'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' Takes Place Two Years After 'The Avengers'

When aliens invade New York and a team of superheroes comes out of nowhere to defeat them, the world is going change quite a bit. This global fallout to events in Marvel's The Avengers has been referenced in Iron Man 3, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and even the trailer to Thor: The Dark World. The film after that, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, will certainly deal with a similar landscape too, especially since it features S.H.I.E.L.D., the agency at the center of The Avengers.

But where do all these films fall on the timeline? Iron Man 3 takes places six months after The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World is rumored to take place about year after and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is likely somewhere in between (Extremis baddies, anyone?). That leaves The Winter Soldier and, according to co-star Scarlett Johansson, the film takes place two years after The Avengers, suggesting much more will have change after Iron Man 3 and Thor 2.

Johansson said the following in an interview with Refinery 29 (via MTV):

This film is in real time. It's been two years since [the characters] appeared, and now both are agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fighting in the streets. We are not superheroes flying side by side. They help each other because we are fighting in a similar way. It's a working relationship.

By "real time," I don't think she means minute by minute like 24. She likely means The Avengers was released in May 2012 and Cap 2 will be released in April 2014. Two years. Real time.

She continued by teasing more about Black Widow's relationship with Cap:

By a series of unfortunate encounters, they will be in a situation in which their friendship becomes more intimate. They share many similarities because they live on the defensive without relying on anyone. Also, the two have been working for the government throughout their professional careers. With their friendship they begin to question what they want and what is their true identity.

Besides the development of that relationship, how do you think the events of the other Phase Two movies will influence Captain America: The Winter Soldier? Also, how much time do you estimate elapses between Cap 2 and Avengers: Age of Ultron? (My guess? Not much.) Does a two year gap ruin some logic as to why The Avengers don't appear in Iron Man 3?