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Credit: Marvel StudiosTo some, October 2023 might be a typical month in an otherwise typical year. But Halloween festivities, solar eclipses, and other various fall holidays aside, it’s actually a very important time period in cinematic history, particularly regarding the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It’s hard to believe that Marvel Studios’ critically acclaimed Infinity Saga came to an end over four years ago with Avengers: Endgame (2019), marking the conclusion of one of the most successful film franchises in cinematic history.
The first four Avengers movies raked in big bucks for Disney and Marvel, with Avengers: Infinity War (2017) and Endgame grossing over $2 billion each at the worldwide box office.
Since then, the MCU has largely failed to replicate some of that same movie magic, instead shifting their focus to a string of less-than-impressive Disney+ TV shows like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Secret Invasion, Ms. Marvel, and the highly divisive She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Related: Marvel Retcons ‘Avengers: Endgame’, Changes Iron Man’s Ending
Despite scoring some wins with original series like WandaVision and Season 1 of Loki, on top of hit theatrical releases like the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Marvel’s Phase Four was, essentially, a critical flop, spelling trouble for the future of the MCU post-Infinity Saga.
However, things might finally be looking up for Marvel Studios thanks to the upcoming sophomore season of Loki, which arrives on Disney+ next week. Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel (2019) team-up sequel, The Marvels (2023), could also help spark interest in the dying superhero franchise as it continues to build the Multiverse Saga, with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026) on the not-so-distant horizon.
Although the future of Marvel is up in the air, this October calls for fans to look back on an especially crucial chapter in franchise history, which, interestingly enough, will technically take place this month.
According to MCU canon, the events of Avengers: Endgame take place in October 2023, picking up five years after Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) Snap, as pointed out by @FandomWire on X (formerly known as Twitter):
October 2023 – Avengers: Endgame month. Iron Man and Black Widow will officially die this month.
October 2023 – Avengers: Endgame month. Iron Man and Black Widow will officially die this month. pic.twitter.com/86N0X3k6Gl
— FandomWire (@FandomWire) October 2, 2023
With half of the universe’s population blipped out of existence due to the Mad Titan’s actions, Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) are left to pick up the pieces after Infinity War.
The Avengers, despite being defeated and having lost nearly everything in the Blip, reluctantly join forces to build a time-traveling device that will take them back to specific points in history, all in an attempt to stop Thanos from collecting the Infinity Stones and completing his Infinity Gauntlet.
Along the way, Natasha tragically sacrifices herself in place of Clint on the remote planet of Vormir to obtain the Soul Stone, helping to undo the Snap, which saw 50% of the universe disintegrate.
One of the more tearjerking moments in MCU history takes place later in the film, after the Avengers’ climactic battle with Thanos, and sees Tony using the Infinity Gauntlet to snap Thanos and his army out of existence, as the nano-tech design of his latest Iron Man armor allows him to harness the energy of the stones for a brief moment — before it eventually kills him.
With two devastating deaths, it’s safe to say that Endgame will forever go down as one of the most tonally serious installments in Marvel history. And fans have plenty of evidence to suggest that October 17, 2023, is the exact death day of Tony Stark, with Natasha Romanoff’s preceding his by roughly one day (or, in 2014 thanks to time travel, depending on how you view it).
So, although Marvel has yet to confirm the exact canonized death anniversaries for the MCU’s Iron Man and Black Widow, we do know that they occur sometime during the month of October 2023. It’ll be interesting to see if the superhero franchise will take to social media to confirm the dates of these heroes’ passings in the coming weeks or if fans will have to continue to theorize on their own.
Either way, October 2023 is a time of remembrance for the departed members of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes — well, in the MCU, at least. But in real-life, Natasha and Tony’s deaths still gets us in our feels today.
Do you remember the first time you saw Avengers: Endgame? Are Iron Man and Black Widow’s sacrifices just as upsetting on a rewatch? Share your thoughts in the comments below.