12 Major MCU Events That Happened In 2023

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Summary

The events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2023 set the stage for the Multiverse Saga and involved the Avengers embarking on a Time Heist to collect the Infinity Stones.
Natasha Romanoff tragically sacrificed her life in 2023 during the mission to retrieve the Soul Stone from Vormir.
The year 2023 also saw the end of the Blip, as Bruce Banner used the Infinity Stones to bring back trillions of individuals, marking a significant historical event in the MCU.

Several major events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe occurred during 2023. Most of Marvel Studios' live-action projects have taken place in the year they were released in, though there has often been confusion surrounding the MCU's official timeline. This issue has mostly been focused on the projects of the MCU's Phase 1, beginning with 2008's Iron Man and culminating in 2012's The Avengers; however, a five-year time-jump in 2019's Avengers: Endgame once again left the audiences wondering what events happened when. The MCU's Phase 5 appears to be taking place during 2025 and 2026, meaning the MCU is currently two years ahead of the real world's 2023.
While recent projects such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Secret Invasion, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 have taken place in 2025 and 2026, the MCU's Multiverse Saga kicked off in 2023 following the events of Avengers: Endgame. 2023 was a blockbuster year in the world of the MCU, including many world-changing events that set the stage for the Multiverse Saga's epic overarching storyline. With 2023 coming to a close in the real world, it's worth taking a look back at what the inhabitants of the Marvel Cinematic Universe endured during 2023, as it will surely go down in history as a year to remember.
Your browser does not support the video tag. 12 The Avengers' Time Heist

While the opening moments of Avengers: Endgame took place in 2018, only a matter of weeks after the Mad Titan Thanos wiped out half the population of the universe in Avengers: Infinity War, the majority of the Phase 3 spectacular was set five years later, in 2023. Ant-Man's return from the Quantum Realm in 2023 allowed Earth's remaining Avengers to reverse Thanos' devastation by using the Quantum Realm to travel through time. 2023 saw the MCU's Avengers embark on the Time Heist, traveling to New York in 2012, Asgard in 2013, Morag and Vormir in 2014, and Camp Lehigh in 1970 to acquire the Infinity Stones.
11 Natasha Romanoff's Death

Unfortunately, not everybody returned from the Avengers' mission through time in Avengers: Endgame, as Natasha Romanoff lost her life during her and Clint Barton's quest to retrieve the Soul Stone from Vormir. After being met with the realization that one of them would need to sacrifice themselves for the Infinity Stone, Black Widow and Hawkeye brawled, both wanting to save the other, but Romanoff won this battle. Despite the Avengers collecting all six Infinity Stones, Natasha Romanoff's death was tragically irreversible. While Black Widow technically died in an alternate 2014, for the Earth's heroes and the MCU's audiences, Romanoff lost her life in 2023.
10 The Blip Ends

After returning to 2023 with their collected Infinity Stones, the Avengers copied Thanos' technique of using a gauntlet to channel their energy. Bruce Banner's Smart Hulk took it upon himself to use Tony Stark's Infinity Gauntlet, justifying that he could survive the gamma radiation being given off by the Infinity Stones. By snapping his fingers like Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, Banner brought back everyone that Thanos had snapped away five years earlier, returning trillions of individuals across the universe, including many of the MCU's notable heroes. This brought the MCU's Blip to an end in 2023, marking a huge historical event in the world of the MCU.
9 The Battle Of Earth

Earth's Mightiest Heroes embarking on the Time Heist in Avengers: Endgame garnered the attention of 2014's version of Thanos, who had only just begun his quest for the Infinity Stones. Thanos used Pym Particles collected from the future Nebula to take him and his army forward to 2023, facing the Avengers in the rubble of the now-destroyed Avengers HQ. While Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor put up a good fight, the battlefield was evened when the previously-snapped Avengers returned. This monumental battle will be remembered for decades to come, and thankfully ended with the demise of the Mad Titan Thanos and his entire army.
8 Tony Stark's Death & Funeral

2023's Battle of Earth ended with the deaths of Thanos and his army, but this wouldn't have occurred without the quick thinking and bravery of Tony Stark's Iron Man. In the heat of battle, Stark realized that the only way to defeat Thanos would be to sacrifice himself, so he laid his own life on the line to use the Infinity Stones and will Thanos out of existence. In saving the universe, Stark lost his own life, ending Robert Downey Jr.'s MCU career that started with Iron Man. Stark's funeral in Avengers: Endgame was incredibly touching and the perfect way to bid farewell to the fallen Avenger.
7 Steve Rogers Retires & Makes Sam Wilson Captain America

After the dust had settled from the Battle of Earth and Tony Stark's demise, one job still needed doing - the Infinity Stones needed to be returned to their respective timelines. This onus fell voluntarily on Steve Rogers' Captain America, who presumably successfully returned the Stones to 1970, 2012, 2013, and 2014, but instead of returning to 2023 after this mission, he decided to retire. Wanting the normal life he'd yearned for, Rogers chose to stay in the past, reuniting with his lost love Peggy Carter. However, he eventually returned to 2023 as an old man, gifting the Captain America shield and mantle to Sam Wilson.
6 Nick Fury Collects The Harvest & Leaves Earth

Unbeknownst to all the Avengers, Nick Fury had plans of his own following the Battle of Earth, which could have been controversial had he revealed them to his superpowered friends. Realizing many of the MCU's heroes had spilled blood during the Battle of Earth, Fury sent in units of shapeshifting Skrulls to collect the DNA from the battlefield, which he then gathered together in a serum dubbed "the Harvest." Since these units were led by Gravik, the Harvest became his target during his Skrull rebellion in Secret Invasion, and this would eventually allow both him and G'iah to be transformed into Super Skrulls in the MCU.
5 The Flag Smashers Become Super Soldiers

The Super Skrull serum wasn't the only potion that MCU characters were after in the wake of the Battle of Earth, as the Flag Smashers, led by Karli Morgenthau, also took the aftermath of the Blip as their opportunity to enhance themselves into super soldiers. Using a refined formula from Dr. Wilfred Nagel in Madripoor - under the employ of Sharon Carter, a.k.a. the Power Broker - the Flag Smashers elevated themselves and began their fight against the Global Repatriation Council. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's storyline unfolded in 2024, but the Flag Smashers first injected themselves with the super-soldier serum in 2023.
4 Scarlet Witch Enslaves A Town

Phase 4's WandaVision is set roughly three weeks after the events of Avengers: Endgame, meaning Vision's death would still be fresh in Wanda Maximoff's mind, as for her, it happened only weeks ago. After she witnessed the supposed dismantling of his body in SWORD's headquarters, Maximoff drove to the site of the home she and Vision had planned to build together, and unwittingly unleashed a huge amount of energy, trapping the town of Westview, New Jersey, in a sitcom-style world. Maximoff eventually bringing down the Westview Hex meant that Vision and their children, Billy and Tommy, ceased to exist, beginning Wanda's transformation into the villainous Scarlet Witch.
3 Monica Rambeau Gets Powers & Vision Is Resurrected

Since WandaVision took place in 2023, Monica Rambeau returned to the MCU as an adult after previously being seen as a child in the 1995-set Captain Marvel. Over the course of WandaVision, Rambeau traveled unprotected through the Westview Hex three times, eventually imbuing her with abilities of her own. Rambeau can now see different spectrums of energy, absorb energy, and make herself intangible, which will surely come in handy when she returns in 2023's upcoming The Marvels. WandaVision also introduced the rebuilt White Vision to the MCU, and his story is set to continue in Vision Quest after his memories were restored.
2 Jane Foster's Cancer Diagnosis

One of the more tragic storylines to be depicted in late 2023 in the MCU is Jane Foster's unfortunate cancer diagnosis. Soon after discovering her diagnosis of Stage 4 cancer, Foster began chemotherapy treatment and doing personal research to try and cure her condition. This would ultimately lead to her journeying to New Asgard, being called by Mjolnir, Thor's hammer that had been enchanted to protect her. Despite being destroyed by Hela in Thor: Ragnarok, Mjolnir reformed itself and allowed Foster to wield it as the Mighty Thor. Thor: Love and Thunder was set in 2025, but Foster became the Mighty Thor quite some time beforehand.
1 Eternals Stop The Emergence

The events of Phase 4's Eternals took place between November and December 2023, bringing the year to an end with the potential for the Earth to be destroyed by the emerging Celestial Tiamut. The return of the Earth's population in Avengers: Endgame meant there was enough energy for Tiamut to be born, but the Eternals thankfully banded together for the first time in centuries to thwart the emergence. During this quest, several Eternals lost their lives, including Ajak, Gilgamesh, and Ikaris, who flies into the sun following Tiamut's death. Eternals brought 2023 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a close by luckily avoiding the destruction of the Earth.
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