Why Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk & Thor All Happen In One Week

What If…? episode 3 reminded audiences that the events of Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk and Thor all take place over one week. Although the chronology of the MCU is widely known, the events of What If…? make it abundantly clear just how jam-packed the events of Phase 1 actually are. As it turns out, there’s a very good reason why things seem to happen so quickly.

The three films at the center of one of the most dramatic weeks in MCU share complex overlapping timelines. Just like in What If…? episode 3, events start with Iron Man 2, when a disconsolate Tony Stark learns that he only has 72 hours to live as a result of his palladium poisoning. This sparks his conflict with Whiplash and Justin Hammer. The following day, on Asgard, Thor’s coronation is interrupted by marauding Frost Giants, precipitating his fall to Earth and the events of the first Thor movie. Just two days later, the Hulk fights the Abomination at Culver University, capping off a week of chaos for several of the series’ main protagonists and SHIELD Director Nick Fury.

From a narrative point of view, cramming so much action into such a short period of time might seem slightly nonsensical. Given the high-stakes action involved in all three film plots, it seems slightly far-fetched that the Earth could be placed in so many different kinds of peril in the space of just seven days. However, there are actually a couple of crucial reasons why the events of all three films need to happen in one week. For starters, the emergence of so many different types of threats at once is one of the catalysts that jump-starts wider support for the Avengers Initiative. Chronologically, the only major conflict that happens prior to this week is Iron Man’s battle with Obadiah Stane. Although potentially extremely serious, this conflict does not require a team made up of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to resolve. Therefore, an avalanche of serious global threats and the discovery of Asgardian extraterrestrials is essential in highlighting the importance of the Avengers team. If the events had all happened separately, they might have been ignored or downplayed. This way, the threats facing Earth are made abundantly clear.

There is another, more practical reason why the three films need to take place at the same time. Given their own extensive capabilities, it seems likely that characters like Black Widow, Hawkeye, and even Nick Fury himself would all be on hand to handle potential threats such as Thor, Hulk, and Whiplash. However, the fact that SHIELD’s resources are spread so thin over the week explains why these three characters don’t play a prominent role in all three films. The ongoing drama throughout the week provides the perfect cover for why a character like Hawkeye doesn’t appear in The Incredible Hulk.

By following the characters of Nick Fury and Black Widow, What If…? episode 3 made the frenetic activity of that crucial Phase 1 week crystal clear. After watching the episode, the audience is in no doubt that Earth’s security services were seriously stretched. However, both for practical narrative considerations and for the impact on the wider MCU, it’s essential that the events of Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor all happen over just seven days.