Why [SPOILER] In Captain Marvel DOESN’T Break The MCU Timeline

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Captain Marvel

Does Captain Marvel break the MCU’s timeline? Set in 1995, the film is essentially a prequel to the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. It features a never-before-told adventure of the young Nick Fury, and sees him encounter aliens for the first time. By the end of the movie, Carol Danvers’ example has inspired Nick Fury to propose the Avengers Initiative.

But that makes Captain Marvel a massive retcon, with a new character written into the history of the MCU. The problem with retcons is that they can cause problems with continuity; the more complex the continuity, the more likely there’ll be a problem. The MCU timeline is a complex one, involving 21 movies, a range of popular tie-in comics, and a large slate of TV shows. As a result, Captain Marvel always had the potential to seriously disrupt the timeline.

Related: How Captain Marvel Connects To Avengers: Endgame

In reality, Captain Marvel is a masterpiece of continuity, with the script carefully avoiding any major contradictions – including with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. But one specific issue has drawn a lot of criticism from fans; the use of the Tesseract. There’s a serious amount of confusion online about just how the film’s use of the Tesseract fits into the MCU’s continuity, with some claiming it’s an outright continuity error. Fortunately, that isn’t the case.

• This Page: Everything We Learn About The Tesseract In Captain Marvel
• Page 2: Why Captain Marvel Doesn’t Break The MCU Timeline

Everything We Learn About The Tesseract In Captain Marvel

According to Captain Marvel, by the late 1980s the Tesseract was in the hands of Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., a joint USAF/NASA operation attempting to create advanced propulsion systems and high-tech aircraft. Their experiments somehow drew the attention of the rogue Kree scientist Mar-Vell, who had grown disillusioned with her race and their warmongering ways. Mar-Vell aimed to find a way to save the Skrulls from extinction at the hands of the Kree, and decided the easiest way was to give them the technology to go so far away that they would be beyond the Kree’s reach. She believed Tesseract energy could be siphoned off to create a faster-than-light drive that would prove to be the salvation of the Skrull race.

Taking the identity of Dr. Wendy Lawson, Mar-Vell infiltrated Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. and soon took charge of the Tesseract project. By 1989 she had developed a prototype engine, and incorporated it into a revolutionary vessel called the Asis. A blend of human and Kree science, the Asis was designed to fly faster than anything in the entire galaxy; where traditional aircraft produce contrails, the Asis generated a comet’s tail of energy waves. Unfortunately Mar-Vell’s treachery had been discovered by Starforce Commander Yon-Rogg, who had been carefully monitoring events on Earth. Yon-Rogg and Minn-Erva shot down the Asis and killed Mar-Vell, intending to take the experimental engine for the Kree. USAF pilot Carol Danvers, Mar-Vell’s pilot, intervened; she shot the engine, triggering an explosion of Tesseract energy that she absorbed. Mar-Vell’s plans were stalled, and Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. discovered that the dead Lawson had stolen the Tesseract. Unable to work out what had happened, they did their best to bury the Tesseract experiments and pretend they’d never taken place at all.

Lawson had taken the Tesseract to her cloaked Kree ship, which was hidden in orbit around the Earth. She’d already been quietly secreting Skrull refugees there, preparing to take them somewhere they would be safe once her experiments were complete. And so the Tesseract waited, hidden, for six years – until the events of Captain Marvel, when Carol Danvers was returned to Earth and discovered the truth about the Kree and the source of her powers. Although she retrieved the Tesseract, it was swallowed by the Flerken known as Goose the cat; she coughed it up sometime later on Nick Fury’s desk.

Related: The Tesseract Has Appeared In More Marvel Movies Than Captain America

The Tesseract’s MCU Timeline

Captain Marvel adds a lot to the story of the Tesseract; but it doesn’t actually contradict the timeline at all. Putting the pieces together, the timeline looks something like this:

• The Tesseract was originally the jewel of Odin’s treasure room, and a sketch in Thor suggests that he used its power liberally.
• In 1409, the All-Father decided to hide the Tesseract away in Tønsberg, Norway. It was secreted away by a Norse sect, and became the stuff of legends on Earth.
• The Tesseract remained hidden until March 1942, when it was finally discovered by the Red Skull alongside a copy of the Book of Yggdrasil. Hydra learned how to tap into the Tesseract’s power, and used it to create a wave of advanced Hydra weapons and vehicles. Fortunately they were opposed by Captain America and the SSR.
• At the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, the Tesseract was lost in the Atlantic Ocean. shortly after, it was retrieved by Howard Stark.
• The timeline is a little unclear at this point, but according to Iron Man 2 Howard Stark worked with Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.. Presumably he was part of the Tesseract research group, and the notes Tony Stark flicked through in Iron Man 2 – which featured a sketch of the Tesseract – were from that period.
• The Kree scientist Mar-Vell infiltrated P.E.G.A.S.U.S., and by 1989 had taken charge of the Tesseract project. It’s possible that Howard Stark was aware of Mar-Vell’s true identity and purpose, given Mar-Vell managed to steal the Tesseract and take it to her ship.
• The Tesseract was rediscovered in 1995, but was swallowed by a Flerken. Goose eventually coughed it up on Nick Fury’s desk.
• Nick Fury sent the Tesseract back to P.E.G.A.S.U.S., but once he became Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. he pushed for S.H.I.E.L.D. to establish a presence at what had previously been a USAF/NASA facility.
• In 2011, Thor arrived on Earth, a being from Asgard – the place S.H.I.E.L.D. believed the Tesseract came from. In the post-credits scene of Thor, Fury recruited Erik Selvig into Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. to lead the Tesseract experiments.
• In The Avengers, Loki successfully stole the Tesseract from Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., and used it to help the Chitauri invade Earth. The invasion was stopped, and Thor used the Tesseract to return to Asgard. According to the Thor: The Dark World Prelude, Odin used it to restore the Bifrost.
• The Tesseract remained in Odin’s Vault until Thor: Ragnarok, when Loki secretly retrieved it. Loki was forced to hand the Tesseract over to Thanos at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War; the Mad Titan broke it open to retrieve the Space Stone, which he placed within the Infinity Gauntlet. Its power – along with the power of the other five Infinity Stones – was ultimately used by Thanos to erase half the life in the universe.

Related: Marvel Movie Timeline: A Complete History Of The MCU

Page 2: Why Captain Marvel Doesn’t Break The MCU Timeline

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4894 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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