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Where does Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness fit on the Marvel timeline? It's a little complicated, to put it lightly. Thanks to Thanos' snap, we've now well and truly moved past 'our' present day – that is, events have moved past 2022. And that's before we get into the specifics the multiverse. The MCU doesn't always have the clearest signposts to pinpoint which month or year their latest movie or show is meant to take place, so it's not always a simple task to work out how each project coexists with the others.
However, with Doctor Strange 2 on the Marvel timeline, despite there not being any clear-cut indicators, we can work out where the movie stands by using clues from the new film, as well as the previous MCU movies shows. Here's where Doctor Strange 2 fits on the Marvel timeline.
When does Doctor Strange 2 take place on the Marvel timeline?
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes place not too long after Spider-Man: No Way Home. In the Doctor Strange sequel, Strange himself confirms that he's had dealings with the multiverse before, referencing the spell he cast for Peter Parker that was meant to make everyone forget that he was Spider-Man.
The events of No Way Home finish around Christmas 2024, implying that Doctor Strange 2 kicks off sometime in 2025. If you want to compare that to other movies in the MCU, that's seven years after the snap in Avengers: Infinity War and two years after Avengers: Endgame.
Unlike No Way Home, where we have events like the start of the school year to use as frames of reference, there's nothing to anchor us to a specific month or season in Doctor Strange 2. Well, other than the fact that America Chavez is running around New York City in just a denim jacket, so it can't be that cold or too hot – so, if we had to estimate, we would presume the movie takes place in spring 2025. Optimal denim jacket weather, we think you'll agree.
As for how the movie relates to the Marvel TV shows on Disney Plus, we know for sure that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes place after WandaVision, as Wanda is grieving the loss of her kids and the domestic life she fabricated in Westview.
Like the last Spider-Man movie, Hawkeye also wraps up during the holiday season in 2024, so we know it takes place after that series, too. Moon Knight, the last small-screen MCU show before Doctor Strange 2, also takes place in 2025, but it's difficult to say how the two sets of events relate to one another beyond that. Whether Doctor Strange 2 or Moon Knight came first in the Marvel timeline is not clear, but both take place in 2025 (as made clear in Moon Knight by a poster).
Want more on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Then check out our guides to:
- Doctor Strange 2 ending explained
- Doctor Strange 2 post-credits scenes explained
- All the Doctor Strange 2 Easter eggs, listed
- When is Doctor Strange 2 on Disney Plus?
- The Marvel movies and shows to watch before Doctor Strange 2
- The Illuminati in Doctor Strange 2, listed and explained
- Our guide to Marvel Phase 4
- How to watch the Marvel movies in order
- Our full WandaVision recap
- Is Doctor Strange 2 too scary for children?
