Credit: Marvel StudiosAnt-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) producer Stephen Broussard recently got in the weeds about the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s rules for the Multiverse on the D23 Inside Disney podcast.
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Mentioned initially by The Ancient One in Doctor Strange (2016), the Multiverse connects our universe with infinite, slightly different universes. This has had a massive effect on Marvel films ever since, creating the basis for the Loki (2021) series on Disney+, sending Wanda on her villainous journey in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022), and bringing three of our favorite Spider-Men together in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
If the Multiverse seems confusing, imagine how hard it is for the filmmakers to keep track of everything.
Fortunately, Marvel Cinematic Universe producer Stephen Broussard has laid out their process of understanding and executing everything the Multiverse offers.
“Trying To Be Logically Consistent Within The Universe.”
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Kevin Feige and others who are heavily involved with the MCU now have regular internal meetings to discuss the rules and ensure the films abide by them.
According to Broussard, “…meetings like that are about trying to be logically consistent within the universe, which I would say is separate from being scientifically consistent. I don’t think anyone should look to these films and think they’re gonna walk away with degrees in quantum physics or other scientific pursuits, but that’s okay. I would hope they would walk away with an interest in pursuing those fields and maybe studying them for real. “
He also wants audiences to remember that Marvel movies are fantasies and are not meant to stand up to scientific scrutiny. They abide by rules that remain logically consistent between each film.
“We kind of look to be logically consistent across the films. Like, are we sticking to our own rules? Whether these rules hold scientific water or not, do they feel like they hold water for the universe at large? And the moments where we might break or kinda bend those rules, the tie always goes to: is it emotionally satisfying? I do think you could maybe pick on some of the logic here or there, no particular examples come to mind.”
This may not be satisfying for some Marvel fans, but Broussard also advises people who want to focus more on the science and logic behind the movie: don’t.
All Marvel Movies Are A Magic Trick
Stephen Broussard firmly believes that the essential thing in a Marvel movie is the emotion that drives the characters and compels an audience to pay attention. He compares this to a magician performing sleight-of-hand magic tricks.
“But we always are emotion first and if it feels like it’s gonna resonate, if it feels like the story’s gonna connect, we know that the audience is gonna go with us. And all movies have what I call sleight of hand. They’re trying to get you to watch the magic trick, and so the job of the movie is to not pay attention to the rules, or not pay attention to how you’re getting there. And I think all movies are kinda judged as successful or not successful based on sleight of hand and how well they’ve hid the magic trick.”
The magic seems to work because the MCU is here to stay for a while. However, there have been complaints about the quality of the tricks, so maybe they need to practice their sleight of hand more.
How do you think the MCU is handling the Multiverse? Let us know in the comments below.
