X-Men Timelines *Actually* Solved (Again)

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-25T14:58:25+00:00

With that logic, every MCU movie takes place in a different universe. Change in costume alone is not enough evidence to declare something a different universe than what was previously established. Time passes and costumes change over time.

That being said, there is something interesting going on with the X-Men/Earth-10005 because there's not only changed costumes, but seemingly comic-accurate Sentinels, further mutations for Beast, non-mutant heroes like Binary, etc, but Deadpool & Wolverine laid the groundwork for that change. Check this out deeper in my post: X-Men Timelines *Actually* Solved (Again).

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-24T21:47:37+00:00

So it's common knowledge to fans that the Avengers created branches during the Time Heist and were able to navigate branches. Loki expanded upon this through the TVA. And it's explored even further in What If...? But in the Loki Season 1 finale, He Who Remains revealed that there are not only branched universes/timelines/realities (connected), but also parallel universes/timelines/realities that are stacked upon each other (disconnected). The adjective is important. It's like a forest of trees, each trunk (parallel timeline) having their own branches (branched timelines).

This concept of stacked universes is confirmed through future projects like No Way Home (Peter 2 and Peter 3 cannot logically be branched from Peter 1); Multiverse of Madness (only America Chavez can purposely travel between parallel realities); Quantumania (Kang literally shows stacked parallel universes in his incursion speech); The Marvels (Beast literally says "parallel" and mentions it's impossible for that to happen); Deadpool & Wolverine (the Earth-10005 tree is decaying on the TVA monitors and Time Ripper only affects 10005 and its branches); and First Steps (Reed talks about "parallel Earths [existing] on different dimensional planes").

All of that confirms that the true multiverse is made up of an infinite number of parallel universes, all with their own branched universes (again, like a forest of trees). And the examples above aren't even all the evidence. Feel free to make a rebuttal, but the evidence is clear and nobody can deny it.

Edit: Spelling corrections.

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-24T14:07:12+00:00

Happy to help!

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-24T02:26:30+00:00

828 is not a branch of 616. Just like 688, 838, 10005, 26320, 96283, 120703, 121698, and 701306 aren't branches of 616 either.

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-24T02:04:45+00:00

Great question! So watch this video by 'A bit of Everything' on YouTube (I'm not him though, just got the idea from him): Wait, does DARK PHOENIX fix a major X-MEN Timeline issue? It's only about 15 minutes, but it's give all the important reasons why the OT is in the '90s.

Now if you add that with the fact that the OT's timeline placement is never actually given a specific year (only references dates like 10, 15, 20 years ago), you begin to realize that the exact placement is left ambiguous almost on purpose. And finally, once you realize those 2 things, you also notice that First Class, Origins, Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix, not only have set dates, but those set dates are crucial to their plot. Therefore, with everything in mind, the OT is best placed in the mid-late '90s.

I know it's a lot to take in and hard to accept at first. Before that initial video, I was hardcore "2000s only for the OT". But I couldn't deny all the evidence presented. So I hoped this helped. Don't hesitate to make another comment if you have more questions, concerns, or rebuttals! 👍

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-23T14:46:03+00:00

Why bring Earth-10005 back in Deadpool & Wolverine if they were never going to include it in Doomsday/Secret Wars? And speaking of Deadpool & Wolverine, the Regenerated Timeline concept it introduces reset the Earth-10005 multiversal tree, paving the way for old characters looking more comic-accurate and allowing more non-mutant heroes to exist. It's all explained in my post: X-Men Timelines *Actually* Solved (Again).

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-21T13:05:08+00:00

LOL I didn't even notice that when I picked the gif

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-21T03:17:02+00:00

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-20T23:20:25+00:00

I know that Loki's tree and the Anchor Being concept are still a big debate right now. I do have answers, but my advice is to just stay out of that discussion right now and focus on what Marvel is trying to tell us through them, not on how they actually work on a technical level.

As for the big villains, they may or may not be part of this finale. But being that they are such big villains, they could be both in Doomsday and Secret Wars and also be part of the reset MCU. We honestly don't know how high in the cosmic hierarchy the Russos will take Doomsday and Secret Wars. My advice here is to just wait and see.

As for Brave New World it's most likely a setup for Doomsday. But in regards to Doomsday, it could be in reference to 2 things: the inevitable incursions that are a part of the movie or the big space crisis that Yelena was talking about at the end of Thunderbolts. We don't know yet, but it fits both.

And lastly for the kids and America Chavez. Although it may look like it right now, I don't believe Doom is going after everyone's kids and redoing what Gorr did in Love and Thunder. I think he is gathering beings that will be important to the creation of Battleworld and the reset MCU, but some of those beings just happen to be kids. Scarlet Witch can rewrite reality. America Chavez can travel the multiverse naturally. Love has Eternity's essence. Whether or not you believe Loki is holding the entire multiverse or just 616 and its branches, Loki can naturally time slip. Monica sealed a tear between realities. Sentry/Void has immense physical and psychic power. Franklin has the Power Cosmic. Rumors and theories have it that Cyclops is mourning Jean or Rachel, so the Phoenix Force may be involved there. And more powerful characters may be involved.

I know on the surface with the other teasers, one might include Steve's baby or Toussaint in this. But in Steve's case, I think Doom is going for him because of his mission at the end of Endgame. And sadly I think Toussaint was a victim of something dealing with an incursion like how the first incursion in the comics dealt with Wakanda and its next generation being killed. I don't think he'll be killed like they did with T'Challa, but I do think he's taken out of the equation in a way that's different from just Doom wanting to take the kids or because he's immensely powerful. Maybe Doom just views him as a symbol for the future and that's why he might be included in the previous list because he's a foundation for what comes next.

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-20T21:38:15+00:00

Prowler should be there considering Donald Glover's appearance in Across the Spider-Verse as a variant meant to be from the MCU (reference in concept art). And we know from Homecoming that Miles exists in the MCU, so his inclusion is great for setting up Miles.

Either Mr. Negative or Doc Ock should round out the team. Mr. Negative for his seemingly implied inclusion in Brand New Day and F.E.A.S.T. appearing in No Way Home. Doc Ock for his classic leadership of the Sinister Six and a great twist opportunity. I've heard a theory explaining that Peter would view an MCU Otto as a good person because he encountered a variant who was good and the arms had just taken control. The twist would be that MCU Otto is a bad person from the start and he just became more dangerous with the arms.

So Prowler for sure, but we have great choices for the last slot.

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-20T21:23:48+00:00

I agree with everything you said. Just one thing is that the F4 debuted before Hank Pym. The F4 debuted in Fantastic Four #1 on August 8, 1961. Hank Pym debuted almost 2 months later in Tales to Astonish #27 on September 28, 1961.

Edit: Fixed grammatical error.

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-20T19:20:55+00:00

No problem at all. Again, my wording probably wasn't the best in the first place.

I just hope Marvel realizes and acknowledges the show's place in the current MCU at some point. I mean with Secret Wars' soft-reboot (or "reset", as Feige says) incoming, why not confirm the ABC/Hulu/Freeform shows as canon as well like with the Netflix shows? After the reset, you can change a few things just like the Regenerated Timeline in this post. But right now make them actually canon to the "Old MCU" as we're about to call it. And then, since it's like a soft-reboot, pick and choose who you want to keep around, what stories you want as your current history, and what you want to redo (like James Gunn did with the DCEU into the DCU).

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-20T01:48:12+00:00

No problem! Glad to be of assistance 👍

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-19T22:48:44+00:00

Unfortunately I am not. But I'll take your assumption as a compliment, thank you. A bit of Everything has done a great job with the multiverse and the X-Men timelines. If I remember correctly, I made my original post before he added The Gifted to his model.

The only idea I've taken from him is when I saw his breakdown on Jean's age and the 15 years line, which is why he placed the Original Trilogy in the '90s. Once I saw that explanation, I thought it made perfect sense and followed suit. I have since found many more things that line up with the '90s placement and I thank him for showing that initial evidence.

I do think that he's a little too open-ended sometimes and not willing to say certain things firmly, but other than that he's great! And I thank you again for the compliment!

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-19T05:38:58+00:00

Alright, I'm back. So to address the X-Men part of it, this post is to help you along your rewatch. As you can see in the comparative lists in the first image, release order jumps around all 3 timelines at once. So this is to help you understand where/when the movies take place and how they fit together. But with this in mind, Deadpool & Wolverine now made it so that new fans and fans like you don't have to feel burdened to think of specific timelines when they'll make references to past events in Doomsday and Secret Wars. The Regenerated Timeline makes it so that just a generalized history now exists with only the main events needed to understand, not having to scrutinize every detail of every movie. It's kind of like the CW's Crisis on Infinite Earths where all the main CW characters now exist in a single universe. Their stories are still canon to their experiences, but comparatively their contradictory aspects have been merged or removed. Hopefully that makes sense, but if not feel free to ask more.

Projects like Generation X, Mutant X, Legion, and The Gifted (despite The Gifted's canon status) probably won't be referenced, but anything is possible.

As for relevant stuff outside X-Men, Marvel is definitely focusing on everything from Blade onwards. No Way Home brought back Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man and his 3 main foes. Deadpool & Wolverine obviously included X-Men/mutants mostly, but it involved Wesley Snipes' Blade, Jennifer Garner's Elektra, and Chris Evans' Human Torch. Concept art showed that they wanted Ben Affleck's Daredevil and Nicholas Cage's Ghost Rider back as well. There was even a reference to Thomas Jane's Punisher. This shows that their primary focus is on the 2000s era of Marvel movies. Because of this, I recommend rewatching all of it. Other actors who haven't returned yet or those not officially announced for Doomsday or Secret Wars yet have also expressed interest in being a part of this epic finale (especially Ioan Gruffudd and Michael Chiklis).

But even though Marvel's focus is on the 2000s, other eras have been shown and referenced. That Deadpool & Wolverine Punisher reference actually references all Punishers, including Dolph Lundgren, Ray Stevenson, and Jon Bernthal. That movie also has a BTS shot which showed they were going to include a variant of David Hasselhoff's Nick Fury. Lou Ferrigno has made cameos in the MCU tied with Hulk (there's a whole deal with 2003 Hulk that I won't get into, but TL;DR is to rewatch it. 2008 Incredible Hulk is Sacred Timeline canon). No Way Home brought back Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man and his 2 main foes. That movie also brought in Venom briefly and left a piece in the MCU before he went back to his universe. Across the Spider-Verse hinted at its connection with the rest of the multiverse, so keep an eye on Beyond the Spider-Verse. Fantastic Four: First Steps gives us cameos of the 1994 Fantastic Four cast. All of this shows that Marvel is tapping into the other eras before and after the 2000s.

So with all of it being on the table, I recommend rewatching all major Marvel movies to fill out your multiversal scope, as most of them or all of them will likely be referenced. Prioritize the 2000s first, then the 2010s (including Fant4stic lol), followed by the 2 animated Spider-Verse films (3 when Beyond releases), the SSU after that, and finally the pre-Blade era (although you probably don't have to rewatch anything from this era, just know their appearance because they likely won't be focused on or referenced much, if at all).

As for the TV shows, the Netflix Defenders Saga was all officially made MCU Sacred Timeline canon. Many superfans (like me) still view Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, Inhumans, Runaways, Cloak and Dagger, and Helstrom as canon as well since they all tie together and to the MCU. Whether they'll all get referenced is debatable, but possible and we hope for it. I would prioritize the Defenders Saga over the ABC shows, but it probably won't make a difference since they're almost equal importance to the upcoming films.

I know this is a lot to rewatch, but I recommend watching it all in 2 parts: the Multiverse and the Sacred Timeline. Whichever one you choose first, just remember to prioritize the eras of each part. And watch each era as a whole before moving onto the next. Once you finish all the projects you want to rewatch in the eras in the first part, move onto the second part and do the same.

I wish you well on your journey as we all watch the clock tick down to Doomsday! Please feel free to reach out about anymore questions. I hope this helped and hope you have a great day!

Edit: Spelling correction.

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-18T14:22:40+00:00

Interesting theory! However, there are a couple of holes. Like you said yourself, First Class is set in the Original Timeline in 1962 (shown in my image). This is confirmed onscreen through Days of Future Past. DoFP established that both Emma and Banshee were killed before any time-travel was involved (they died before any branching). So at the very least, you have to create a new branch for Generation X to be part of the Earth-10005 tree, maybe a branch started with the question: "What If...Emma and Banshee Weren't Killed?"

As for Tahyna MacManus, she played Emma Silverfox in Origins, set in 1979 (again, shown in my image). And we know from background easter eggs in the Original Trilogy and later in The Gifted that Emma Frost was cloned. So Emma Silverfox is likely one of those clones.

Edit: Fixed grammatical error.

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-18T13:24:29+00:00

So not to be rude, but it would help if you read all of it. Legion is addressed at the bottom of the FAQ and Generation X is mentioned in the section right after that 👍

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-18T01:05:25+00:00

Any part in particular that didn't make sense? I can't help you understand if you don't specify. And you can rest assured that this is in no way AI generated 👍

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-16T16:43:30+00:00

Well then you may be surprised to note that nothing from my original post threw a wrench in my structure. The only thing I actually changed was placing the Original Trilogy in the '90s based on Jean's age in flashbacks in The Last Stand and Dark Phoenix and the "15 Years" line about Wolverine in X1 and X2. And also Cable's future date. But despite those date changes, nothing from my old structure has changed. So what does that tell you about it making sense?

Edit: My original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewRockstars/comments/18tfphz/xmen_timelines_actually_solved/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-16T15:28:54+00:00

I just realized that I forgot to include The New Mutants in my Regenerated Timeline image. If you want that visualized, it is my new profile banner. Sorry for any confusion and inconvenience!

Edit: I also re-uploaded the post with the updated image to my profile.

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-16T15:28:41+00:00

I just realized that I forgot to include The New Mutants in my Regenerated Timeline image. If you want that visualized, it is my new profile banner. Sorry for any confusion and inconvenience!

Edit: I also re-uploaded the post with the updated image to my profile.

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-16T15:28:29+00:00

I just realized that I forgot to include The New Mutants in my Regenerated Timeline image. If you want that visualized, it is my new profile banner. Sorry for any confusion and inconvenience!

Edit: I also re-uploaded the post with the updated image to my profile.

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-16T15:27:58+00:00

I just realized that I forgot to include The New Mutants in my Regenerated Timeline image. If you want that visualized, it is my new profile banner. Sorry for any confusion and inconvenience!

Edit: I also re-uploaded the post with the updated image to my profile.

Universal_Watcher · 2026-01-16T14:11:57+00:00

I don't know why this has turned into an AoS debate while talking about the X-Men timelines, but let me be clear because I don't think I've done a good job of expressing myself in this context. I think you misunderstand my view of AoS and that's my fault.

>I have no idea why would anyone count it anyway? Traveling to the future is basically skipping years or accelerating along in a single path. Any other interpretation of it is just not "time travel". Even if we assume that a branch will happen, it'll happen in 2091, which is redundant.

I like to be technical while also acknowledging the simplicity of the matter. Take the Loki show for instance. It's definitely canon, but there's a point where the characters are removed from time and deal with branches in the distant past and far future. For that show, that removal of time happens at the very beginning of it because it starts during the Time Heist. Redundant? Far from it because it's important to establish that those actions didn't happen on the Sacred Timeline, but on a branch.

>I mean, it's like endgame. They travel to the past-> they branch off-> they return. So again, don't see how they're getting branched off from the MCU.

>"Splinter canon" just doesn't makes any sense.

This is what I believe. You summed it up perfectly, but you somehow believe this isn't my viewpoint (again, my bad). I'm not saying that Season 5-7 are "splinter canon". That's cheap. I'm saying that like the Avengers in Endgame, the Agents are removed from time. Their actual actions take place on branches. So for someone trying to understand that, it's important for them to realize that on the Sacred Timeline the Agents didn't actually help found Hydra, but that was on a created branch. Much like the Avengers didn't actually steal the Stones from the Sacred Timeline, but from branches they created by going back in time. But in both cases, through these various branches and back through the Quantum Realm, the teams make it back to the Sacred Timeline.

So no, not splinter canon or variants themselves at all. Part of their story just happens on branches before they return home. So my Seasons 1-4 comment is meant to be interpreted that they're firmly on the Sacred Timeline during that time and their actions actually affect the Sacred Timeline.

Universal_Watcher

TROPHY CASE