Marvel Studios just changed the final TV series in its official Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, and these changes affected the studio's two most recent Disney+ series. On Disney+, the studio adheres to a chronological viewing order, ranking each film and series by their timeline rather than their premiere date. Fans naturally consider this list the definitive definition of canon, and Marvel adjusts it with each new release.
The latest version of the timeline places Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 ahead of Wonder Man.« , Making Matt Murdock's series the final TV show in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This update is interesting because it means the two shows have swapped places. When Marvel first included Born Again Season 2 on the list in late March, just days after its premiere on Disney+, Wonder Man closed the list as the furthest story in the franchise's timeline.
This month, Marvel reissued its complete timeline guide, and the final installment looks different than it did in March. "Thunderbolts" and "Fantastic Four: First Steps" precede "Wonder Man," which now precedes "Daredevil: Reborn" (season two). Jon Bernthal's special "The Punisher: The Final Kill," which aired on May 12, follows both of them and concludes the entire timeline.
«"One Last Kill" is a one-off Marvel Television special that follows the same format as "Werewolf by Night," so "Born Again" retains its status as the final television series on the list, with the Frank Castle special, rated "Mature," being the last on this list.
The second season of "Born Again" follows the events of showrunner Dario Scardapane's screenplay. The new episodes begin six months after the season one finale, placing them in early 2027 within the Marvel Cinematic Universe's internal calendar. Thus, Wilson Fisk's citywide operation begins around the fall of 2027, following the events of "Thunderbolts.".
The likely reason for the change is related to the timeframe of the Wonder Man series within the universe. According to the in-universe dates, the first six episodes will air around April 2027, after the first season finale, "Reborn," but before the six-month jump to season two. The final two episodes then jump forward several months, presumably two, and take place during principal photography on Simon Williams' film. This all currently takes place well before Fisk announced filming would begin in the fall of 2027.
The difficulty lies in the final stages of the finale, which immediately jumps us to the Hollywood premiere of the finished film, with no date specified. A true blockbuster requires about a year of production and post-production before it hits theaters, and applying this standard schedule would delay the premiere until the summer of 2028, well after the second season of Born Again. This logic explains the initial order, made in March. Marvel ranked the series based on where its ending is, not where the bulk of the plot took place.
The new layout points to one of two conclusions. Either Marvel now expects the release to happen much earlier, compressing the entire production process into roughly six months, which is practically unheard of for a film of this scale, or the studio simply decided the timeline should reflect events occurring in the main plot, not the final scene.
What are the consequences of the latest timeline change in Marvel Comics?
If Marvel has indeed shortened the timeline of Wonder Man, the most likely reason is related to the second season. Marvel has already renewed the series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and the second season should fit within the overall timeline. The post-credits scene for Thunderbolts jumps forward 14 months to Avengers: Judgment Day, placing the crossover around the end of 2028 within the universe.
The first season's finale, set in the summer of 2028, leaves virtually no time for a second season before Doomsday rewrites the map. Moving the ending to October 2027 frees up a full year of story space, which becomes crucial if the new season premieres in 2027 before Avengers: Secret Wars and must conclude before the crossover.
The order of events in the timeline will be constantly changing, and it will be interesting to see if Marvel makes another similar shift. The third season of Daredevil: Rebirth is in production, scheduled to premiere in 2027, and Bernthal's Punisher will return in Spider-Man: New Day on July 31, with each appearance impacting the timeline. Below is the current complete timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
- Eyes of Wakanda
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Marvel Studios' Agent Carter Short Film
- Captain Marvel
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 2
- The Incredible Hulk
- Marvel Studios Short Episode: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer.
- Thor
- Marvel Studios One Shot: Consultant
- The Avengers
- Marvel Studios Short Film: Item 47
- Thor: The Dark World
- Iron Man 3
- Marvel Studios One Shot: All Hail the King
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- I Am Groot, Season 1
- I Am Groot, Season 2
- Daredevil, Season 1
- Jessica Jones, Season 1
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Ant-Man
- Daredevil, Season 2
- Luke Cage, season 1
- Iron Fist, Season 1
- Defenders
- Captain America: Civil War
- Black Widow
- Black Panther
- Spider-Man: Homecoming
- The Punisher, Season 1
- Doctor Strange
- Jessica Jones, Season 2
- Luke Cage, season 2
- Iron Fist, Season 2
- Daredevil, Season 3
- Thor: Ragnarok
- The Punisher, Season 2
- Jessica Jones, Season 3
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers: Endgame
- Loki S1
- What if…? S1
- Marvel Zombies
- WandaVision
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
- Spider-Man: Far From Home
- Eternal
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Hawkeye
- Moon Knight
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Echo
- She-Hulk: Advocate
- Ms. Marvel
- Thor: Love and Thunder
- Iron Heart
- Werewolf in the Night
- Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special«
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- Secret Invasion
- Miracles
- Loki S2
- What if…? S2
- Deadpool and Wolverine
- Agatha always
- What if…? S3
- Daredevil: Rebirth, Season 1
- Captain America: Brave New World
- Thunderbolts*
- Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Miracle Man
- Daredevil Reborn, Season 2
- Punisher: The Last Kill