A Chronological History of The Marvel Cinematic Universe

[TMC]

http://screenrant.com/marvel-cinemat...line/?view=all

By Bob Chipman

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the first (long-term) successful attempt to create and stick to a unified continuity between multiple films and genres under the banner of a single franchise: To, in effect, create an entire ever-expanding bank of films, television series, streaming series and short-subjects that not only tell their own stories but fit together as part of a singular ongoing story. To the degree that anything undertaken by a multibillion dollar subsidiary of the Disney Corporation can be called an “experiment,” the MCU certainly qualifies as just about the riskiest sort – especially since the success or failure of each new production is often seen as a referendum on the whole enterprise.

Thus far, at least according to the box-office, the experiment has been a success in terms of getting audiences onboard and invested in the ongoing Cinematic Universe storyline itself. But all those connections can be hard for even the most dedicated fan to keep track of – especially since the individual films and shows often feature flashbacks, descriptions of past events and other references to events outside of the otherwise linear “one after the other” nature of each film (or TV episode).

Sure, it’s easy to remember that Captain America: The First Avenger happens in World War II, well before all the other films. But other films like Ant-Man, Guardians of The Galaxy and The Incredible Hulk featured scenes set in the 70s, 80s and 90s – when did those stories happen, in regard to each other? Was Peter Quill abducted before Hank Pym cut his ties with S.H.I.E.L.D, or after? What were the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. doing during the destruction of their own organization in Captain America: The Winter Soldier? What childhood connection do Daredevil and Daisy Johnson have in common? It’s a lot to keep track of.

One solution: A Chronological History of The Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Not simply a breakdown of which films to watch in which order, but rather a point-by-point narrative of the known significant events of the Marvel story as we know it so far, along with which film/episode/short each occurred in. Not necessarily a stringent attempt to recap every step taken by every character across every minute of screen time, nor to “work out” unknowable details like the exact date and time of each event; this is an overview – a revisitation of what happened when and why it mattered to what came next. An opportunity for both hardcore fans and casual viewers looking to catch up before the next big blockbuster, in order to view the MCU as a single linear story from start to finish (or, at least, wherever it most recently paused to catch its breath.)

With that in mind, we may as well start at The Beginning…