For Marvel nerds, mapping the timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can be both a fun and frustrating experience. Sometimes it’s very clear exactly when a particular story is unfolding in relation to other movies and TV shows in the continuity, but there are some projects that don’t provide many clues and make it a challenge to determine specificity. It’s always helpful when a filmmaker goes on the record about how a particular title fits into the grand scheme – and that’s fortunately exactly what I got when I interviewed producer Nate Moore this past weekend.
As captured in the video at the top of this article, I spoke with Nate Moore during this Los Angeles press day for the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and it was after discussing the MCU timeline complications created by the Avengers: Endgame time jump that I asked about how the 30th film from Marvel Studios slots into the canon. As far as where Black Panther 2 fits in among the titles we’ve seen in Phase 4, Moore explained,
This movie clearly happens after [Spider-Man] No Way Home and Eternals. I think it probably happens potentially concurrent with Thor [Love and Thunder]. New Asgard does exist in… our film. And almost concurrent with Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, which is coming out in February.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is one of the timeline-friendly titles that makes it very clear when it is set (November 2024)… but Thor: Love And Thunder isn’t, as it’s not actually clear if the events in the movie take place in 2025 or 2026. That being said, knowing that it takes place around the same time as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever clears things up a bit, and Marvel fans will surely now be vigilante when it comes to determining the timeline spot for Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, as that will retroactively help us better understand when the two 2022 movies take place.
Unfortunately, Nate Moore couldn’t get more specific than that when it came to pinpointing when it is that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever takes place. He bluntly explained that was information he couldn’t even conjure if his life depended on it:
I couldn't tell you. I could tell you where it sits in the other movies, because we try to do it somewhat chronologically. But if you asked me, if you held a gun to my head, honestly, I probably would get it wrong.
As far as dates go, one that we are very sure on is that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be arriving in theaters everywhere on November 11. Check out what else is on the way from the MCU with our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV features, and read our ranking of the Marvel blockbusters to see how it matches up with your own tastes.
