Warning: SPOILERS for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 4 – “The Whole World Is Watching,” the MCU timeline, and Bucky’s fate.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode 4 flashbacks to Bucky Barnes’ time in Wakanda, but where does the scene fit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline? Up until the most recent episode, the new adventures of Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) took place six months after Avengers: Endgame. The epic conclusion to the Infinity Saga brought the MCU to 2023, but The Falcon and The Winter Soldier‘s moving six months into the future should put it in 2024 – just two months before Spider-Man: Far From Home.

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After the surprise arrival of Dora Milaje member Ayo (Florence Kasumba) at the end of episode 3, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode 4 begins with a flashback to a shared moment in their pasts. The scene shows Bucky during his time in Wakanda as part of the attempts to clear his mind of Hydra’s programming. Ayo repeats the trigger words that Baron Zemo and others in Hydra previously used on Bucky to see if the programming was truly gone. Although Bucky doubts that it will work, he is relieved to discover he wasn’t “ready to comply” after the sequence was complete. So, where exactly does this fit in the MCU timeline?

Bucky went to Wakanda at the end of Captain America: Civil War to start this rehabilitation process. He stayed in the advanced African nation for two years until he rejoined Captain America and other Avengers in Avengers: Infinity War to fight Thanos’ army when they tried to invade Wakanda. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier notes that his flashback in the episode takes place six years ago, which would mean this scene happens in early 2018. This places it well after Black Panther, which occurred shortly after Civil War, and shortly before Bucky’s return in Avengers: Infinity War.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier‘s flashback could clarify when Black Panther‘s post-credits scene takes place as well. Bucky appeared in the scene with Shuri, and he thanks her, presumably for fixing his mind and clearing the Hydra programming. The placement of this scene was previously somewhat ambiguous. Now that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier revealed Bucky was recovered after a year in Wakanda, it appears the post-credits scene must come after that. It is possible that Bucky could be thanking Shuri for the work she’s still doing to help him, but he also seems to be fully comfortable living the Wakandan lifestyle.

This doesn’t change Bucky’s MCU story too much, but The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has added more to his past now. After Bucky escaped Hydra at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014, he was on the run for two years. He was then framed for killing King T’Chaka and ends Captain America: Civil War with the Wakandans in 2016. We now know that he is free of Hydra’s programming in early 2018 and stays in Wakanda until Thanos’ attack later that year. Bucky was then snapped out of existence for five years and returned in 2023, with The Falcon and The Winter Soldier continuing his story six months later in 2024.

Key Release Dates
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  • Black Widow (2021)Release date: Jul 09, 2021
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Release date: Sep 03, 2021
  • Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
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About The Author


Cooper Hood
(5616 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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