MCU Timeline Reveals Eternals Happens Before Spider-Man No Way Home
A new chronological breakdown of Marvel's Multiverse Saga places two major 2021 releases in surprising order, revealing deeper connections between cosmic threats and multiversal chaos that could reshape how fans view the MCU's biggest storylines.
Recent discussions about Marvel's timeline have revealed something unexpected. Spider-Man: No Way Home actually takes place after Eternals in the official MCU chronology, despite both films releasing in 2021.
The Multiverse Saga's timeline gets complicated fast. A detailed breakdown shows the order: Loki Season 1, WandaVision, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, VisionQuest, Deadpool & Wolverine, Eternals, then Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Cosmic Threats Shape Multiversal Problems
This chronological placement makes more sense than you'd think. Both movies deal with reality-bending concepts that become central to Marvel's bigger story.
Eternals introduced the Ebony Blade in its post-credits scene. Kit Harington's Dane Whitman discovers the sword creates a bond with its wielder. Meanwhile, Spider-Man: No Way Home's post-credits left behind a single drop of Venom symbiote, bringing Tom Hardy's character into the main MCU timeline.
Memory manipulation appears in both films too. Doctor Strange erases the world's knowledge of Peter Parker's identity. The Eternals learn their memories have been wiped repeatedly across millions of years. This pattern suggests the Sacred Timeline isn't as stable as it seems.
Setting Up Future Marvel Stories
The connection runs deeper than shared themes. Eternals dealt with Tiamut's emergence and Celestial threats. Spider-Man: No Way Home cracked open the multiverse with old villains crossing dimensions.
Both films shifted Marvel's focus from street-level problems to cosmic-scale dangers. The threats got bigger. The stakes got higher.
Eternals left major questions hanging. Harry Styles appeared as Starfox. Kit Harington's Black Knight powers remain unexplored. Ikaris's fate stays unclear. The surviving Eternals team needs resolution.
The 2021 film received harsh criticism and disappointing box office numbers. It became the first Marvel movie to get truly negative reviews. But its importance to the overall MCU story keeps growing.
With this timeline placement confirmed, Eternals connects more directly to Marvel's multiversal plans than fans realized. The movie introduced concepts that Spider-Man: No Way Home would build upon, creating a foundation for everything that followed.