Jessica Gao, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s lead writer, explains how Marvel Studios manages the Timeline of their Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Multiverse Saga has now begun, and it can be confusing to navigate the MCU’s multiple timelines. The films Doctor Strange in Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home have featured characters from other universes but did not mark their settings with other projects. TV series like Loki and What If… have demonstrated the possibility of infinite timelines. In this scenario, MCU could create a branch within the Multiverse.
In MCU’s current show, it’s unclear where exactly She-Hulk stands in the MCU’s Timeline. We only know that her existence as She-hulk begins after the events of Endgame and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Since Endgame’s release, the MCU has produced several projects. This has prompted many debates about where each title belongs. Disney+ claims that She-Hulk is set in between Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight. However, it’s difficult to pinpoint those shows. Gao has now explained how Marvel keeps its complicated timelines clear for both the creators and the viewers.
Gao revealed in her recent interview with The Direct that a Marvel Studios employee is responsible for keeping track of the MCU timeline. The person is also a good resource for creatives. Gao is grateful for the resource as per her opinion:
“It’s definitely after– post-Endgame. There is a Marvel person whose job is to trace the Timeline of everything. And we checked with him a lot about where the timing is. And so it’s like… the show is a few years after Endgame.”
Although only two episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law have hit the screens, it has caused many timeline problems. It is mainly due to the inclusion of characters such as Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). It might not be obvious from a fan’s point of view, but it seems like Gao and her staff had at least a basic understanding of the show’s place in the MCU storyline. They must have been thinking about these issues if they frequently went to Marvel Studios’ timeline keeper. Marvel’s Kevin Feige stated that he would publish an official timeline for the MCU as Spider-Man: Homecoming was close to release. However, Marvel Studios has yet to confirm when or if it will even be considered official.
It’s still fascinating that Marvel has hired an expert to monitor everything in the MCU. Given the vastness of the franchise, it makes sense that the studio would require an expert to ensure continuity. It’ll be more crucial to know when and where every event in the Multiverse took place, with the Multiverse now open in television and film. Marvel will hopefully release the “official” Timeline for the MCU in the near future.
