Avengers: Endgame’s five-year time jump won’t be reversed

Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo have confirmed that the film’s five-year time leap will not be undone.

Avengers: Endgame surprised fans by pushing the Marvel Cinematic Universe five years into the future and shocked them even more when it wasn’t reversed. And according to the directors, this new status quo is here to stay.

Joe and Anthony Russo recorded a commentary track (via Comicbook.com) that was included on the film’s recent digital release. During the discussion, they addressed the time jump that takes place early in the story. Anthony spoke on the difficulties of reviving characters after a significant stretch of time:

"“The premise here is a very complicated premise, right? You know, bringing people back from five years ago is a messy proposition any way you look at it. Not even talking about the time travel complexities of it. You know, that’s something I know some people like to think about after watching the movie…”"

Despite the storytelling challenges it may have caused for them, Joe believes the time jump to be one of the movie’s best elements. He also went on to confirm that it will indeed continue as the MCU moves forward:

"“But that’s I think, one of the most compelling things about the movie, is doubling down at the end and not reversing it. So the Marvel Universe moving forward takes place five years in the future, and its a really complicated future.”"

More from Marvel Cinematic Universe

• Loki season 2 finale does set the stage for Kang Dynasty
• Marvel: (Spoiler) exits Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
• Will Loki air a new bonus episode tonight? (November 16, 2023)
• What If…? season 2 gets premiere date (and there’s a major twist)
• Marvel rumors hint Pedro Pascal has been cast in key Fantastic Four role

The official timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a constant topic of discussion among fans of the franchise. While the earlier films hinted at a slowed timeframe, it was later established that the series was taking place in real time. Since then, the timeline has stayed relatively consistent, even through hiccups in films like Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Endgame’s time jump, however, shakes things up once again, but it may actually work in the MCU’s favor in the long run. With the films now set in the not-so-distant future, the creatives at Marvel Studios may feel more freedom in regard to where they place their films within the timeline. This five-year difference may even cause some fans not to dwell on a particular film’s place in time.

Of course, Marvel Studios will likely still keep track of when, where and how things occur in their shared universe, and the same can be said for die-hard MCU buffs.