Avengers: Doomsday Timeline Confusion: Did Anthony Mackie Get the Dates Wrong?

When an actor says one thing and the MCU calendar says another, fans notice. Anthony Mackie recently sparked a timeline debate about Avengers: Doomsday, and the numbers don’t quite add…

By Reetam Bodhak

October 31, 2026

2 min read

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When an actor says one thing and the MCU calendar says another, fans notice. Anthony Mackie recently sparked a timeline debate about Avengers: Doomsday, and the numbers don’t quite add up.

What Mackie Said?

In a Syfy interview, Mackie said Doomsday picks up “literally months” after Captain America: Brave New World. According to him, Sam Wilson starts rebuilding the Avengers after that film, then heads into a new mission to take on Doctor Doom.

What the MCU Dates Suggest?

According to The Direct’s analysis, Brave New World has one of the few clearly defined dates in the MCU, while Doomsday has been pinned down through Avengers: Endgame Encore and the date on Bruce Banner’s computer.

Film	Reported Start Date
Captain America: Brave New World	Around April 16, 2027
Avengers: Doomsday	Around January 12, 2029
Gap between them	About 21 months

That’s nearly two years, not a few months.

Could Mackie Still Be Right?

Possibly. Doomsday could open with earlier scenes showing Sam recruiting his team, including meeting Shang-Chi and reuniting with Ant-Man. But jumping around the timeline at the very start could confuse audiences, so the more likely explanation is that Mackie simply misremembered or wasn’t fully briefed.

The Bigger Question: Where Is Sam’s Avengers Team?

The more interesting problem isn’t the date, it’s the roster. After Brave New World, fans expected a major team-up. Based on marketing so far, Sam’s group appears to include:

Member	Role
Falcon	Wingman
Thor	Existing Avenger
Ant-Man	Old friend
Shang-Chi	The one new recruit

For a movie with “Avengers” in the title, that’s a small squad, especially next to the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and the New Avengers.

Will We Get Answers?

Probably not many. Simu Liu has hinted the film won’t explain what Shang-Chi has been doing for years, and the same may apply to other characters. With the Multiverse tearing apart and Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom executing his plan, the movie will likely jump straight into the action.

There’s also the Steve Rogers factor. His return, minus the shield, has fans worried that Sam could be sidelined. For background on the film, see the Avengers: Doomsday Wikipedia page, and check the official Marvel site for confirmed updates. The film is set for December 18, 2026.