Comic book fans are keenly aware that storylines in the comic books can become messy. Stories can become entangled; characters swap identities, or their origin is retconned, disturbing other stories. A convoluted mess can emerge as time passes if timelines, faces, and places are not kept in order. Despite many fans hoping that it isn’t so, Kevin Feige has confirmed that these convoluted and terrible movies are, in fact, part of the Marvel timeline.
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Like the comics, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which includes the streaming division on Disney+, has begun to experience similar timeline quakes. As the MCU expanded and started to tinker with the Multiverse, it became apparent that older T.V. shows and movies made before the MCU and those made outside Marvel Studios were oddities, cluttering the seamless narrative found inside the MCU.
The first volume of Marvel films was called the Infinity Saga. It started with Iron Man and concluded with Spider-Man: Far From Home. Marvel used Far From Home to lay the foundation for Volume II when they plotted a story involving a villain (Mysterio), apparently from another earth within the Multiverse. Hence, Volume II of the MCU was dubbed The Multiverse Saga.
As the MCU expanded and included stories within the Multiverse, questions arose: what about T.V. shows and films outside the MCU? Were these films, like Fantastic Four or Netflix series like Daredevil and Jessica Jones, part of MCU canon?
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What about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Luke Cage or the Defenders? Were these shows always canon or oddities that should not be considered part of the MCU? Fans debated this for years, but recently, Kevin Feige gave a definitive statement on this matter.
Mentioning the merger of Sony, Fox and the Marvel Universe, Feige clears up the confusion in a new book, Marvel Studios: The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline. He drops a bombshell, stating (via The Direct):
“On the Multiverse note, we recognize that there are stories, movies and series that are canonical to Marvel but were created by different storytellers during different periods of Marvel’s history…as we move forward and dive deeper into the Multiverse Saga, you never know when timelines may just crash or converge (hint, hint/spoiler alert).”
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With this news, it’s a good idea to ponder that the Multiverse Saga was created to incorporate films and series from Fox, Sony and Netflix into the larger MCU or, instead, into the Sacred Timeline. The Loki series and Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Madness are oozing with timeline-shifting stories that are the nexus points for incorporating other material outside the MCU.
For good or bad, Kevin Feige baptized previously bastard films and shows, making them legitimate now. It might upset purists or any level-headed film fan that poor Marvel films like Daredevil, Elektra, and an abomination like 2015’s Fantastic Four reboot is now an heir to the MCU. While in other respects, it’s comforting to know that Deadpool, X-Men and Daredevil from Netflix are part of the MCU and will probably crossover with existing MCU characters and stories.
TL;DR
- The MCU has been having timeline issues similar to the comics.
- A new book reveals that Kevin Feige has confirmed that films and T.V. series outside of the MCU are now officially canon and part of the Sacred Timeline.
- Feige hints that these characters will appear in upcoming MCU stories.
What do you think? Did Marvel do the right thing merging everything with the MCU and keeping some terrible movies as Marvel canon? Let us know by commenting below.
Kevin Feige Just Confirmed That These Terrible Marvel Movies Are Canon to the MCU Written by Neilan Adams for Fortress of Solitude
