Credit: Marvel (all components)Ah, the Marvel . books love to use this device after they’ve exhausted time travel, clones, and every other plot device. To give credit to Comics, however, its has allowed its creators to create endless variations on popular characters and scenarios, including beloved favorites, like the Ultimate ‘s Miles Morales.
The is a relatively new concept in the MCU, however, so let’s get exploring. So, just ?
What the is comprised of
What is the concept of the ?
The is a real-world scientific theory that hypothetically states that our exists as one of many universes. The concept dates back centuries and philosophers and scientists alike have pondered the idea of the “many worlds” or , theory.
To explain it incredibly briefly and without expertise, the theory hypothesizes that there could be infinite variations of our where every eventuality you can imagine has occurred. For example, there could be one where every human is an insect. Equally, there could be a where and the rest of the MCU is real, due to the laws of physics and nature working differently there.
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What is the theory?
The theory links to the concept of a . Crucially, this idea has become a huge part of pop culture and has been seen in shows such as Family Guy, as well as in other science fiction classics like Rick and Morty and Doctor Who.
We certainly don’t claim to be physicists, so if you want to know the complexities of the multiverse theory, we highly recommend you read accredited scientific journals on the matter. The concepts involve complex ideas like String Theory, eternal inflation, extra dimensions, dark matter, and the big bang, which we are definitely not qualified to explain.
In terms of the science fiction interpretation of the theory, however, companies such as have used the concept of multiple universes, including the notion of the ‘pocket ‘ for decades.
How many multiverses are there?
In the , there are seemingly infinite universes that can only be explored by magical scholars like . However, scientists such as Reed Richards / Mr Fantastic have also been shown to explore the endless through their knowledge of quantum mechanics, big bang theory, and string theory.
In the real world, some physicists believe that there could indeed be infinite worlds. However, some also feel that this claim is overblown and that the may not be as endless as we think. For our purposes when discussing , however, it’s pretty darn endless.
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How is the related to the ?
What is the nature of the in the ?
The is a plot point that has been used in comics for decades, sometimes in major ways such as in the event, which saw the “main” and Ultimate combine into one.
In terms of the , we still haven’t been formally introduced to it. This is all set to change when in the of Madness finally releases in 2022. This will see the take front and centre position, as and co may have to deal with characters from an entirely new !
For now, however, the is just a theory and pure science fiction.
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How can the actually support a ?
The MCU has wisely taken its time when introducing the . We’ve only seen hints so far in the form of chalk drawings from characters like physicist Dr. Erik Selvig in the Thor movies. However, WandaVision seemingly opened up renewed hope for the by casting Evan Peters as Pietro Maximoff.
For those who don’t know, Pietro/Peter was played by Peters throughout the Fox X-Men movies. Casting Peters was a sure-fire sign to fans that heroes were coming. Many were stoked to consider that this is how the MCU could explain returning heroes such as (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman).
But no, sadly Peters was simply brought on to play an actor who is pretending to be Pietro on behalf of villain Agatha Harkness. This was a major let down for fans who thought this could be the way to introduce the .
In terms of how the MCU will support the , it’s likely to take a page out of both the Comics and the DC . Both and DC (and even the DC films) have created extensive multiverses. For those who don’t recall, Zack Synder’s Batman vs Superman (2016) hints at a future plot involving the Flash.
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How is the related to the ?
All is not lost, however. We know that the upcoming in the of Madness will (obviously) feature the “” concept. However, it isn’t just the that will explore the . The animated Disney+ series What If? will also tell new stories from across the .
Such stories will see Peggy Carter become an alternate version of known as . The will also be used in another scenario to bring the iconic Zombies into the MCU.
Hopefully, we’ll also see versions of , , and maybe even an MCU version of the event. It’s also worth noting that the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home looks to focus on the . Alfred Molina from the Sam Raimi trilogy and Jamie Foxx from the Amazing Spider-Man series are set to return as Doc Ock and Electro respectively. There’s even rumor that the will contain three Spider-Man: Tom Holland, , and Andrew Garfield.
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What are the most important alternate worlds in the ?
Who is the most powerful in the DC including the negative universes?
It’s not just the that has a , however. ‘s competitor DC comics has also used the concept for many years, introducing several alternate versions of classic characters like Superman, Batman, and Lex Luthor.
In terms of the most powerful , Superman is always a contender for his near-limitless power. However, Doomsday is also a major player in the DC and is notable for killing the Man of Steel in the iconic Death of Superman .
However, if you ask the good folks over at Fortress of Solitude, an obscure known as the Presence is easily the most powerful across the DC . Furthermore, expanding our reach to the Watchman , Doctor Manhattan is certainly a contender for the strongest DC .
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What is the coolest earth in the DC comics ?
The coolest earth in the DC is up for debate, but we can’t help but appreciate the DCeased , an not dissimilar to the Zombies event. Here, the DC heroes must contend with the Anti-Life equation virus, which turns people into Zombie-like creatures. This virus is spread by Cyborg and it soon turns the entire into a dystopic hellscape!
However, as hardcore fans, we’ve also got to point out the Amalgam , which is a crossover between and DC. This crazy takes a classic comics and combines them with their relevant DC counterpart! As such, you get heroes such as Super Soldier: a fusion of Superman and , Dark Claw: who is Wolverine and Batman, and Spider-Boy: a fusion of Spider-Man and Superboy.
Needless to say, this is pretty wild and also super cool!
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What are the most important alternate worlds in the ?
The is most notable for the main timeline (Earth 616) and the “Ultimate “. The Ultimate series was created to allow writers an opportunity to write new stories about classic characters without the baggage of years of continuity. These versions tended to be a little more edgy and dark. The Peter Parker of the Ultimate even ended up being killed by the Green Goblin and replaced by Miles Morales! This eventually merged with Earth 616 during the event.
comics also introduced a horrific parallel earth where the world had been taken over by super-powered zombies. , , and almost every other , X-Man, and Inhuman found themselves infected by the zombie plague. This even came into contact with the Ultimate Reed Richards and very nearly infected another ! The Zombies have proven popular and have returned several times since.
You can’t talk about the without talking about House of M and What If? House of M features Wanda Maximoff having a breakdown and altering the in the process. What If? on the other hand, is an anthology series that allows the writers to create unbound by continuity. There are several classic titles that ponder alternate events such as “What if had been a traitor?” and “What If? Age of “.
What are the major characters associated with the ?
How many characters are in the ?
We don’t need to tell you that there is a heck of a lot of characters in both the created movies and the comics. Each has introduced a handful of new characters, nearly all of whom came together in the event movies Avengers: and Endgame. MCU characters range from iconic original Avengers such as , the , and to newer heroes like the and .
All of these characters have their roots in the canon and many pay homage to their origins, whether through their design, journeys, or relationships with other characters. For example, remains best buds with Bucky Barnes, even though their relationship is updated to be more of a mutual friendship than the paternal “ – sidekick” relationship of the comics.
As with all , the MCU also contains a vast array of baddies. However, it has had somewhat of a history of unceremoniously killing them off in their first , so many of them aren’t likely to reappear! Characters that stand out include the iconic villains of the Avengers movies: Loki, , and . However, we’ve also seen excellent supervillains in solo movies such as the Red Skull, Hela, and Mysterio. Additionally, Disney+ has given us some cracking new baddies in the form of Agatha Harkness, John Walker/, and Flag Smasher/Karli Morgenthau.
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How many characters does Entertainment own?
Comics has full access to the entire library of characters. However, Studios could only have Cap shout ““, as for the longest time, it didn’t own the rights to other properties such as the X-Men, Defenders, Fantastic Four, and even Spider-Man. These are major players in the , but Disney slowly managed to acquire the rights to them over the years.
Fortunately, this means that Wolverine, Luke Cage, and the Silver Surfer can now stand alongside , and and the might go a long way to explaining how they are introduced. It’s been rumored for quite some time that the X-Men may have something to do with as Disney may wish to reuse actors from the Fox series (though the aforementioned Peters controversy somewhat calls this theory into question). However, it still totally makes sense for Disney to use past “ legacy movies” as the template for a “ “.
So, the next time there’s a major superhero crossover, we might see favorites like , Ryan Reynolds, and Hugh Jackman on the front line! At least in theory.Â
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What are the major characters associated with the ?
Right now, it’s all about and Scarlet Witch. The two stars of the upcoming 2022 are set to play a major role in the implementation of the . Who else has the magical powers capable of tearing open universes and traveling back in time?
The time-traveling antics of , , and the rest of the Avengers in Avengers: Endgame (2019) already set up multiple timelines and different versions of the same characters. Now we’re ready to take the next step and see Kevin Feige and company take us on some truly wild rides into unknown territory.
We can’t wait to potentially see returning fan-favorites like and Andrew Garfield, as well as all-new takes on classic characters in the brand new .
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What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.