fans have come away slightly disappointed from the three MCU spidery films we have so far (although not that disappointed, they were still great).

The end of No Way Home seemed to acknowledge those criticisms and promised fans that Spider-Man’s next adventure would probably be a solo affair. It seems to be the likely path the studio will take considering everybody has now forgotten that Spider-Man and Peter Parker ever existed. In effect it was a big reset button that allowed fans to get a more comic accurate version of the character.

But some fans would still like to see another MCU character give Spidey a helping hand regardless, as one such individual asked fellow fans who they’d like to see the web slinger in his next adventure. However, they did it they wanted the focus to stay on Peter.

“While I want future stories to focus on Peter Parker, it would be nice to see some friendly faces in the movies, one for film […] However I would like the characters to be present not as mentors, but as colleagues, acknowledging Peter’s now reached maturity.”

It could work the way this Redditor hopes, but it could so easily just fall back into the trap of having Spider-Man following another hero’s lead. Whilst everyone is free to like what they like, having another hero Spider-Man would also ruin the ending of the last film. We can’t just go back to having the exact same dynamic as the last three films. Not only would that be incredibly lazy, it would also be boring.

However, this didn’t stop the discussion as the MCU fanatics discussed possibilities such as Daredevil, Wolverine, and Ms. Marvel. Most of them are ‘street level’ heroes (aside from Wolverine) so it could work for a smaller scale plot. But it still misses the point of the last film. Even if they aren’t mentor characters, Peter Parker’s story is kind of meant to be him against the world. 

Peter needs to have at least one movie where he has to fight alone. It’s the whole idea of great power bringing great responsibility, which is something he learned from the two other Spider-Men. No Way Home ended with Peter bearing the weight of that responsibility alone, because that’s what he does best, and if Marvel want to do this right, it needs to carry on with what was started at the end of the last film.

With Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Secret Invasion we’re now three projects into the MCU‘s Phase Five. Each of the various plotlines across theatrical releases and Disney Plus is gradually building to 2026 and 2027’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, which will presumably bring the many new characters together to take down Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror once and for all.

But over the 32 movies and nine Disney Plus shows there remain many loose ends that we want answers to. So, here are ten things we need to know now!

10. How did Old Man Steve Rogers return to the main timeline at the end of Endgame? e375h

Endgame‘s twisty-turny plot involved time travel and alternate realities, but it hangs together fairly well as it explicitly doesn’t run on Back to the Future time travel rules. Although one element is yet to be satisfactorily explained.

At the movie’s climax Steve Rogers volunteers for the job of returning the stolen Infinity Stones. Having done this he then reappears as an elderly man, with the revelation that he lived a full romantic dream life with Peggy Carter.

But how did he return to the core timeline? Frustratingly there are two “official” answers. The Russo Brothers claim he held onto his quantum suit and some Pym Particles for decades and used them to jump timelines, arriving sometime before Stark’s funeral to meet Bucky and Sam. Endgame writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have a different take, however; Rogers merely inserted himself into the core MCU timeline and lived a quiet life with Peggy. That would mean Old Man Steve didn’t need to jump realities to be there at the funeral and could just have gotten the bus.

Both takes can’t be true, so we wish Marvel Studios would decide which. Then again, leaving this question open may let them bring back Chris Evans at some point, so it might be best to keep it vague.

9. Where do the Ten Rings come from? 545z3s

As you’d expect from the title, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings focused heavily on the titular pieces of jewelry. They arrived on Earth around the Middle Ages, where they were used by Xu Wenwu to lead an all-conquering army and eventually form the powerful organization known simply as The Ten Rings.

But their origin and how they arrived on Earth is yet to be explained. In the Shang-Chi credits scene we see Captain Marvel, Shang-Chi and Bruce Banner discussing them. Shang-Chi says they’ve been around for “about a thousand years” and Banner replies “Their thermoluminescence indicates they’re older than that. By a lot.”

In Marvel Comics, the rings are Makluan (a dragon-like alien species) and contain the soul of a powerful warrior, so perhaps the MCU will one day go down this route. Until then, we can only theorize.

8. What happened to 616 Mordo? 354i6h

Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mordo was one of the most fun things in Doctor Strange. Though he’s absolutely an antagonist he’s not technically a villain, only turning against Strange and the Ancient One’s disciples after realizing they were tapping into the Dark Dimension and violating what he considers “natural laws.” His conclusion that sorcerers inevitably abuse their power and must be stopped is difficult to argue with, especially in the light of Strange casually screwing with reality in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

But where the heck is he? In Multiverse of Madness Strange tells America Chavez that Mordo “snapped and dedicated his life to trying to kill me,” but these events have all taken place offscreen. Sam Raimi has confirmed that a battle-hardened older Mordo was once set to appear in the opening minutes of Multiverse of Madness, with his crusade against sorcerers seeing him do battle with Scarlet Witch. This bout would have seen Mordo decapitated, so perhaps it’s best for him that it ended up on the cutting room floor.

Either way, his current MCU whereabouts remain a mystery. Here’s hoping he returns and we get to see some of his crusade against disciples of the mystic arts.

7. Did Red Skull escape Vormir? 395z35

For years Red Skull’s fate in Captain America: The First Avenger was an MCU mystery of its own. Upon grabbing the Tesseract he was zapped through a wormhole into parts unknown, and it was only in Avengers: Infinity War we learned he’d been teleported to Vormir to act as the guardian for the Soul Stone. This was essentially a punishment, trapping him for 70 years on the desolate planet and giving him plenty of time to think about his actions.

But, with Thanos seizing the Soul Stone (and said stone eventually being destroyed completely) the Red Skull’s sentence is up. The official Avengers confirmed that after Infinity War Red Skull is “free to leave Vormir,” though being allowed to leave and being able to leave are two very different things. By design Vormir was an isolated world with few visitors, so Red Skull may be waiting quite some time if he’s looking for a ride out of there.

His current whereabouts are unknown. Without the power of the stones he may have simply starved to death on Vormir or perhaps he’s somewhere out there in the galaxy plotting his return to Earth. Until we next see him, nobody knows.

6. Who bought Avengers Tower? 4r3b55

Formerly the Stark Tower, Avengers Tower is one of the most iconic buildings in the MCU and occupies prime Manhattan real estate. Stark used it as the Avengers headquarters after S.H.I.E.L.D. was dissolved, though after the events of Age of Ultron the team located to the upstate Avengers Compound and Stark Industries resumed control of the building, though he would sell it in 2016.

In Hawkeye Clint Barton and Kate Bishop discuss the building, with Clint saying “Tony sold that. A few years ago.” We got also a glimpse of it in its current state in Spider-Man: Far From Home, with Spidey swinging through the redesigned building that now features a large outdoor garden area in the middle.

This may be the most famous building in the entire MCU, but we have no idea who currently owns it or what they’re doing with it. The only piece of evidence we have is that the new owners seem to be respecting its legacy. In Spider-Man: Homecoming the Avengers logo is still in place and it’s still called “Avengers Tower.” The answer could be very dull, though we’re curious as to who moved in.

5. What’s going to happen with Tiamut? 6p4zi

Marvel Studios seems eager to forget Eternals. Perhaps because of the poor reviews and low box office there are no plans for a sequel and, as far as we know, none of the characters are set to return in future projects. But this leaves a huge problem sitting in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

The Eternals finale saw the Celestial Tiamut being born from the center of the Earth and, if the process had been completed, the planet would have been destroyed. Thankfully that didn’t happen, though the world has been left with a colossal petrified monster sticking out of it. The only real nod to this has been in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which showed a news headline reading “Why There Is A Giant Statue Of A Man Sticking Out Of The Ocean.”

The MCU Earth is an eventful place, so perhaps everyone simply has bigger fish to fry than worrying about this, though we have to imagine Tiamut’s body will be resolved at some point, and maybe the simplest solution would be to say the material simply dissolves over time. Alternatively, we’ve seen a Celestial body repurposed in Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Knowhere, so maybe someone will hollow out Tiamut’s head and make a home?

4. The Spider-Man: Homecoming timeline makes no sense 5t1bm

Spider-Man: Homecoming opens in 2012 with the immediate aftermath of The Avengers‘ Battle of New York, with Adrian Toomes being booted off the job by Damage Control. We then get a title card reading “Eight Years Later,” which logically means the rest of Homecoming takes place in 2020.

But this just doesn’t make sense. Civil War, which debuted the MCU Spider-Man, took place in 2016. Homecoming clearly follows on from Stark recruiting Peter for the Civil War‘s airport battle, so how can we reconcile this chronological mismatch? In addition, we see Liz Toomes’ childish drawing of the Battle of New York, though she would have had to have been 12 when she made it.

The simplest answer here is that this is just a huge mistake, and the “Eight Years Later” title card should have read “Four Years Later.” We doubt this will ever be officially resolved, though we’re surprised that streaming versions of Homecoming haven’t been updated.

3. Do the X-Men already exist in the MCU? 2s4k1l

Ever since Disney bought Fox fans have been eager to see the X-Men arrive in the MCU. Sadly that their debut still seems like a long way away, though Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s Namor and Ms Marvel‘s Kamala Khan have both been confirmed to be mutants.

So, where are the X-Men? Getting hundreds of new superpowered characters into the MCU is a narrative headscratcher, but there’s some evidence they’re already here — just keeping a low profile. In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law we see a news article reporting “Man fights with metal claws in bar brawl,” which has got to be a big nod to Wolverine.

Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is set to make the multiversal leap to the MCU in Deadpool 3, though we doubt this news article refers to him. This means that potentially the rest of the X-Men are out there too, although we may have to wait until the late 2020s to find out what they’re up to.

2. Are Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Netflix shows canon? 1fy5k

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was originally billed as a crucial part of the MCU story, filling in events behind the scenes that would add new context to the movies. Very soon this proved to not be the case, and by its later seasons it appeared to diverge quite significantly from the rest of the MCU.

But even though it doesn’t seem to be canon there’s been no explicit confirmation and Nick Fury’s official MCU bio on Marvel.com makes reference to the events of Agents of S.H.I.EL.D. Right now we don’t know, but given Kevin Feige’s notorious dislike of the show, we doubt it’s going to be referenced much going forwards.

The Netflix series are in a similar boat. For example, over on Marvel.com Kingpin’s bio includes both the events of Daredevil and Hawkeye. It seems clear that Marvel Studios are taking a selective approach to the Netflix shows, plucking what worked best from them and discarding what didn’t. It’s also notable that Daredevil: Born Again is being positioned as a soft reboot rather than season four.

It’s probably easier for Marvel Studios to keep all the Marvel TV stuff in a canon grey area, though it’d be nice to get official word one way or the other.

1. How exactly does the No Way Home memory spell work? 6615e

Maybe it’s a little too much to get into the nitty-gritty of how a spell that a wizard cast actually works, but it’s clear that the finale of No Way Home lays the ground for future MCU Spider-Man stories, so we want specifics.

As written, the spell maintains the public’s memories of Spider-Man but completely erases Peter Parker. Exactly how this works in practice is still somewhat unclear. As of No Way Home Parker’s identity has been exposed, so for the vast majority of people Strange’s spell will simply revert their perception of Spidey to a pre-Far From Home state.

How it affects those who already knew him, however, is another question entirely. Do MJ and Ned helping out Spider-Man but have no idea who he is? If that is the case, how does the plot of Far From Home work? Happy Hogan only met May by knowing Peter Parker was Spider-Man, so how does he her now?

Writers Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna play it very light on specifics, saying that audiences should “focus on the emotions of it” rather than the exact mechanics and say they may explain it “in another movie somewhere down the line”. Well, we’re waiting.