Disney+ Officially Confirms Where Marvel's Defenders Exists On The MCU Timeline
The Marvel Cinematic Universe miniseries "Echo," which premiered on Disney+ on January 9, features both Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin. These characters debuted in Netflix's "Daredevil" series, which was once non-canonical to the MCU. However, their involvement in "Echo" led a Marvel producer to confirm that Netflix's "Daredevil" is now MCU canon. While the status of the streamer's other Marvel shows like "The Defenders" and "Iron Fist" remained uncertain even after this comment, it turns out Disney has definitively incorporated its Marvel universe into the MCU. That means fans can finally place precisely when shows like "The Defenders" take place on the MCU timeline.
This news surfaced on Disney+, which groups Marvel projects into various categories on a page dedicated to the MCU. One of those groupings is labeled "Timeline Order." Shortly after "Daredevil" officially became MCU canon, Disney+ subscribers began noticing that the Timeline Order listing included not just "Daredevil" but also "Jessica Jones," "Luke Cage," "Iron Fist," "The Defenders," and "The Punisher."
Specifically, "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones" take place between "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Avengers: The Age of Ultron." Then come "Luke Cage," "Iron Fist," and "The Defenders." Those are set between "Ant-Man" and "Captain America: Civil War." Finally, "The Punisher" fits between "Black Panther" and "Doctor Strange."
The Defenders' shows definitively have spots in Marvel canon for the first time
Netflix's so-called Defenders saga joining the Disney+ MCU timeline is the clearest indication yet that its shows are now canon. However, some fans already began treating these series as a part of the MCU when their characters started crossing over to other Marvel projects. In fact, in a December 2021 Entertainment Weekly interview about his appearance as Wilson Fisk in "Hawkeye," Vincent D'Onofrio characterized the newer version of his character as a continuation of his work on "Daredevil." Beyond just maintaining the same actor, this tidbit was an early indicator that Disney planned on uniting the Netflix universe with the official MCU.
Then, shortly after Disney+ became home to each of the Netflix Marvel shows in March 2022, the official Marvel website added events from the Defenders saga to relevant character bios. That said, even if some fans considered these signs to mean the two canons had merged, the fact that the Defenders shows make few references to other Marvel projects meant it was impossible to place them in MCU canon with specificity. The new Timeline Order on Disney+, then, is not just confirmation of a change to the MCU canon but the first definitive placement of these shows on its timeline.