When Is Thunderbolts* Set in the MCU Timeline?

Figuring out when Thunderbolts* is set in the MCU timeline can be a doozy, like a lot of other Marvel films. These movies don’t typically say when something takes place, leaving it up to fans to work out the timeline on their own based on clues and hints. And until another official Marvel book tells us when the Marvel movies and TV series on Disney+ actually occur, it’s up to us to work out what happened before or after one other, if just for viewers to be able to watch them in order. Here’s the year that Thunderbolts* (or the other title it’s calling itself now) is estimated to be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

When does Thunderbolts* take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

The Thunderbolts* movie is most likely set in the latter half of 2027, after Captain America: Brave New World.

This is because Bucky Barnes reveals in a cameo that he is running for Congress at the end of Brave New World, which ends around Spring 2027 given the cherry blossom trees blooming at the end of that film.

Then later in Thunderbolts*, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine mentions that Barnes would effectively be sacrificing his position of Congressman after having served only less than “half a term.” A full term for a Congressman is two years, so half of that is one year. So we’re looking at somewhere between six months and a year from what Valentina says. This could mean that Thunderbolts* starts in 2028, but we’re going to go with late 2027 instead as that has better odds.

Interestingly, the post-credits scene in the film also gives us a hint of when Avengers: Doomsday is set in the timeline. Since the scene occurs “14 months later,” that means that Avengers: Doomsday is set at some point in late 2028 or early 2029.

It’s also interesting to note that the first season of Daredevil: Born Again mainly takes place somewhere in late 2026 to 2027. So there’s a slim possibility that we will see some of what happens in the last third of Thunderbolts* to overlap with the show’s second season. It would be a bold move if that happens, but it would be a nice touch.