Captain Marvel: Tesseract timeline EXPLAINED – Space Stone journey through MCU revealed

Those who have been keeping up with Marvel’s cinematic output for the last decade will be more than familiar with the Tesseract by now: it has appeared in multiple films, and the Space Stone was an integral part of the Snap that Thanos carried out at the end of last year’s Avengers: Infinity War – which wiped out half of all living things in the universe. So for anyone left confused, here’s how the Tesseract and Space Stone’s journey has played out so far.

Asgard to Norway

Going very far back in imagined history, the Space Stone was first placed in the Tesseract and was kept on Asgard – courtesy of Odin.

It was then hidden on Earth by worshippers of Odin – specifically in Norway.

This is where Red Skull found it in Captain America: The First Avenger; in scenes set in 1942.

Red Skull made the mistake of touching the Space Stone during a battle against Cap in 1945 – he was presumed dead but later showed up on Vormir.

Arctic Ocean to Stark and Mar-Vell

The Tesseract fell to the bottom of the Arctic Ocean until it was found by Howard Stark.

Decades later, we pick it up in Captain Marvel – being used by Dr Wendy Lawson, aka Mar-Vell, as part of Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.

The project was aiming to build a light speed engine using the Tesseract as a power source.

Mar-Vell was killed by Yon Rogg, and in her dying moments she ordered test pilot Carol Danvers to destroy the Tesseract-powered engine of her plane.

The resulting explosion swamped Danvers in huge energy, which gave her those jaw-dropping superpowers.

In and out of Goose

After Mar-Vell’s death, the Tesseract was hidden amongst the Skrulls on her ship as it orbited around Earth.

In the final showdown of Captain Marvel we see Danvers finding it – and stopping the Kree, headed by Yon Rogg from getting their hands on it.

Handily, Goose the alien cat swallows it – and coughs it up like a furball in Nick Fury’s office in a post-credits scene.

Earth to Asgard again

The Tesseract remains on Earth for several years, it seems.

It is next seen in the end credits scene of Thor; in which Fury introduces Dr Selvig to it – not knowing that he’s under the control of villainous Loki.

In The Avengers, we realise Thanos has sent Loki to Earth to retrieve the Tesseract – starting his mission to obtain all six Infinity Stones.

Despite the best efforts of Loki and Dr Selvig, the Tesseract stays in the control of the Avengers; and Thor returns it to Asgard.

Into Thanos’ hands

During the climax of Thor: Ragnarok, Loki comes face-to-face with the Tesseract again in Odin’s treasure room.

In Avengers: Infinity War, we realise he stole it – as he presents it to Thanos.

Thanos takes it and swiftly kills Loki. And by the end of that movie, Thanos has all six Stones – and carries out the infamous Snap.

So what next for the Stones? We’ll have to wait for Avengers: Endgame to find out.

Captain Marvel is out now.