A new listing on Penguin Random House’s official website reveals that an interesting new Marvel themed volume is slated for a September 2023 release.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been expanding for more than 14 years. It started, of course, with Jon Favreau’s Iron Man in 2008, and it wasn’t long before the MCU solidified as one of the biggest and most successful franchises of all time.
Now, in-universe, the MCU has twisted, turned, and occasionally time-travelled, and a great, story-driven storyline for the fictional universe has been established. In fact, the chronology of Marvel Studios’ narrative stretches from the Big Bang to the year 2025.
Dorling Kindersly (DK) is quite well known in the geekdom for his colorful and concise visual dictionaries and character encyclopedias for many popular shows and films. They even launched the Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary in 2018, and it now appears that the publisher is making good headway back to the MCU.
Official MCU timeline book coming in 2023
A new product listing on Penguin Random House’s website revealed that a new book, titled Marvel Studios The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline, is on the way.
Described as “The definitive, filmmaker-supported guide to the lore, timelines, and characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.” The 320-page book is scheduled for release on September 5, 2023. The current pre-order price is $50.
The website description for the book published in DK is as follows:
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is vast, incredibly diverse, and extremely complex. Different worlds, different timelines, countless characters. This is the guide to this universe. Created in close collaboration with Marvel Studios, it answers the biggest questions: what happened, when, where and why?
Follow the entire history of the MCU from before the big bang to the blip and beyond. Along the way, learn about the development of Iron Man’s armor, the hunt for the Infinity Stones, and the creation of the multiverse. Do you want to know the number of times aliens have invaded the earth or the full story of Cap’s shield? Look no further!
A treasured keepsake for any movie fan, filled with exclusive infographics, insightful timelines, and amazing movie stills, this book will take pride of place on any MCU fan’s shelf.
Interestingly, one of the authors of this volume is film journalist Anthony Breznican, known for writing about the MCU frequently in conjunction with online publications.
The current MCU timeline according to Disney+ can be viewed here:
Marvel Studios
Official MCU timeline: A can full of worms?
Now the universal timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is pretty much airtight (Spider-Man: Homecoming’s infamous “Eight Years Later” title card notwithstanding).
Still, fans can be a little… demanding about the way events are laid out in the MCU, with some insisting that the way things happen is the absolute be-all and end-all of attitudes.
Could Marvel Studios open a can of worms by releasing their officially endorsed vision for the MCU timeline? Followers might have strong reactions if the book doesn’t match the version in their heads.
It’s also worth noting that there could very likely be a lot of errors in this timeline book. One need look no further than the “chronological order” for the MCU available on Disney+, which is very inaccurate and quite inaccurate
However, it has been mentioned by those who have worked with Marvel Studios that Feige and co. have indeed appointed an official timeline keeper to coordinate and track all of the MCU’s events to ensure things stay coherent.
So maybe there is nothing to worry about? Unfortunately, that question won’t be answered for sure until Marvel Studios releases The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline in September 2023.