Although Marvel’s What If? explores alternate “what if?” theories throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is an official part of the MCU canon. Would you have expected it to follow *after* Loki in the MCU timeline?
The first episode of Marvel’s What If? kicked off with a Captain America story that took place during World War II with the story narrated by The Watcher. This would lead you to presume Marvel’s What If took place much earlier. However, He Who Remains revealed in Loki, that the MCU timeline was no longer protected. Thus, Marvel’s What If? following Loki makes much more sense. Even though it follows stories throughout the MCU timeline, The Watcher’s place dictates its position in the official timeline.
According to Disney, here is the new official MCU timeline:
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Captain Marvel
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 2
- Thor
- The Avengers
- Thor: The Dark World
- Iron Man 3
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Ant-Man
- Captain America: Civil War
- Black Widow
- Black Panther
- Doctor Strange
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers: Endgame
- Loki
- Marvel’s What If…?
- WandaVision
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
