Where Are The Avengers During Moon Knight?

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Moon Knight.

The first episode of Moon Knight is finally out and fans are wondering where the Avengers are during the show’s pilot. Marvel Studios kicks off 2022 with its sixth Disney+ series. This time, it introduces an entirely new character played by Oscar Isaac. But since the MCU is known for its interconnected storytelling, there have been questions about Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ whereabouts.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Marvel Studios’ Phase 4 schedule was reshuffled a couple of times. Because of that, certain projects’ time setting haven’t been definitively revealed. Instead, there’s just an understanding that everything takes place after Avengers: Endgame. In Moon Knight‘s case, despite its limited ties to the bigger MCU, there has been an indication that it’s also the case. But recently, Disney+ also revealed where exactly it lands in the franchise’s timeline, and as it turns out, its events take place after Hawkeye.

With that established, it’s easier to decipher what the Avengers are doing while Steven Grant goes through the off-putting realization that he has multiple personalities inside of him such as Marc Spector, Moon Knight, and Mr. Knight. For starters, it’s safe to say that at this point, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) is either still enjoying quality time with his family or busy continuing Kate Bishop’s (Hailee Steinfeld) training. Meanwhile, since Spider-Man: No Way Home takes place before Hawkeye, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) would be likely busy dealing with the ramifications of his actions in helping Peter Parker (Tom Holland). This would be more properly tackled in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In conjunction with that, Moon Knight‘s events are also taking place in a world that has already forgotten that Peter is Spider-Man. With that, chances are that the wall-crawler is busy patrolling the streets of New York to be bothered by what’s happening in London where Moon Knight is set.

Meanwhile, both Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) are still off-world as revealed in Spider-Man: Far From Home and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, respectively. The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), on the other hand, could still be in his laboratory, providing assistance to his cousin, Jennifer Ann Walters/She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany). Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) could either be at the tail end of her self-imposed exile as seen in WandaVision or is already on the move in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. What’s difficult to predict is Captain America’s (Anthony Mackie) current whereabouts. The events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier take place long before Moon Knight, so it’s safe to say that Sam Wilson is already operating as the new Star-Spangled Avenger at this point. But it is unclear what he’s been up to. As for War Machine (Don Cheadle), Rhodey is probably busy with government affairs as hinted by his role in Secret Invasion. 

With only one episode in, there’s still plenty of time for any of the Avengers to appear on Moon Knight. But between its intentional contained narrative and setting, chances are that any guest character would only appear in a limited capacity — if at all. But that shouldn’t be a cause for concern as this means that the show can focus on its own story and not establish ties to the bigger MCU. If anything, Marc/Steven will ultimately join the wider universe down the road. 

Moon Knight releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.