Thanks to Disney+, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has expanded rapidly during Phase 4. As a result, there's been a little less connectivity than what we're used to, and some confusion about where certain stories fit in the wider timeline.
For example, no one has mentioned the giant marble Celestial sticking out of the Indian Ocean, something you'd think would be a major plot point across several franchises. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ends this Phase in the Multiverse Saga, but where does it fit in the MCU's timeline?
Thanks to producer Nate Moore, we have an answer.
"This movie clearly happens after No Way Home and Eternals," he confirmed in an interview with Cinema Blend. "I think it probably happens potentially concurrent with [Thor: Love and Thunder]. New Asgard does exist in our universe, for instance, or in our film."
"And almost concurrent with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," Moore adds, "which is coming out in February."
It's interesting that he names Spider-Man: No Way Home and Eternals as the movies Black Panther: Wakanda Forever follows, though they are believed to have both taken place nearer the end of Phase 4, anyway. Whether we'll get references to either one of them remains to be seen, and we certainly don't expect the Ant-Man threequel's Kang to make an appearance!
In fact, those early reactions suggest the Black Panther sequel is relatively standalone in nature, so we anticipate little in the way of crossovers. It's a shame, but as we head into Phase 5, the hope is that Marvel Studios might begin to start making a greater effort to link all these stories up.
Needless to say, if Namor the Submariner doesn't at least mention that Celestial...well, it will be a major missed opportunity on the MCU's part.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on November 11.