When Is Black Widow Set in the Marvel Timeline?
The main story of Black Widow is set in 2016, after Civil War. The post-credits scene jumps to 2023. Here is the complete timeline breakdown and where it fits in the MCU.The main story of Black Widow is set in 2016, immediately after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Natasha Romanoff is on the run following the Sokovia Accords conflict when she is drawn back into her past. The film's opening flashback is set in 1995, and the post-credits scene is set in 2023, after Natasha's death in Avengers: Endgame.
Black Widow Timeline: Three Different Time Periods
Where Black Widow Sits on the MCU Timeline
Black Widow is unusual in the MCU because it was released in Phase 4 but is set during Phase 3. The film acts as a bridge between Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018) — filling in what Natasha was doing during the two-year gap between those films when the Avengers were fractured and operating underground.
This placement creates a somewhat melancholy viewing experience if you already know the MCU timeline — you are watching the origin story of Yelena Belova while knowing that Natasha, her sister figure, will die in Endgame. The film functions as both a standalone Natasha story and as the launch platform for Yelena as the future of the Black Widow legacy in the MCU.
| MCU Film | Set Year | Black Widow's Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Captain America: Civil War | 2016 | Immediately before Black Widow |
| Black Widow (main story) | 2016 | Set here — Natasha is a fugitive post-Civil War |
| Spider-Man: Homecoming | 2016 | Set around the same period (late 2016) |
| Thor: Ragnarok | 2017 | After Black Widow's main story |
| Avengers: Infinity War | 2018 | Two years after Black Widow's main story |
| Avengers: Endgame | 2023 | Natasha dies here — her post-credits scene is set after this |
| Black Widow (post-credits) | 2023 | Set here — Yelena at Natasha's grave; Val appears |
What Happens in Black Widow?
After the events of Civil War, Natasha Romanoff is a wanted fugitive. She receives a package from Yelena Belova — a woman she grew up with as part of an undercover Red Room operation — containing a vial of antidote capable of freeing mind-controlled Black Widow agents. Reluctantly, Natasha is drawn back into the world of the Red Room and reunites with Yelena, the man who played their "father" (Alexei Shostakov, the Red Guardian), and the woman who played their "mother" (Melina Vostokoff).
The antagonist is Dreykov — the man who runs the Red Room programme, a vast network of mind-controlled female assassins spread across the globe. The film's central mission is dismantling the Red Room, freeing the Black Widows under Dreykov's control and eliminating Dreykov himself. It also serves as a character piece on trauma, forced identity and what it means to be free when you have been raised as a weapon.
Black Widow was originally scheduled for a May 2020 release, which would have placed it at the beginning of Phase 4 — but set during Phase 3 — as intended. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed all MCU releases by over a year. By the time Black Widow finally released in July 2021, WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier had already aired on Disney+, introducing Yelena to audiences via her Hawkeye cameo before her origin film was seen. This created an unusual viewing order situation where audiences met the character in Hawkeye before they could see where she came from in Black Widow.
Black Widow's Role in Setting Up Yelena
The most significant long-term function of Black Widow in the MCU is its introduction of Yelena Belova as the future of the Black Widow legacy. Natasha's story in the MCU was always building toward her death in Endgame — a sacrifice she makes willingly, giving her life for the Soul Stone so that Clint Barton can return to his family.
By introducing Yelena in Black Widow and then showing her grief and anger in the Hawkeye post-credits scene — where she is told (falsely) that Clint Barton caused Natasha's death — Marvel has laid the groundwork for Yelena as a morally complex, emotionally driven character who will operate in the grey areas the MCU increasingly explores. Her arc continues in Thunderbolts* (2025).
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