A Timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is one of the most popular and lucrative franchises in the world. It’s the highest-grossing film franchise of all time, and also ranks very highly among the highest-grossing overall media franchises of all time beneath global powerhouses like Pokémon and Mickey Mouse. The movies and television series bounce around the timeline of the MCU, and the multitude of characters featured can make it hard to keep track of each hero’s journey throughout the universe.

Reddit user AdamJGarrod posted an original visualization to the Data is Beautiful subreddit which tracks the path of each character chronologically through the movies and television series, starting with Captain America through the not-yet-released The Marvels.

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The graphic, created using digital illustration program Procreate, maps the progress of the most popular heroes in the MCU through the films and TV series that they appear in. Chronologically, the first film in the universe is Captain America, which takes place during World War II. Using the visualization, fans can chart the journeys of the three main characters (Captain America, Bucky Barnes, and Nick Fury) as they make their way through the different movies and shows of the MCU.

It’s also interesting to see where new characters first appeared in the MCU. Some of the heroes, like the Hulk and Iron Man, first appear in their respective eponymous films. Other characters, like Ant Man and Spider-Man, appear chronologically well before their own films were released.

Whether you’re a diehard Marvel buff or a casual fan of the films, you’re bound to find this unique visualization intriguing.