The MCU is prepared to take on the multiverse. Or at least this is what Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. NWH and Multiverse of Madness appear to be Marvel Studios’ first forays into the idea of the multiverse. This is where alternate versions of fan-favorite protagonists in the MCU are being brought together.
There’s speculation that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will appear alongside confirmed villains in No Way Home. These include Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock, and Jamie Foxx’s Electro. However, the MCU has already explored the concept of multiple universes.
It was hinted at in Doctor Strange in 2016, and in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio first told Peter Parker he was from another dimension. Though Mysterio’s backstory was a lie, with him declaring the thought “totally ridiculous and apparently exactly the kind of thing people will believe right now.” The MCU has since doubled down on the multiverse.
For example, the Disney+ series What If…? and Loki introduced the concept of alternate timelines before causing the MCU timeline to be shattered at the series’ conclusion. Now, Feige explains why he thinks the MCU’s multiverse board is ready.
Kevin Feige
In a recent interview with Collider, Kevin Feige about his thoughts. Over 20 films to draw from the multiverse can be brought to life. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here in the form of No Way Home and the Multiverse of Madness. Here is a direct quote from him:
“The Ancient One mentions it in Doctor Strange, when she’s taking Stephen Strange through that sort of mind warping journey. It was always one of the most powerful storytelling tools in the comics. One you have to wield carefully, because it can get overwhelming. But one that now with, obviously the 60 to 80 year history of the comics, now we have a 20 plus history of the movies and there are enough characters that we can start playing with it that way.”
He also spoke about how the acquisition of X-Men by Disney affected the multiverse’s timetable and if that timetable had been shifted at all due to the acquisition.
“I don’t think it was. I think the toys that were added to the toy box increased with that Fox acquisition, but it didn’t change the timetable on when we were introducing the idea of the Multiverse.”
Feige later spoke about how the MCU will be transformed by introducing the multiverse. There are always long-term consequences to major events, and the inclusion of multiple universes allows Marvel Studios to tell stories in new ways.
Loki has opened the multiverse
The MCU is Prepared for the Multiverse. However, the multiverse does seem to be one of the next major events coming to shake up the MCU. With its integration in Loki, What If…?, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, a lingering issue is how long the MCU is going to play around with the multiverse. This multiverse mayhem could be wrapped up in the May release of the Doctor Strange sequel.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s inclusion of Kang the Conqueror in July 2023 seems to indicate that the multiverse and alternate timelines will not be going away anytime soon. Many properties will likely experiment with the concept of the multiverse. This was confirmed by Feige earlier this year when he said he met with the Marvel Studios team to discuss its rules.
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