The Confusing MCU Timeline: How Echo Exposes Marvel's Problem

The Messy MCU Timeline Since Avengers: Endgame

Ever since Avengers: Endgame propelled the Marvel Cinematic Universe five years into the future, the franchise's timeline has been a mess, and the release of Echo proves Marvel isn't doing enough to clear things up. Prior to Endgame, the MCU typically stuck to a real-time timeline, meaning the movies took place in the years they released. However, Endgame was released in 2019 and the majority of the movie took place five years ahead, putting it in 2024. Since then, Marvel Studios' movies and shows have largely stayed away from establishing when exactly they take place in the MCU timeline, creating a lot of confusion among viewers, especially considering the number of releases in Phases 4 and 5. In late 2023, an official MCU timeline book was released, but only included movies and shows that had debuted up to that point. Now the first MCU release of 2024 is here, and Echo is showing that, despite Marvel's official timeline, the MCU is still as confusing as it's been since Endgame.

The MCU Avengers Team in Phase 1 and Phase 5

The first episode of Echo shows viewers the majority of Maya Lopez's backstory, beginning in 2007 when her mother dies. However, the episode, and the show as a whole, is inconsistent in its use of text on screen to establish when scenes take place. Much of the Echo episode 1 story jumps around in time, but aside from 2007, it never establishes in what year anything takes place. The most it does is establish is that Echo is set five months after Hawkeye. Later in the season, Echo depicts flashbacks to 2008 and 2021, but Marvel doesn't reveal when the other events take place - and most of them are post-Endgame.

Alaqua Cox As Maya Lopez Sitting On A Motorcycle Echo Season 1 Episode 1

It's the inconsistency of some scenes being established firmly in the timeline versus those that are left for the viewer to guess that makes Echo's timeline so much more of a confusing mess. The fact that Marvel released Echo with such an unclear timeline seems to indicate they aren't necessarily concerned with audiences understanding when it takes place in the larger MCU. However, if Marvel continues releasing its movies and shows with so little regard for the MCU timeline, it creates a major problem when they want to bring heroes together for a crossover.

Alaqua Cox As Maya Lopez Standing Beside A Motorcycle In Echo Season 1 Episode 3

The Need for a Coherent MCU Timeline

MCU Phases 4 and 5 haven't had much crossover between its many disparate storylines and characters, but Marvel Studios is still building toward two massive event movies with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. The timeline will need to make sense of when the heroes unite, or else Marvel risks creating massive plot holes in its various sub-franchises, which will distract viewers from the stories the studio is trying to tell. Certainly, since Echo is a Marvel Spotlight release, it isn't as concerned with connecting to the larger MCU, but it's still part of the franchise and shows a messy handling of the canon that, if continued, will create larger problems for their bigger movies and shows in the future.

Closeup On Alaqua Cox As Maya Lopez In Echo Season 1 Episode 4