The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been revolutionizing superhero storytelling on the big screen for years. Over the years, it has successfully introduced audiences to cosmic battles, time travel, and now, the Multiverse.
However, despite all the excitement surrounding this concept, Marvel Studios has struggled to use the multiverse in a meaningful way.
MCU’s Multiverse Has Become A Machine To Use Nostalgia As Bait
Despite the unlimited potential the Multiversal concept held, the MCU has primarily treated it as a cameo delivery system rather than an opportunity to explore new narratives and fresh character arcs. Meanwhile, comics have long demonstrated how to harness the multiverse’s full potential.
So, if Marvel Studios truly wants to make its Multiverse Saga work, it needs to take some notes from the source material. Fans wanted the concept to lead to unpredictable, reality-bending storytelling. Instead, it quickly became clear that the multiverse was being used more as a gimmick.
Films such as ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, for instance, are one of the primary examples. While seeing the three Spider-Men together was a treat, beyond the nostalgia, the movie didn’t do much to expand what the multiverse could mean for the MCU. The same could be said for ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’, which teased infinite possibilities.
However, it ultimately boiled down to brief, fan-service-heavy appearances. Then there’s ‘Deadpool & Wolverine‘, which followed the same formula. Sure, it was exciting to see Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine back in action, and the film’s multiversal elements have fans buzzing. But the film was just another cameo parade.
Comics Use The Multiverse To Create Alternate Realities That Actually Matter
In the comics, Marvel has used the multiverse to tell different stories that challenge and redefine characters, rather than just throwing in familiar faces for quick applause. One of the best examples of this is ‘The Age of Apocalypse’. This 1995 storyline imagined a world where Charles Xavier was killed before forming the X-Men.
Related: Marvel Studios Pauses All Other Projects To Focus On The Multiverse Saga
This led to a dystopian reality where Apocalypse ruled with an iron fist. The beauty of this story wasn’t just in the setting, it was in how familiar characters were transformed by their new circumstances. Magneto became the leader of the X-Men. Cyclops was a brainwashed enforcer for the Apocalypse.
Whereas, Wolverine and Jean Grey led a mutant resistance. These weren’t just the same characters in different costumes; they were deeply altered by the world they lived in. This made everything feel like a genuinely fresh take on the X-Men mythos. DC Comics has also mastered this approach. Its multiverse isn’t just about massive crossovers.
Their focus was on establishing entire alternate Earths with their own unique history, tone, and stakes. For instance, Earth-2 reimagined classic heroes in a Golden Age setting. These worlds feel like fully realized realities, not just quick set-pieces for a single story. So, the MCU could learn from this approach by developing alternate realities that truly matter and have lasting consequences.
