User:MarioProtIV/List of multiverse worlds (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
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Within the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise and its related media, the multiverse is a construct and setting that is used to connect various universes in-franchise and various Marvel-related film franchises under the scope of Marvel Studios. First introduced in Doctor Strange (2016), it was expanded upon considerably in "The Multiverse Saga" of the MCU, beginning with the Disney+ series Loki (2021–2023) in Phase Four of the MCU, and planned to conclude with the Phase Six film Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). The universes set within the MCU multiverse have been shown to be variable in nature, and are usually designated either in-film by Marvel Studios themselves, or have been confirmed by a producer or director of the respective media.
After the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in 2019, Marvel Studios had the rights to characters associated with franchises produced by other studios that were either put on hold as a result of the merger, or had been rebooted in favor of a new iteration, such as Spider-Man, the X-Men or the Fantastic Four. This allowed the chance to link them to the MCU via the multiverse and provide closure to certain character arcs that otherwise were abruptly stopped.
Background
editConcept and creation
editThe multiverse was first introduced to the Marvel Comics during the 1960s and 1970s. In Strange Tales #103 (1962), the character Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four is teleported to an alternate reality for the first time in Marvel history, with the character sent to the Fifth Dimension.[1] The concept of the multiverse was then fully explored in What If...? #1 (1977) and Marvel Two-in-One #50 (1979),[2] with the term "multiverse" first used in the What If...? series.[1] The main reality featured in the comics, Earth-616, was first named in The Daredevils #7 (1983) by Captain Britain creator David Thorpe to differentiate the character from his alternate versions.[3][4]
In 2008, the film Iron Man was released, kickstarting the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise.[5] The setting of the franchise was subsequently designated Earth-199999 by Marvel Comics in the hardcover version of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z, Vol. 5 (2008).[6][7] The characters Loki, Gwenpool, and Doctor Strange from the comics have been shown to be aware of the MCU's existence.[8][9][10] The multiverse is introduced to the MCU in the film Doctor Strange (2016), with director Scott Derrickson noting that the character in the comics had previously "broke[n] open the Marvel comic book universe into the Marvel multiverse".[11] At the time, producer and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated that there were no plans to explore parallel universes similar to the ones featured in the comics, with the film instead exploring various "alien dimensions".[12]
The MCU multiverse is revisited in the film Avengers: Endgame (2019), in which the Avengers journey to four alternate timelines as part of a "Time Heist".[13] The escape of an alternate version of Loki from an alternate 2012 New York sets up the first season of the Disney+ series Loki (2021).[14][15] The multiverse plays a central role in Phase Four of the MCU, most notably in the first season of Loki,[16] the first and second seasons of the Disney+ series What If...? (2021 and 2023),[17][18] the film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021),[19] and the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).[20] Phase Four, Phase Five, and Phase Six of the MCU will comprise "The Multiverse Saga".[21]
The showrunners of Loki collaborated with the crews behind the Disney+ series WandaVision (2021), What If...?, and the film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), as all three projects are connected to the multiverse in some way. Together with WandaVision co-executive producer Mary Livanos and What If...? executive producer Brad Winderbaum, Loki executive producers Kevin Wright and Stephen Broussard developed a "rule book" regarding the MCU's multiverse and alternate timelines.[22][23] Feige also held a meeting with Marvel Studios executives to discuss the rules of the multiverse and how they would present it to audiences.[24]
With the release of The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline in October 2023, Feige wrote in its foreword that Marvel Studios only considered, at that time, projects developed by them in their first four phases as part of their "Sacred Timeline", but acknowledged the history of other Marvel films and television series that would exist in the larger multiverse given they were "canonical to Marvel". Additionally, he noted as Marvel Studios progressed in the Multiverse Saga, other outside timelines had the potential to "crash or converge" with the Sacred Timeline.[25]
Designations
editCompared to Marvel Comics, the way universes are designated in the MCU multiverse is different, as it is intended to be separate from the way the comics do so – Doctor Strange (2016) director Scott Derrickson described that film as starting the "Marvel Cinematic multiverse".[26] In 2008, the designation for the MCU, shortly after the release of Iron Man (2008), was revealed as "Earth-199999" by Marvel Comics within the Marvel multiverse as part of their continuity.[27] Easter eggs referring to the MCU as Earth-616 or alluding to it were referenced in Thor: The Dark World (2013), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) and Loki (2021–present), although they were either non-canonical, revealed as ruses (in the case of Far From Home) or left intentionally vague.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) connected the MCU to previous Spider-Man films (starring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, respectively) as well as Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU), the first two franchises having previously being officially designated by Marvel Comics as "Earth-96283" and "Earth-120703", although not referred to as such in the MCU.[28][29] The SSU later received its designation in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) as "Earth-688", despite the designation being already used in the comics.[30]
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), one of the major universes visited by Strange is designated "Earth-838", where that universe's Christine Palmer refers to the main MCU universe as Earth-616.[27] This was intentional – Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore and eventually president Kevin Feige referred to the main MCU timeline as Earth-616 as far back as late 2021.[31][32][33] On the commentary audio track for Multiverse of Madness, director Sam Raimi revealed that the universe that an alternate version of Stephen Strange seen in the opening scene originated from was designated "Earth-617".[34]
List of alternate Earths
editMain universes
editAs of 2024, many different alternate realities have been depicted on-screen or referenced to in six projects so far: Avengers: Endgame (2019), Loki (2021–2023), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), The Marvels (2023) and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). Some of these realities take inspiration from various projects of Marvel or diverge from the main MCU timeline. Additionally, it has linked previous film franchises of Marvel characters to the main MCU, as is the case with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007) and Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man duology (2012–2014), both of which were produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment, the X-Men and Fantastic Four films produced by 20th Century Fox, as well as other non-MCU films from the 2000s, including the Blade trilogy produced by New Line Cinema from 1998–2004.
Introduced in Marvel Cinematic Universe films
editOfficial reality designation | Brief description | First appearance |
---|---|---|
Earth-616 Marvel Cinematic Universe ("Sacred Timeline") |
|
Iron Man (2008) |
Earth-617 |
|
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) |
Earth-838 |
| |
Unnamed Earth |
| |
Unnamed Earth |
|
The Marvels (2023) |
Unnamed Earth |
|
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) |
Introduced in Sony Pictures Entertainment's films
editOfficial reality designation | Brief description | First appearance |
---|---|---|
Unnamed Earth ("Raimi-verse") |
|
Spider-Man (2002) |
Unnamed Earth ("Webb-verse") |
|
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) |
Earth-688 Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) |
|
Venom (2018) |
Introduced in 20th Century Fox's films
editOfficial reality designation | Brief description | First appearance |
---|---|---|
Earth-10005 |
|
X-Men (2000) |
Unnamed Earth |
|
Fantastic Four (2005) |
Unnamed Earth |
|
Daredevil (2003) |
Introduced in New Line Cinema's films
editOfficial reality designation | Brief description | First appearance |
---|---|---|
Unnamed Earth |
|
Blade (1998) |
What If…? universes
editIn the animated anthology series What If...?, many different alternate universes are explored. All of them branch from established events from the main MCU continuity of Earth-616, with various changes to a character's origin or where events of one of the films played out in a different way. These can have dire consequences on the universe, or in extreme cases, the multiverse, as what happened with an alternate Ultron. Season 2 of What If...? continues to explore alternate universes from various points in the MCU, or continue previous storylines in alternate universes depicted in season 1.
Official reality designation | Brief description | First appearance |
---|---|---|
Unnamed Earth |
|
"What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?" (2021) |
Unnamed Earth |
|
"What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?" (2021) |
Unnamed Earth |
|
"What If... the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?" (2021) |
Unnamed Earth (destroyed) |
|
"What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?" (2021) |
Unnamed earth |
|
"What If... Zombies?!" (2021) |
Unnamed Earth |
|
"What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?" (2021) |
Unnamed Earth |
|
"What If... Thor Were an Only Child?" (2021) |
Unnamed Earth |
|
"What If... Ultron Won?" (2021) |
Other known universes
editBesides What If...?, some timelines have diverged from Earth-616 at unspecified points in the past or were shown briefly or had a lesser impact on the plot before eventually being pruned or reversed. Examples of these were shown in the ABC television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2020), especially in later seasons, as well as the results of the Time Heists in Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Depicted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films
editOfficial reality designation | Brief description | First appearance |
---|---|---|
Unnamed Earth (pruned) |
|
Avengers: Endgame (2019) |
Unnamed Earth |
| |
Unnamed Earth (pruned) |
"The Nexus Event" (Loki) |
Depicted in other Marvel media
editOfficial reality designation | Brief description | First appearance |
---|---|---|
Unnamed Earth |
|
N/A |
Unnamed Earth |
|
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (season 5) |
Unnamed Earth |
|
"Mother's Little Helpers" (Helstrom) |
See also
editReferences
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- ^ McMillan, Graeme (November 15, 2014). "Worlds Collide: A History of Marvel and DC's Multiverses". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
- ^ Dyce, Andre (September 13, 2019). "Why Marvel's Universe is Called '616' in The Comics". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
- ^ Frevele, Jamie (November 19, 2020). "The Origin Story of Earth-616 As Told by Its Creator, Writer David Thorpe". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
- ^ Douglas, Edward (April 25, 2010). "Exclusive: Marvel Studios Production Head Kevin Feige". Superhero Hype. Archived from the original on May 26, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
- ^ Francisco, Eric (May 8, 2019). "'Spider-Man: Far From Home': "Earth-616" Reveal Raises Some Huge Questions". Inverse. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ Kleinman, Jake (May 5, 2022). "The Marvel Multiverse Explained: Earth-616 vs. Earth-838 vs. Earth-199999". Inverse. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ^ Whitbrook, James (May 8, 2019). "A New Spider-Man: Far From Home Clip Has Some Very Intriguing Teases About the Multiverse". io9. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
- ^ McGuire, Liam (July 31, 2020). "Marvel Comics Makes Natalie Portman's MCU Thor Meta-Canon". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 30, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ Phelan, Kevin (July 21, 2020). "Marvel's Doctor Strange Approves of His MCU Casting". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ Davis, Brandon (July 24, 2016). "Scott Derrickson Says Doctor Strange Starts The Marvel Cinematic Multiverse". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Sciretta, Peter (September 27, 2016). "Kevin Feige on How 'Doctor Strange' Will Change The Marvel Universe [On Set Interview]". /Film. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ^ Leadbeater, Alex (April 26, 2019). "Avengers: Endgame's Time Travel Explained (Properly)". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
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- ^ Davis, Brandon (May 15, 2019). "How Loki's New Timeline Plays Out After Avengers: Endgame". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ Hunt, James (June 8, 2021). "Where Loki Fits Into The MCU Timeline". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ Armstrong, Vanessa (July 8, 2021). "'What If...?' Trailer: Marvel Explores a Multiverse of Possibilities in Animated Anthology Series". /Film. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
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- ^ Schwerdtfeger, Conner (January 29, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Synopsis Confirms Alternate Realities". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ Vary, Adam B. (July 23, 2022). "Marvel Studios' Phases 5 and 6: Everything We Learned at Comic-Con About the Multiverse Saga". Variety. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ Outlaw, Kofi (August 12, 2021). "How Marvel's What If...? Coordinated With Loki, WandaVision, Spider-Man, and More". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ Robinson, Joanna (June 3, 2021). "How the Man Behind Loki Is Shaping Marvel's Phase 4 and Beyond". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ Evangelista, Chris (July 16, 2021). "A 'Rules Of The Multiverse' Meeting Was Held For The MCU Team, Kevin Feige Reveals". /Film. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ Johnston, Dais (October 23, 2023). "Kevin Feige Just Shattered MCU TV Canon". Inverse. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ Davis, Brandon (July 24, 2016). "Scott Derrickson Says Doctor Strange Starts The Marvel Cinematic Multiverse". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ a b c Kleinman, Jake (May 5, 2022). "The Marvel Multiverse Explained: Earth-616 vs. Earth-838 vs. Earth-199999". Inverse. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
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- ^ Hood, Cooper (June 1, 2023). "Every Spider-Man Universe That Appears In Across The Spider-Verse". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
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- ^ "Doctor Strange 2: Tony Stark's Ultron Plan Worked on Earth-838 Confirmed". Screen Rant. 7 July 2022.
- ^ Nast, Condé (May 12, 2022). "The Illuminati World in 'Doctor Strange 2' Is Even Darker Than It Seems". Vanity Fair.
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- ^ a b Leston, Ryan (January 26, 2022). "Spider-Man: No Way Home's Entire Script Is Now Online". IGN.
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