Thor: Love and Thunder's recent release on Disney+ officially confirms the film's place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. When the MCU began in 2008 with the premiere of Iron Man, Kevin Feige's plan for the franchise was clear- if ambitious. The Marvel Studios boss wanted to create a linked universe of films that shared continuity and characters similar to the Marvel Comics. The plan and the franchise were a hit, and the MCU's first crossover film, The Avengers, still holds a spot on the list of all-time highest-grossing movies. As time went on, the MCU's success continued, and the franchise expanded far beyond the original scope of The Avengers, further complicating Feige's plans for universe continuity.
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During the Infinity Saga, the MCU's timeline was reasonably straightforward. With few exceptions like Captain America: The First Avenger, movies were being released in chronological order, so MCU moviegoers could keep up with little outside knowledge. However, in Phase Four that is not the case. Due to production delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and due to the sheer number of films and TV shows in the MCU, Phase Four projects are being released out of order, and MCU fans must turn to Disney+'s timeline order to see what order events officially take place in the MCU canon. The franchise's latest movie is no exception, with specific references in Thor: Love and Thunder making it unclear how long after Avengers: Endgame the film occurs.
Now, Thor: Love and Thunder's place in the MCU timeline is officially confirmed. The Thor sequel was released on Disney+ on September 8, 2022, as part of Disney+ Day, setting its official place in the timeline. The film falls at the very end of the timeline after She-Hulk: Attorney at Law which is currently still releasing Thursdays on Disney+, and Ms. Marvel.
While Thor: Love and Thunder's addition to Disney+ confirms its order in the franchise's chronology, some attentive fans have noted apparent problems with the official MCU timeline. Specifically, Thor: Love and Thunder's placement implies that the film takes place in late 2025, but Thor's reference to Jane and his breakup before Captain America: Civil War suggests that Thor: Love and Thunder must occur during 2024. Given that Ms. Marvel has a very concrete detail that sets the show in 2025, it seems that Thor: Love and Thunder's place in the timeline is wrong.
This isn't the first time the Disney+ timeline's flaws have appeared. Previously, Disney+ changed Black Widow and Black Panther's orders after viewers noticed that Black Widow happened a week before the other. Additionally, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is confusing the timeline further with its connections to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which should take place a full year ahead of the Disney+ series. Phase Four seems to be intent on disrupting Feige's original plan for MCU continuity, and Thor: Love and Thunder's confusing timeline placement indicates that the problems won't go away soon.