As is the case with any shared continuity, moviegoers will often question how the timeline specifically unfolds. And even with something as cohesive as the Marvel Cinematic Universe existing, it’s easy to understand how people get confused by landscapes populated with reboots, remakes or other films that may ignore some of its predecessors but will honor others (Superman Returns would be a prime example of that).
So, even though the MCU has been quite straightforward for the most part, there are those wondering where Thor: Ragnarok falls. Granted, it may seem like a foregone conclusion that everything’s occurring linearly, it’s important we not forget that Phase One’s The Incredible Hulk actually took place after the first two Iron Man movies. Yes, the Green Goliath’s one and only canonical solo entry into the MCU may have arrived two years before Tony Stark’s sophomore showing, but that’s the truth.
Thankfully, producer Brad Winderbaum (pretty much) cleared things up when speaking with Screen Rant:
“It’s not like, five minutes after Ultron ends we start this movie. It’s a couple years later… This movie takes place basically… You know, it’s hard. In the timeline of the MCU, things kind of happen on top of each other, especially now in Phase Three. They’re not as interlocked as they were in Phase One, you know, during Fury’s Big Week and everything. So [Thor: Ragnarok] happens maybe on top of Civil War, on top of Spider-Man [Homecoming]. Somewhere in that ball park.”
Basically, it takes place between Age of Ultron and Infinity War, which is good enough for us. Still, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch of the imagination to think the Odinson’s next big screen outing coincided with Captain America: Civil War since it’s taking place on the other end of the cosmos, and that neither Thor nor Hulk showed up in what was essentially Avengers 2.5.
Thor: Ragnarok opens in theaters on November 3.
