Marvel Keeps Ignoring the Most Obvious Fix for Its Multiverse Problem

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be moving ahead with Multiverse narratives that bring together films from the past and introduce new character variants, the Marvel Studios’ run franchise is not the only one going down this path. Whether it’s The Man in the High Castle, the DCU, or Everything Everywhere All At Once, Multiverse storytelling opens up opportunities to explore alternative worlds and characters, allowing for ‘what if’ style tales that create opportunities for creative experimentation.

Audiences are already growing fatigued with the concept of the Multiverse, though, because it is being used so often. Almost every interpretation of the Multiverse has been put to the screen already, and it was always the natural next step beyond the shared universe trend. Marvel Studios, nonetheless, has now been fully tied into this conceptual exploration, and it’s clear that the plans that are currently in place will only encourage the use of that narrative structure. Despite the flaws that the concept might face, the forward momentum will not be slowed. So, how can Marvel fix those issues without completely ignoring the fan base?

The Multiverse Saga Hasn’t Panned Out How the Studio Would Hope

Audiences are Growing Fatigued With the Concept

The Multiverse was first introduced in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

When Avengers: Endgame rolled around, audiences were intrigued to see what would become of Loki. While time travel had already been explored in the MCU’s past, and projects outside of the MCU like Deadpool 2 and X-Men: Days of Future Past had already investigated the concept of clashing timelines, there was something fresh and new about what Marvel was trying to do. Little did fans know that Loki’s disappearance would spark a series of events that led to the introduction of the TVA, the villain Kang, the concept of variants, and ultimately, a run of movies and TV shows that take advantage of the Multiverse concept. The Multiverse Saga was born, with the idea being that Kang the Conqueror himself would be the main antagonist of the piece. It’s fair to say that there were some highs in this run as Loki managed to handle these ideas superbly, and Spider-Man: No Way Home really delivered on the fan service that audiences were looking for. What If…? is a gorgeous animated series, and Deadpool & Wolverine has acted as a true homage to the Fox movies of the past, with cameos and connections that are being rewarded at the box office.

However, Venom’s involvement in all of this has been confusing, and Morbius certainly didn’t do Sony’s universe any favors when it came to Multiverse mixing. It’s still unclear if that particular inclusion in WandaVision was linked to the Multiverse at all, and fans were pretty mixed on reactions to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which nailed the horror elements but might not have quite met expectations. And who could forget Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which was so crucial to establishing Kang as the new major threat but ultimately failed to really engage with viewers. Plus, there’s that The Marvels cameo, which has left some scratching their heads as it teased a live-action X-Men team before the official MCU team has appeared. It would appear audiences have grown tired of the Multiverse concept because it is absolutely everywhere, and those lows haven’t always outweighed the highs. Some worry that so much focus is being put on the Multiverse, regardless of its flaws, that much better stories are being left on the table. The likes of Dark Reign, Secret Invasion, and Secret Empire could all be adapted in far more detail than the nods they have previously received, but they are either being undervalued or altogether ignored. What’s more, audiences are actually getting confused about some of the laws of the Multiverse. Characters reappearing, complex timelines, and the emotional weight of past outings seemingly being ignored for a cheap pop have the potential to dampen the audience experience.

Marvel Is Committed to the Arc Format

The MCU Has Moved to a New Big Bad

The Multiverse arc is set to conclude in Avengers: Secret Wars.

Irrespective of the problems that the Multiverse Saga faces, Marvel Studios is moving forward with the concept regardless. Fans might have felt that they had no connection to the Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and that the stakes of Logan’s death are reduced when Wolverine can reappear again in a new form. However, Deadpool & Wolverine has attempted to refocus this saga, concentrating on some of the strengths and attempting to demonstrate that those flaws, if handled correctly, don’t have to be problems at all. Even still, audiences are crying out for change so that the Multiverse Saga is no longer the focus. The main goal is still to reach Avengers: Secret Wars, which will undoubtedly lead to a massive crossover of characters from movies past and present. But, in many ways, that’s just recycling what’s already happened in past Multiverse outings, albeit on a much larger scale. Again, it may seem as if the story itself is taking a step back in favor of fully focusing on cameos and surprise inclusions, just for the sake of them.

Marvel Studios had a real opportunity when they had to move away from Kang the Conqueror as the main villain of the series. The studio could have taken the chance to completely shift direction and bring in a threat that wouldn’t involve the Multiverse. Those previously mentioned examples are a perfect indication of what Marvel could have done. Why not bring in the Dark Reign era with the MCU’s own Norman Osborn, for example, leading to the Dark Avengers? Or perhaps the Skrulls could emerge again in a proper Secret Invasion arc. Instead, Marvel has gone bold and kept the Multiverse framework but replaced Kang with Doctor Doom. That doesn’t necessarily have to be a Multiverse-focused story, but by bringing in Robert Downey Jr. as the villain, it’s instantly clear that other worlds will come into play. Of course, RDJ’s inclusion won’t be a cameo appearance, and Marvel will likely utilize the fact that the Avengers’ greatest enemy also looks like their greatest ally. Sadly, the narrative is in such a position that they must maintain the struggling Multiverse story, as it famously is caused by Doom, while everything screams that it’s time to move away from the Multiverse.

The Multiverse Could Become a Part of the Universe Without Narrative Focus

Fan Casting, Cameos & Team-ups Could Replicate Comic Book Success

The next Multiverse project to release will be Marvel’s What If…? Season 3.

Really, the problem isn’t the Multiverse, as there are plenty of benefits to it. The issue is the relentless focus on this style of storytelling, even when the street-level releases, political thrillers, and horror projects have shown just as much if not more, promise. If the audience is ready to move on, why carry on with the Multiverse Saga at all? The Multiverse is a major part of the comics and is constantly being used as a tool to bring together characters and create new arcs. But the overall narrative of Marvel’s run has nothing to do with the Multiverse. It’s simply just another aspect of the world, much like magic, Mutants, and superpowers are. The Multiverse doesn’t need to be the focal point that a whole story is built around. While the Infinity Stones were useful in that role in the initial phases of the MCU, Marvel has struggled to force the Multiverse to act in the same way. But the Infinity Stones didn’t impact the style of storytelling or even the genre quite like the Multiverse does. That’s where the key contrast lies.

If Marvel really wants to solve the problems that it is facing, it needs to ditch the Multiverse as the anchor point completely and move forward with a different style of storytelling entirely. The Multiverse can still be used as a tool for those cameos, shocking inclusions, and casting experimentation. Having the likes of John Krasinski or RDJ in new roles in the MCU probably would not have happened without the Multiverse. But the MCU does not need to base most of its significant stories around the Multiverse as a concept. Therefore, the things that come with the use of the Multiverse, like the fun crossovers, are only brought in when they are absolutely necessary and key to the narrative being crafted. Those inclusions are not the end goal, nor is the Multiverse then forced into every sequel just for the sake of continuity and connectivity. What would a Doctor Strange horror sequel have looked like without the Multiverse after all? How could Venom enter the MCU without the weird post-credit sequence that fans received? Where the Multiverse works, like with Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s because it has been strongly considered and functions irrespective of the wider Saga. But where it doesn’t, it’s because projects are burdened with the desire to add to the larger tapestry of this phase. Overall, Marvel Studios should keep the Multiverse but ditch the Saga.