Highlights
- Marvel Studios may be distancing itself from past stories by hinting that beloved projects like Netflix's Daredevil are no longer part of the official franchise.
- The Marvel Cinematic Universe is selectively choosing what stays and what is no longer important to the overall media, potentially refreshing its canon.
- The new book detailing the official timeline of the MCU excludes fan-favorite projects like Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Agents of SHIELD, suggesting they are no longer considered canon.
Many will claim that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become too bloated for its good and that there are too many projects to keep track of nowadays. Marvel Studios may agree, as they've just heavily hinted that several beloved past stories are no longer an official part of the franchise, potentially even Netflix's Daredevil.
Considering how dense the MCU has become over 15 years, it's surprising that a Star Wars-style canon refresh didn't happen sooner. But unlike that particular shake-up, this one isn't taking a pickaxe to most of its materials. The MCU is particularly choosing what can stay and, more importantly, what is no longer important to the overarching media. In particular, one collection seems to have the unfortunate honor of focus in this situation, though Daredevil is technically spared.
Marvel Studios has just released a new book detailing the entire official timeline of the MCU, and readers were quick to pick up on some notable absences among its pages. Since Marvel Studios The Marvel Cinematic Universe An Official Timeline features an impressive amount of detail, the lack of several fan-favorite projects speaks volumes. As pointed out by Popverse, the book contains no mention of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, or Danny Rand (a.k.a. Iron Fist). The same can be said for Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. In other words, these Netflix and ABC shows are no longer considered canon. Unfortunately, for those holding out hope that absence doesn't necessarily mean deletion, the book's intro by Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige appears pretty pointed.
"On the Multiverse note, we recognize that there are stories-movies and series-that are canonical to Marvel but were created by different storytellers during different periods of Marvel's history. The timeline presented in this book is specific to the MCU's Sacred Timeline through Phase 4. But, as we move forward and dive deeper into the Multiverse Saga, you never know when timelines may just crash or converge (hint, hint/spoiler alert)."
Many will note that this list doesn't include Matt Murdock/Daredevil, which makes sense since he appeared in the fantastic She-Hulk: Attorney at Law series on Disney Plus. But that doesn't mean his previous Netflix series got out unscathed. Just because the character is back doesn't mean he's the same one fans have gotten used to. This is the MCU, after all. The Loki series effectively made it possible for new versions of every hero, villain, and neutral bystander to show up with little to no explanation other than "they're a variant." All signs seem to point to that being the case here, unfortunately for those who want a return to the gritty Daredevil series that made its splash.
As previously noted, Netflix isn't the only casualty. The events of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD are also absent, with the book stating that Agent Phil Coulson died in 2012 during the events of The Avengers. While this was always technically true, Agents of SHIELD fleshed things out and brought him back for some admittedly compelling new stories alongside his new team with SHIELD. Now, there's no mention at all of any of that. So, it appears that fan favorites like Daisy, Fitz, Simmons, May, Mack, and Yo-Yo are simply the stuff of legend.
Despite offering some genuinely compelling additions to the MCU, like the terrifying villain Kilgrave in Jessica Jones, Marvel Studios seemingly wants to make a clean break from the now-defunct Marvel Television. Perhaps there's a chance that some of these characters could make a return in the future, just like how Star Wars regularly borrows from its now non-canon Legends stories. Feige's statement leaves things open for that possibility. But for now, fans must be content with what they have.
Marvel Studios The Marvel Cinematic Universe An Official Timeline is available at major booksellers.
Source: Popverse
