Jump to content

Multiverse (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Sacred Timeline)

Multiverse
Marvel Cinematic Universe location
The full multiverse as depicted in the MCU, with multiple purple timelines branching from the "Sacred Timeline"
Top: The MCU multiverse, depicted as a sprawling branch of various timelines, in the first-season finale of Loki (2021)
Bottom: The MCU multiverse, now depicted in the form of a Yggdrasil-like tree, in the second-season finale of Loki (2023)
First appearanceDoctor Strange (2016)
Based onMultiverse
by Marvel Comics
Adapted by
GenreSuperhero fiction
In-universe information
TypeMultiverse
LocationsSee below

The multiverse is a fictional setting within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Based on the setting of the same name from the Marvel Comics, it is a collection of infinitely many alternate realities and dimensions. First explored in the film Doctor Strange (2016), it is revisited in the film Avengers: Endgame (2019) before playing a key role in Phases Four, Five, and Six of the MCU, which constitute "The Multiverse Saga".

The MCU's multiverse centers on a universe called the "Sacred Timeline". Alternative universes are generally "pruned" by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), until Sylvie kills TVA's leader, "He Who Remains", allowing new universes to form.

Many alternate versions of existing MCU characters have been introduced via the multiverse, most notably those of Loki, Kang the Conqueror, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Deadpool, and Wolverine. The main reality depicted in the MCU is designated Earth-616 beginning with the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), despite its original designation as Earth-199999 by Marvel Comics and outside media.

The multiverse has received a mixed response from critics, with praise for its visuals and nostalgic appeal but criticism of its excessive reliance on fan service. The incorporation of characters from non-MCU Marvel films has also generated speculation and discussion among viewers and commentators.

Concept and creation

[edit]

The 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]

Depictions

[edit]

The Infinity Saga

[edit]

Doctor Strange (2016)

[edit]

In Doctor Strange, the term "multiverse" is used by the Masters of the Mystic Arts to describe the multitude of dimensions within the MCU.[12] The character Ancient One brings Dr. Stephen Strange on a journey across the multiverse, passing by different universes and pocket realities,[26] including the Quantum Realm introduced in the film Ant-Man (2015),[27][28] the Mandelibus Dimension, the Actiniaria Dimension, the Flowering Incense Dimension, and the Grass Jelly Dimension.[29] Internally referred to as the "Magical Mystery Tour" at Marvel Studios, the scene was originally seven minutes long.[30][31] In an unrealized scene in the film Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Strange sends Thanos through a series of alternate universes, emulating the Magical Mystery Tour.[32] The film most notably explores the Astral Dimension,[33] the Dark Dimension,[34] and the Mirror Dimension.[35]

Astrophysicist Adam Frank was consulted on the depiction of the multiverse in Doctor Strange, offering guidance on how to portray the dimensions in a scientific manner.[36] Frank stated that he did not believe the multiverse exists in real life, but viewed it as a "great idea to use for fiction".[37][38] He added that the film's depiction did not need to be scientifically accurate as long as it "[drew] from the way scientists think about reality and think about space and dimensions".[39]

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 5 (2017–2018)

[edit]

The bulk of the fifth season of the ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2017–2018) is set in an alternate future, around the time of Infinity War, where Earth has been destroyed.[40][41] The protagonist team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents return to the present day at the end of the season.[42]

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

[edit]

In Endgame, the Avengers travel through the Quantum Realm to 1970 Camp Lehigh, 2012 New York, 2013 Asgard, and 2014 Morag and Vormir, to retrieve the six Infinity Stones displaced through time.[13] The events of The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) are revisited in the film.[43] The film establishes the rules of time travel in the MCU, rejecting the grandfather paradox and the butterfly effect which state that changes to the past will affect the future in the same timeline. Instead, the film stipulates that when the past or future is changed, it diverges from the main timeline into an alternate one, effectively creating a parallel universe.[44]

When Tony Stark / Iron Man and Scott Lang / Ant-Man attempt to acquire the Tesseract from 2012 New York, an alternate version of Loki escapes with the Tesseract.[45] Alternate versions of Thanos, Gamora, and Nebula teleport from 2014 to the Avengers Compound in the present-day, leading to a battle between the Avengers and Thanos.[46][47] Afterward, Steve Rogers / Captain America returns the Infinity Stones and Mjölnir to their original timelines, choosing to stay behind with an alternate version of Peggy Carter in 1949 and grow old with her.[48] The directors and screenwriter of the film disagree on whether this was done in an alternate reality through time travel,[49][50] or in the past in the main timeline.[48]

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

[edit]

In the film Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Quentin Beck / Mysterio claims to Peter Parker / Spider-Man that he and the Elementals are from an alternate reality in the multiverse named Earth-833, calling the main universe depicted in the MCU Earth-616.[8][51] This is later revealed to be a ruse devised by Beck and his crew to gain revenge on Stark, their former employer.[52] J. K. Simmons appears in a mid-credits scene as J. Jonah Jameson; he had previously portrayed the character in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy,[53][54] but director Jon Watts clarified that the character was a new incarnation and not "from another dimension or multiverse".[55] Despite this, Feige confirmed that a multiverse indeed existed in the MCU.[56][57]

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 7 (2020)

[edit]

In the seventh season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2020), the S.H.I.E.L.D. team pursues the Chronicoms across time through "tides".[58] The early episodes of the season appeared to contradict the time-travel rules established by Endgame,[59][60] though it is later revealed that a new timeline was created as a result of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team altering events in the past, in line with Endgame's depiction of time-travel.[61] The series finale, "What We're Fighting For", confirms that the events of the season had been taking place in a branched timeline, with Leo Fitz leading the team back to the series' main timeline through the Quantum Realm.[62]

The Multiverse Saga

[edit]

Loki season 1 (2021)

[edit]

The concept of the multiverse is explored in depth for the first time in the first season of Loki, which kicks off a multiverse-centric story arc in the MCU.[63] The version of Loki who had escaped from 2012 New York during the events of Endgame is captured by the Time Variance Authority (TVA),[45] an otherworldly organization which monitors the multiverse.[64] The series designates the main reality depicted in the MCU as the Sacred Timeline,[65] with the TVA striving to maintain this flow of time in all universes by "pruning" alternate timelines that have significantly deviated from the Sacred Timeline, using reset charges.[66] Loki, who is labeled a "variant" by the TVA,[67] is recruited by Mobius M. Mobius to hunt down Sylvie, another alternate version of himself who has been ambushing TVA Minutemen in alternate timelines.[68][69] After a skirmish at a 2050 Roxxon supermarket, the duo are forced to work together to escape 2077 Lamentis-1, a moon destined to be destroyed in an alternate timeline.[69][70]

Additional variants of Loki are introduced in the Void, a barren dimension at the end of time where individuals and objects are sent to after being pruned by the TVA. These include the elderly Classic Loki, the adolescent Kid Loki, the hammer-wielding Boastful Loki, and the reptilian Alligator Loki.[71][72] In the season finale, "For All Time. Always.", Loki and Sylvie meet He Who Remains, a mysterious figure from the 31st century who ended a multiversal war between variants of himself before establishing the TVA.[73][74] He is murdered by Sylvie, allowing universes to diverge from the Sacred Timeline and in turn leading to the recreation of the multiverse.[75] In the episode's final moments, Loki is transported to the TVA's past, where he meets an oblivious Mobius and sees a statue of He Who Remains.[73][74] This episode sets up the events of Multiverse of Madness, No Way Home, and Quantumania.[76][77][78]

According to head writer Michael Waldron, the time travel rules established by Endgame are elaborated upon in the series,[79] describing the multiverse as an overlapping cluster of intertwined timelines occurring at the same time.[80] The Sacred Timeline is depicted as a circular shape when viewed from the Citadel at the End of Time, a concept conceived by the series' storyboard artists and thought by director Kate Herron to be a "striking image".[81] Early concepts for the series included several other time periods which were ultimately not visited in the season.[82] Feige has stated that the events of Loki would leave a significant lasting impact on the MCU,[83] with Waldron adding that the series would have "wide-reaching ramifications" across the franchise.[84]

What If...? season 1 (2021)

[edit]

The first season of What If...? explores numerous alternate realities that have deviated from the Sacred Timeline.[17] The series is narrated by the Watcher, an almighty being who observes the multiverse without interfering.[85] The alternate realities featured in the season include one where Carter becomes the super-soldier Captain Carter,[86] one where T'Challa becomes Star-Lord,[87] one where the Avengers are assassinated by Hank Pym / Yellowjacket during the events of the tie-in comic Fury's Big Week (2012),[88] one where Stephen Strange is corrupted by dark magic,[89] one where Janet van Dyne / Wasp triggers a zombie apocalypse,[90] one where Erik "Killmonger" Stevens rescues Stark before causing a war between Wakanda and the U.S.,[91] one where Thor was an only child and lives a party lifestyle,[92] and one where Ultron uses the Infinity Stones to exterminate all life in the universe.[93]

The Watcher refuses to intervene when the corrupted Strange pleads with him to save his collapsing universe, citing his oath not to do so.[94] After failing to defeat the Infinity Stones-wielding Ultron, the Watcher breaks his oath and recruits six multiversal heroes to the Guardians of the Multiverse in an effort to save the multiverse.[95] Head writer A. C. Bradley was uncertain of how Loki and Multiverse of Madness would depict the multiverse, as production on What If..? began well before those two projects did, thus deciding to leave most of the MCU's multiversal "rules-building" to the crews behind Loki and Multiverse of Madness.[96]

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

[edit]

No Way Home connects the MCU to Sony Pictures' other Spider-Man films,[97][98] with multiple characters from alternate realities accidentally transported to the main timeline due to a miscast spell performed by Strange intended to erase the world's knowledge of Parker's identity as Spider-Man.[99][100][101] Tobey Maguire, Alfred Molina, Willem Dafoe, and Thomas Haden Church reprise their roles as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus, Norman Osborn / Green Goblin, and Flint Marko / Sandman, respectively, from Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy; Andrew Garfield, Jamie Foxx, and Rhys Ifans reprise their roles as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Max Dillon / Electro, and Curt Connors / Lizard, respectively, from Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man films;[102] while Tom Hardy reprises his roles as Eddie Brock and Venom from Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU).[103] Many of these actors arrived on sets wearing cloaks to avoid leaks of their involvement.[104]

In the film, Parker refuses to send Octavius, Osborn, Marko, Dillon, and Connors to their deadly fates in their original realities, trapping Strange in the Mirror Dimension.[105] After all but Octavius go rogue, Parker is joined by his alternate counterparts, dubbed "Peter-Two" (Maguire) and "Peter-Three" (Garfield),[106] in developing cures for the multiversal villains. During a battle in front of the Statue of Liberty, the destruction of Strange's Macchina di Kadavus begins to tear the fabric of reality, forcing Strange to erase the world's memories of Parker before sending the multiversal characters back to their own universes.[107] Screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers began exploring the idea of the multiverse and potentially revisiting characters from past Spider-Man films early on during the writing process, initially planning for this to be a minor tease for fans.[108] Early drafts had featured virtually every major character from previous Spider-Man films, but this was eventually narrowed down to avoid excessive fan service.[109] Almost all of the multiversal villains were redesigned at some level for the film: Osborn and Dillon were given more comics-accurate appearances,[110][111] while Molina and Dafoe were both digitally de-aged.[112][113]

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

[edit]

The plot of Multiverse of Madness revolves entirely around the multiverse.[114] The film introduces the character America Chavez, a teenager from the Utopian Parallel who can teleport between universes through star-shaped portals.[115][116] In the opening of the film, Chavez and an alternate version of Strange from Earth-617 battle a demon in the Gap Junction, a space between universes, before Chavez escapes to Earth-616, the main MCU universe.[117][118] The attire worn by this Strange was modeled after Matt Fraction's Defenders (2011) comic book series.[119][120] Chavez and Strange are later seen crashing through 20 different universes, which include a world inhabited by statues resembling the Marvel Comics character Living Tribunal, an animated world with a comic-book style appearance, a destroyed New York City in the aftermath of an alternate Battle of New York during The Avengers, a world composed of Stark Industries combat drones from Far From Home, the dinosaur-inhabited Savage Land from the comics, and a black-and-white New York City stuck in the 1930s after being taken over by Hydra. Visual effects for the 40-second-long sequence were provided by Framestore, which initiated development nearly a year and a half before the film's release. The company refers to the sequence as the "America Portal Ride", with head animator Alexis Wajsbrot seeking to "echo the craziness" of Doctor Strange's Magical Mystery Tour.[121][122][123] Other references in the sequence include homages to the work of M. C. Escher, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso.[124]

The duo is subsequently captured by the Illuminati, a secret society of superhumans, in Earth-838.[125][126] The group includes Karl Mordo, Captain Carter, Blackagar Boltagon / Black Bolt, Maria Rambeau / Captain Marvel, Reed Richards, and Professor Charles Xavier, who are portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, Hayley Atwell, Anson Mount, Lashana Lynch, John Krasinski, and Patrick Stewart, respectively.[127] Ejiofor, Atwell, Lynch, and Mount all reprise their roles from prior MCU media, while Stewart reprises his role from 20th Century Fox's X-Men film series. However, they all play alternate versions of their characters separate from their original roles.[128][129] Mount dons a more comics-accurate costume than his appearance in the ABC series Inhumans (2017),[130] while Lynch was surprised when she learned she would be playing an alternate version of Rambeau, initially believing she would be portraying an ancestor of Rambeau.[131] Feige cast Krasinski in the role because he was a highly popular suggestion for the role from fans,[132][127] with his appearance replacing a planned cameo appearance by Daniel Craig as Balder the Brave.[133] Stewart uses a yellow wheelchair akin to the one seen in X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997) and utters a line from X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014).[134][135][136] Waldron, who wrote this film's script, was unable to include Namor as part of the Illuminati because Marvel Studios had other plans for him;[134] the character would later appear in the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).[137] Obadiah Stane / Iron Monger was considered to appear as a member of the Illuminati.[138]

Also appearing in the film is a version of Strange who has been corrupted by the Darkhold and has a third eye.[139] The main MCU reality is designated Earth-616 by an alternate version of Christine Palmer from Earth-838,[140] a scientist working for the Baxter Foundation.[141] According to actress Rachel McAdams, Palmer's role as a "multiversal expert" allowed her to have more action sequences than in the first film,[142][143] and her interactions with Earth-616's Strange helped resolve the love story between him and Earth-616's Palmer.[144] Early versions of the film had featured another alternate version of Palmer as well as Earth-838 versions of Nicodemus West and Hope van Dyne / Wasp, but these were cut.[143][145][146] Tom Hiddleston was reported to return as Loki, but was absent from the final film.[147][148] The film introduces several multiverse-related concepts to the MCU. Early on in the film, dreams are revealed to be visions of one's alternate counterparts in the multiverse. Maximoff and Strange later engage in "dreamwalking", a "mentally [and] physically exhausting spell" in which one possesses one's multiversal counterpart using the Darkhold. Additionally, "incursions" are established as universe-ending events which occur when one leaves a large footprint in an alternate reality, causing the connection between both universes to destabilize and resulting in the destruction of one or both of the universes.[149]

The film's focus on the multiverse was revealed at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), with the announcement of the film's title and release date.[150] Explaining the subtitle Multiverse of Madness, co-producer Richie Palmer stated that the film would explore the definitions of the word "madness" as well as inner demons,[114] while Feige stated his intention to explore the "mind-bending frightening side" of the multiverse.[151] The cast found it difficult to keep track of the different realities of the multiverse.[152] Waldron also sought to avoid excessive fan service, and had to "move fast" regarding the multiverse due to Multiverse of Madness being a film and not a television series.[153] Feeling that his work on the series Rick and Morty (2013–present) had prepared him with introducing concepts like the multiverse,[154][155] he added that Multiverse of Madness' depiction of the multiverse differed from the aforementioned series in that the alternate realities were not solely played for laughs,[156] instead viewing the multiverse as the emotional centerpiece of the film.[157] Waldron chose to write Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch as the film's antagonist instead of a multiverse-related villain such as Kang because he did not want the film to be "overstuffed",[158] and decided to introduce the Illuminati so the film could "find the madness in the multiverse".[159] As Multiverse of Madness was originally intended to be released before No Way Home, Waldron worked with McKenna and Sommers to adjust the plot of the film accordingly after Multiverse of Madness was delayed.[158] Feige described the multiverse as "the next step in the evolution of the MCU", noting that this film would also have significant repercussions on the MCU.[160]

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

[edit]

Kang appears in Quantumania, serving as the film's primary antagonist.[73][161] In the film, he is revealed to have instigated the multiversal war mentioned in Loki, subjugating and destroying entire timelines. Kang's variants, known collectively as the "Council of Kangs", banish him to the Quantum Realm out of fear, and Kang plots his revenge.[162] In the Quantum Realm, he enlists the help of Janet to rebuild the power core of his spaceship, which allows him to travel the multiverse, but Janet rebels upon learning of his past. Using Pym Particles, Janet enlarges the core, rendering it unusable. Decades later, Kang has established an "empire" in the Quantum Realm, terrorizing its inhabitants. He coerces Lang to retrieve the core and restore it to its original size, but Janet intervenes and a battle ensues. Lang and his allies eventually defeat Kang by destroying the core, which distorts and then engulfs him.[163]

The film's mid-credits scene introduces three variants of Kang: Immortus, Rama-Tut, and Centurion, who convene the Council upon learning of Kang's apparent death and plan their multiversal uprising against Earth-616.[164][165] In the film's post-credits scene, Loki and Mobius encounter yet another variant of Kang, Victor Timely, in 1893. This scene sets up the second season of Loki.[166][167][168] Two of Hope's sons from an alternate universe were originally intended to appear, but were cut.[169] According to Jonathan Majors, who portrays Kang, the character is a "Nexus Being" who can affect the stability of the multiverse.[170] Screenwriter Jeff Loveness said that since the concept of time travel had already been explored in Endgame, he sought to place greater emphasis on Kang's connections to the multiverse and "evolve" the MCU's multiversal storytelling.[171][169] He also described the Quantum Realm as a "connected limbo outside of space and time", likening it to the "basement" of the multiverse.[172] Director Peyton Reed stated that Kang's arrival to the MCU would have major implications for the MCU going forward.[173]

Loki season 2 (2023)

[edit]

Victor Timely, a variant of Kang, appears in the second season of Loki.[168] He is recruited by Loki and members of the TVA to help stabilize the Temporal Loom, a device that refines raw time into physical timeline strands. After several futile attempts to stop the Loom from overloading, Loki uses his burgeoning time-slipping ability to return to the Citadel at the End of Time, where He Who Remains resided in season 1. When Loki confronts He Who Remains in the moments before Sylvie had killed him, He Who Remains explains that the Loom was in fact a failsafe designed to preserve the Sacred Timeline in the event that the timeline branches grew beyond the control of the TVA. He presents to Loki two choices: either let the Loom run its course of eradicating everything but the Sacred Timeline, or eliminate the Loom and thus let all timelines die. After much consideration, Loki sacrifices himself by using his powers to destroy the Loom, revive the dying timeline strands, and reform them into a tree-like structure, seating himself at its center in the Citadel ruins to manage the tree in perpetuity.

What If...? season 2 (2023)

[edit]

The second season of What If...? continued to chronicle the activities of the Watcher, exploring new alternate realities in the multiverse.[18] Some of the storyline elements from the first season with Captain Carter, Doctor Strange Supreme, and the Watcher are continued in this season.[174] The sixth episode introduces an original MCU character named Kahhori, a young Mohawk woman in an alternate timeline who seeks to discover her new-found powers after the Tesseract crash-lands in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in pre-colonial America where European colonization has not occurred.[175][176][174]

The season's final episode includes the multiverse tree established in the Loki season two finale,[177] and also sees Doctor Strange Supreme capturing various "universe-killers" to atone for his past sins. Strange asks Carter to assist with capturing an escaped variant, who fled to a universe where Hydra used the Tesseract to destroy the world. Carter agrees, in spite of the Watcher's warning. She encounters Kahhori, who reveals that Strange had actually been capturing both heroes and villains from various universes to feed to the Forge, a contraption he created to resurrect his own universe, which he indirectly destroyed trying to avert Christine Palmer's death. As Strange attempts to kill Kahhori, Carter frees the imprisoned variants in the Sanctum, allowing her and Kahhori to escape from Strange. They run into Black Panther Killmonger, but Kahhori teleports him out of his Infinity Armor, allowing Carter to use it. Carter and Kahhori confront Strange at the Forge, where the latter begins feeding the variants to it. Carter is assisted by the variants who lend their weapons to her aid, while Strange is slowly taken over by his demonic self. Eventually, Carter manages to separate Strange from his demonic counterpart. As the Forge begins to collapse, Strange sacrifices both him and his demonic self to the Forge. The Watcher teleports Kahhori back to her universe and takes Carter to his dimension, where he reveals that Strange's universe had been restored, though Strange himself would never be born into it. Carter asks the Watcher to show her the multiverse before taking her home.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

[edit]

The film Deadpool & Wolverine features the character Wade Wilson / Deadpool from the X-Men films Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018) produced by Fox, with Ryan Reynolds reprising the role.[178] Most of the film takes place on Earth-10005 and the Void, while the TVA and Alioth from Loki also appear.[179] Writer Rhett Reese described the film as a fish out of water story for Deadpool, as he is a lunatic who will be dropped into the "very sane world" of the MCU.[180] Feige has described that Wilson will discover the Sacred Timeline in the film and find it fascinating, but he will realize that Paradox's plans may not be what they seem and he will learn that his offer isn't as simple and there are "universe sized" stakes on the way.[181]

The film also includes several characters from 20th Century Fox's Marvel films,[182] including Hugh Jackman reprising his role as an alternate version of Wolverine,[183] alongside the Deadpool films cast members, Aaron Stanford as Pyro from X2 (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Dafne Keen as Laura from Logan (2017), Jennifer Garner as Elektra from Daredevil (2003) and Elektra (2005),[184] Chris Evans (who portrayed Captain America in the MCU) as the Human Torch from Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), and Tyler Mane as Sabretooth from X-Men (2000), with Wesley Snipes reprising his role as Blade from New Line Cinema's Blade film trilogy (1998–2004) and Channing Tatum portraying Gambit as a reference to an unproduced Gambit film where Tatum was set to star as the character before its cancellation due to Fox's acquisition by Disney.[185] Keen and Stanford confirmed their roles to not be variants of Laura and Pyro respectively but the same ones they portrayed in the X-Men film series, with the backstory provided by Reynolds and director Shawn Levy being that they were pruned by the TVA some years after their last appearances instead of being taken from specific points of certain timelines.[186][187] Wolverine comes from a reality where all his fellow X-Men died, while the rest of those characters appear as inhabitants of the Void, with Pyro and Sabretooth working for Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), while Laura, Elektra, Blade, the Human Torch, and Gambit oppose her as resistance members which previously included Daredevil, Magneto, the Punisher, and Quicksilver. Other characters who work for Cassandra are the Juggernaut (Aaron W. Reed), Blob (Mike Waters), Azazel (Eduardo Gago Muñoz), Callisto (Chloe Kibble), Lady Deathstrike (Jade Lye), Psylocke (Ayesha Hussain), Arclight (Jessica Walker), and Toad (Daniel Medina Ramos), all portrayed by stunt performers over their original X-Men film series actors,[188][189] as well as the Russian (Billy Clements) and Bullseye (Curtis Rowland Small).[190][191] To decide which characters from the 20th Century Fox era of Marvel films would return, Levy and the filmmakers contacted the dozens of actors displayed at the film's Fox tribute reel during the credits, including ones that ultimately didn't return like Ben Affleck as Daredevil or Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut, while prioritizing the movie to be emotional and poignant over "going crazy" with the Multiverse and taking the audience's "eye off the balls" that count most, noting some of the characters depicted in the film were since its earliest drafts whereas others "evolved" over months into pre-production.[192]

Several Deadpool variants from the Void also appear, such as Nicepool (also portrayed by Reynolds), Dogpool (portrayed by dog actor Peggy), Ladypool (voiced by Blake Lively), Headpool (voiced by Nathan Fillion), Cowboypool (Matthew McConaughey), among others.[193] Seven other versions of Wolverine briefly appear, with six also portrayed by Jackman while one, dubbed "The Cavillrine", is portrayed by Henry Cavill. One of those variants appears fighting the Hulk.[194]

Future

[edit]

Notable universes

[edit]

Earth-616

[edit]

Earth-616, also known as the "Sacred Timeline", is the main universe depicted in the MCU.[65] Despite having been designated as Earth-199999 by Marvel Comics in 2008 in a handbook, Multiverse of Madness establishes the MCU as Earth-616, sharing the name with the primary setting of the comics.[198] Marvel Studios executive Nate Moore previously referred to the main MCU universe as Earth-616 in November 2021,[199] and Feige also began using the term internally prior to the release of Multiverse of Madness.[200] In addition to Beck's use of the term in Far From Home, a reference to the "616 universe" can be seen on Erik Selvig's blackboard in The Dark World.[201]

Destruction of Earth

[edit]

After learning of Thanos' army's assault on Earth in search of the Mind Stone, and a prophecy heralding the destruction of Earth on the same day in the fifth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (during the main events of Infinity War), a gravitonium-infused Glenn Talbot, intending to assist the Avengers in their battle against Thanos' army,[202][203][204][205] attempts to draw more gravitonium from the core of the Earth to increase his power,[206] inadvertently destroying the Earth and fulfilling the prophecy he intended to avert.[207] In the main events of the season, Phil Coulson and his agents are transported to this future from 2017, learning that their future selves, on failing to prevent the destruction of Earth, instead saved a small portion of humanity inside S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Lighthouse base, now in orbit around Earth's remains as a makeshift space station.[208] After returning to their own time, in 2018, six months after they left their original universe, Daisy Johnson blasts Talbot into space before he can accidentally destroy the planet.[207]

Time Heist

[edit]

2012 Time Heist

[edit]

The Avengers visit New York City in an alternate 2012 during the Battle of New York in Endgame. While Bruce Banner / Smart Hulk implores the Ancient One to relinquish the Time Stone, Rogers intercepts a S.T.R.I.K.E. team and acquires Loki's scepter containing the Mind Stone. Stark and Lang attempt to thieve the Tesseract from Stark's alternate counterpart, but the plan goes awry and Loki escapes with the Tesseract.[13] In Loki, this reality is "reset" by the TVA and the alternate Loki is arrested.[67]

2014 Time Heist

[edit]

During the Avengers' Time Heist in Endgame, Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Clint Barton / Hawkeye, James Rhodes / War Machine, and Nebula time-travel to an alternate Morag in 2014. Romanoff and Barton depart on the Benatar to Vormir to acquire the Soul Stone, in which Romanoff sacrifices herself. Meanwhile, Rhodes and Nebula successfully acquire the Orb containing the Power Stone, but Nebula is captured by the 2014 Thanos.[13] Later, 2014 Thanos and his warship, the Sanctuary II, are teleported to the Avengers Compound in 2023, leading to a major battle between Thanos' forces and the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Masters of the Mystic Arts, Wakandans, Asgardians, and Ravagers. An alternate version of Gamora from 2014 betrays Thanos and joins 2023 Nebula, later disappearing from the battlefield.[47] She returned in the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).[209]

What If...? universes

[edit]

Two alternate universes so far in What If...? have served as significant plot points to the story or are planned to be expanded upon in future projects.

Zombie apocalypse

[edit]

In a reality first explored in "What If... Zombies?!", Pym rescues Janet from the Quantum Realm as he did in the film Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), only to discover that Janet has been infected with a quantum virus which transformed her into a zombie.[90] This leads to a zombie apocalypse, with many Avengers turned into zombies, including Stark, Strange, Wong, Barton, Happy Hogan, Sam Wilson / Falcon, Sharon Carter / Agent 13, Rogers, and Maximoff.[210] This reality will be revisited in Marvel Zombies, in which additional characters are revealed to have transformed into zombies, including Emil Blonsky / Abomination, Ava Starr / Ghost, Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Okoye, and Ikaris.[196]

Ultron's conquest

[edit]

The episode "What If... Ultron Won?" of the first season of What If...? is centered on an alternate universe where Ultron transfers his consciousness into the Vision's body, acquires the Infinity Stones from Thanos, and wipes out all life in the universe.[93] This leads into the first-season finale, "What If... the Watcher Broke His Oath?", in which the Watcher assembles six multiversal characters from the previous episodes to the Guardians of the Multiverse, and Ultron is defeated.[95] The animators used an artistic effect called the Kirby Krackle in these two episodes to demonstrate the multiversal power of Ultron and the Watcher, which Bradley was adamant on including due to it never having been used before in the MCU.[211]

Alternate Spider-Man universes

[edit]

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) serves as a crossover and linkage to previous Spider-Man live-action films with the MCU, specifically those which featured Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's separate portrayal of the titular character.

Peter-Two's universe

[edit]

No Way Home features characters from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film series, with many actors reprising their roles from the trilogy.[99][100][101] The version of Parker from this universe, dubbed "Peter-Two", uses organic webbing instead of web shooters like his alternate counterparts,[212] and maintains a complicated relationship with love interest Mary Jane Watson.[213] Three of Parker's villains, which include Osborn, Octavius, and Marko, are transported to Earth-616 as well.[99][100][101] The official script for No Way Home refers to Parker's universe as being dubbed the "Raimi-verse".[214]

Peter-Three's universe

[edit]

No Way Home also features characters from Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man film series, with many actors reprising their roles from the duology.[99][100][101] The version of Parker from this universe, dubbed "Peter-Three", reels from the death of girlfriend Gwen Stacy in the film The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), holding himself responsible for his failure to save her, even becoming violent and rageful as a result in the years following her death.[215][108] Two of Parker's villains, which include Connors and Dillon, are transported to Earth-616 as well.[99][100][101] The official script for No Way Home refers to Parker's universe as being dubbed the "Webb-verse".[214]

Earth-838

[edit]

Earth-838 is first introduced in Multiverse of Madness. It is most notably the home to the Illuminati, a secret society founded by an alternate version of Strange. After causing an "incursion" of another reality as a byproduct of using the Darkhold to defeat Thanos,[216] Strange is executed by Boltagon on Titan,[139] and he is succeeded by Mordo as one of the members of the Illuminati.[127] The Illuminati was formed in the wake of the Ultron program's success and the Avengers' subsequent retirement.[217] Other notable inhabitants of Earth-838 include Palmer, Maximoff,[120] her children Billy and Tommy,[218] and various Ultron sentries. The Ultron sentries are voiced by Ross Marquand, returning from What If...? in which he replaced James Spader voicing Ultron from the film Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).[219] This reality also exists under an authoritarian police state rule, as revealed by screenwriter Michael Waldron.[220]

Adjacent X-Men universe

[edit]

The Marvels (2023) briefly introduces a universe where the X-Men appear to have a prominent role. The Kree villain Dar-Benn opens a portal to an adjacent reality to Earth-616, where Monica Rambeau gets trapped at the end of the film. She awakens inside the X-Mansion, and is greeted by two of its inhabitants, Maria Rambeau, taking the code name of Binary instead, and one of the X-Men, the mutant Dr. Hank McCoy / Beast, who also mentions Professor Charles Xavier by name. McCoy is portrayed by Kelsey Grammer, reprising his role from 20th Century Fox's X-Men films X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014).[221]

Earth-10005

[edit]

Earth-10005 is introduced in Deadpool & Wolverine as Wade Wilson / Deadpool's home reality and the setting of 20th Century Fox's X-Men film series.[222] As the universe begins to disintegrate following the death of James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in Logan (2017),[222][178] the Time Variance Authority (TVA) take in Deadpool and show him the history of the MCU, shown via archive recordings of past MCU films.[223] Additionally, Laura / X-23, portrayed by Dafne Keen who reprises her role from Logan, is revealed both in-film and by Keen herself to be the same version, having aged several years past the events of Logan before being pruned by the TVA into the Void and eventually become part of the Resistance group.[186]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

The Magical Mystery Tour sequence in Doctor Strange was praised by critics, with Umberto Gonzales of TheWrap calling it a "trippy psychedelic thrill ride" and Britt Hayes of ScreenCrush describing it as "astounding, elaborate stuff".[224][225] On the time travel-centric plot of Endgame, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone found it clichéd but distinctive,[226] while Peter Debruge of Variety called it the "most desperate of narrative cheats".[227] Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times felt that the use of time travel sacrificed consistency for nostalgia-arousing fan service.[228] Following reports that No Way Home would involve the multiverse, Adam B. Vary of Variety felt that the multiverse could allow Tom Holland, who portrays Parker in the MCU, to appear in the SSU.[229] Graeme McMillian of The Hollywood Reporter speculated whether the Fantastic Four and X-Men would enter the MCU through the multiverse,[230] while Hoai-Tran Bui of /Film questioned whether the addition of multiversal characters would overshadow Holland's performance in No Way Home.[231] Following the film's release, Benjamin Lee of The Guardian applauded Watts for bringing back numerous Spider-Man villains,[232] while John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter believed that the multiversal plot point addressed the "Iron Man-ification of the character" in prior MCU Spider-Man films.[100] Lee and DeFore also noted the level of fan service present in the film, which was echoed by Bilge Ebiri of Vulture and Don Kaye of Den of Geek.[101][233]

The depiction of the multiverse in Multiverse of Madness garnered a mixed response from critics. Chang believed that the film's approach to the multiverse allowed the filmmakers to pose intriguing philosophical questions, contrasting this to the multiverse's depiction in the film Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).[121] TheWrap reviewer Alonso Duralde felt that Multiverse of Madness failed to achieve Everything Everywhere All at Once's level of "wit and nerve and character", but commended the America Portal Ride scene as "memorably trippy".[234] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian was entertained by the America Portal Ride scene, but felt that the concept of the multiverse reduced the overall story's stakes.[235] DeFore, who also reviewed this film, criticized the MCU's multiverse as a "rapidly aging plot device" and a "franchise-sustaining crutch".[236] David Ehrlich of IndieWire voiced frustration over the fact that the film only focused on two parallel universes despite its title, further ridiculing Earth-838's unusual characteristics.[237] Collider's Ross Bonaime, and The Atlantic's David Sims, and The Mary Sue's Princess Weekes all criticized the film's excessive reliance on fan service.[238][239][240] Writing for RogerEbert.com, Brian Tallerico also praised the America Portal Ride sequence, but was disappointed that the film failed to fully tap into the potential of the multiverse.[241] Owen Gleiberman of Variety questioned the logic of the MCU's multiverse.[242]

Theories and speculation

[edit]

Evan Peters appears in the ending of the episode "On a Very Special Episode..." of WandaVision as "Pietro Maximoff", after previously portraying Peter Maximoff in Fox's X-Men films.[243] The character was previously portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Age of Ultron,[244] with the character Darcy Lewis noting that Pietro had been "recast" in the fictional WandaVision show-within-a-show sitcom.[245] This appearance was widely discussed by commentators, who declared it an exciting surprise.[246] Many critics believed that this set the stage for the multiverse to be explored in future Phase Four properties.[247] In the series finale, "The Series Finale", Peters' character is revealed to actually be Ralph Bohner, a resident of Westview who is being controlled by Agatha Harkness and impersonating Pietro.[248][249] This twist was met with a mixed response from critics. Matt Purslow of IGN was disappointed that viewers' speculation did not pay off, calling this an "unfair trick from Marvel",[250] while his colleague Carlos Morales criticized the casting as unnecessary and hollow.[251] On the other hand, Stephen Robinson of The A.V. Club felt that this was an "elegantly simple and self-contained" reveal.[252] Chancellor Agard of Entertainment Weekly and Daniel Gillespie of Screen Rant concurred, with Agard relieved that Peters' character was not the same version from the X-Men films and Gillespie praising the casting as a way to generate discussion.[253][254] Variety's Vary thought this was a "really good joke", but noted how the apparent "multiverse shenanigans" had caused fan speculation to run rampant.[255]

Maguire and Garfield's appearances in No Way Home were kept secret until the film's release, with Holland,[256][257][258] Garfield,[259][260] and Feige repeatedly denying the actors' involvement with the film.[261] As a result, reports of the aforementioned characters' return generated intense speculation and interest online.[262] Multiverse of Madness had a similar level of speculation as No Way Home prior to its release, with many viewers theorizing that non-MCU Marvel characters would appear in the film.[263] Many of these rumors did not pan out,[264] with the notable exception of Stewart, who initially denied his involvement.[265] Waldron expressed interest in the rumor that Tom Cruise would portray an alternate version of Iron Man, but stated that Cruise was never approached due to his filming commitments to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) and The Final Reckoning (2025).[159] Ryan Reynolds, who portrays Wade Wilson / Deadpool in Fox's X-Men films, rejected claims that he would appear in the film,[266] but Waldron revealed that discussions were held regarding whether to include a cameo appearance by him.[267] Roger Cheng of CNET was disappointed by the Illuminati cameos in Multiverse of Madness due to their limited screentime, opining that the cameos failed to elicit the same feeling of excitement as No Way Home did.[268] Similarly, Kirsten Acuna of Business Insider dismissed the cameos as "gimmicky fan service" and a missed opportunity.[269] Belen Edwards of Mashable argued the opposite, believing that the Illuminati's quick and brutal death sequences were a "nice change of pace" from No Way Home's level of fan service.[270]

The introduction of the concept of incursions in Multiverse of Madness led several commentators to believe that Marvel Studios was setting up for an adaptation of Secret Wars (2015),[271][272][273] in which incursions play a key role.[274] Evaluating the direction of the MCU, Vary noted the prevalence of the multiverse and the introduction of Kang as a potential "big bad".[275] Feige later revealed that recent MCU projects contained hints as to where the franchise was heading, igniting further speculation.[276][277][278]

In regards to rumors about possible cameos for Deadpool & Wolverine from characters of past non-MCU Marvel films like Jennifer Garner's Elektra Natchios from Daredevil (2003) and Elektra (2005), Liev Schreiber's Sabretooth from X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) or Taylor Swift making a cameo appearance as Dazzler, director Shawn Levy noted that some rumored appearances were true while others were not.[279] Levy noted how the characters that were included in the film were added to its story as it developed rather than being based on a "wishlist" of characters and cameos the producers wanted to include,[280] adding that he and the filmmakers were "disciplinarian" and "judicious" over which characters to choose from the unlimited access to the Marvel film legacy as long as the film was "warm-hearted" by vesting in those characters, like Pyro due to sharing the same powers as the Human Torch, though he admitted some inclusions were more personal like that of Tyler Mane's Sabretooth due to Zeb Wells' love for the character.[192]

Comments from filmmakers

[edit]

Waldron acknowledged the danger of using the multiverse as a plot device in the MCU, believing that the stakes of the story could be reduced "if you don't make it personal".[281] Loveness echoed Waldron's comments, adding that he hoped to "evolve" the MCU's multiversal storytelling. He also found it a challenge to make the MCU's multiverse feel unique, given its presence in Rick and Morty, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and the Sony Pictures Animation film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018).[169] Joe Russo, who co-directed Endgame with his brother Anthony, cautioned that an overabundance of multiverse-centric films could lead to adverse results, calling on screenwriters to "push back" against film studios' corporate agendas.[282][283] Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) director Tim Miller felt that Endgame's depiction of time travel was inferior to that of the Terminator franchise because it lowered the story's stakes.[284] The Wolverine (2013) and Logan director James Mangold, despite his past work in the interconnected X-Men film series, expressed his dislike for multiverses and multi-movie universe-building, deeming them the "enemy and death" of storytelling because people care more for "the way the Legos connect" over how the story works for the audience, which should be in an emotional level instead of "intellectually" through Easter eggs.[285]

In other media

[edit]

Sony's Spider-Man Universe

[edit]

The mid-credits scene of the SSU film Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) sees Brock and Venom being transported to the MCU through the multiverse as a result of Strange's first spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home.[286][287] Feige stated that this scene was the product of significant collaboration between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures,[288] and was directed by Watts during the production of that film.[109] After the release of Let There Be Carnage, many commentators expected Hardy to reprise his roles in No Way Home,[289][290][286] with the character ultimately appearing in the film's mid-credits scene.[103] Audiences reacted positively to Let There Be Carnage's mid-credits scene,[291][292] though William Hughes of The A.V. Club and Vinnie Mancuso of Collider both noted how the scene overshadowed the rest of the film.[293][294]

In a similar fashion, the two mid-credits scenes of the SSU film Morbius (2022) see the MCU's Adrian Toomes / Vulture, portrayed by Michael Keaton and last seen in the film Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), transported to the SSU as a result of Strange's second spell in No Way Home. He proceeds to ally with Morbius's titular character, Michael Morbius, with the intention of forming a team to defeat Spider-Man.[295][296] Director Daniel Espinosa stated that it was always Sony's intention to have Keaton cameo as Toomes, citing the animated Into the Spider-Verse as the primary inspiration for the scenes.[297] Both scenes received an overwhelmingly negative response from critics, who found them confusing and unsatisfying.[298][299] Writing for The Mary Sue, Julia Glassman felt that the scenes "[fell] flat" unlike Let There Be Carnage's mid-credits scene,[300] while Kate Erbland of IndieWire was puzzled by Keaton's sudden appearance.[301] Time Out's Cathy Brennan opined that the scenes were a weak attempt by Sony to "court an audience by dangling a potential connection" to the MCU,[302] while Esquire's Brady Langmann and Den of Geek's Kaye criticized the scenes' poor writing and lack of logic.[303][304] Eliana Dockterman of Time described the scene as fulfilling Sony's "corporate mandate" of connecting the SSU to the MCU, pointing out how it contradicted many plot elements of Homecoming and No Way Home.[305]

Animated Spider-Verse

[edit]

In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), the sequel to Into the Spider-Verse, Miguel O' Hara / Spider-Man 2099 alludes to the events of No Way Home and refers to the MCU as "Earth-199999".[306] Co-director Kemp Powers later stated that the No Way Home reference was meant to be a meta gag and throwaway line that screenwriters Phil Lord and Christopher Miller came up with to add humor to their films, confirming that it has no connections to the MCU.[307][308] Donald Glover makes a live-action cameo appearance in the film as Aaron Davis / Prowler, after he previously portrayed a version of the character in Homecoming.[306]

Disney Parks

[edit]

Several MCU-themed attractions at Disney Parks locations are inspired by the MCU, but are said to take place in an alternate universe parallel to Earth-616 within the multiverse. These attractions include Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park, Stark Expo Hong Kong at Hong Kong Disneyland,[309][310][311] Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT,[312][313] and Avengers: Quantum Encounter on the Disney Wish.[314][315] In this universe, the Blip and its ensuing aftermath did not occur,[316] such as Stark's death,[311] and the Avengers have established campuses across the globe to recruit new heroes.[317] At the D23 Expo in September 2022, a new multiverse-focused attraction at Disney California Adventure was revealed to be in development,[318] featuring numerous MCU heroes from multiple universes on a quest to defeat "King Thanos".[319]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Marston, George (July 20, 2021). "How the Marvel Universe became "Earth-616" and grew into an entire Multiverse". Newsarama. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ a b 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ a b 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.
  13. ^ a b c d 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.
  14. ^ Sandwell, Ian (July 21, 2019). "Marvel finally confirm Phase 4 movies at Comic-Con". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ a b 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.
  18. ^ a b c Hipes, Patrick (November 12, 2021). "Disney+ Day: All The Streamer's Film & TV News From Premiere Dates To Series Orders". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  19. ^ Debruge, Peter (December 13, 2021). "'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Review: Tom Holland Cleans Out the Cobwebs of Sprawling Franchise With Multiverse Super-Battle". Variety. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ Francisco, Eric (November 3, 2016). "Explaining How Marvel's Multiverse Works in 'Doctor Strange'". Inverse. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  27. ^ "Quantum Realm's Must Know Details". AMC Theatres. April 10, 2018. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  28. ^ Holmes, Adam (July 20, 2015). "The Quantum Realm: What To Know After You've Seen Ant-Man". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  29. ^ Walsh, Michael (August 30, 2021). "Everything You Need to Know About the MCU's Multiverse". Nerdist. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  30. ^ McNally, Victoria (December 30, 2015). "Marvel's 'Doctor Strange' Might Be Adding a Multiverse — But What Does That Mean?". MTV News. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  31. ^ Eisenberg, Eric (November 14, 2016). "The Crazy Doctor Strange Scene That Was Supposed To Be Much Longer". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on November 14, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  32. ^ Barnhardt, Adam (November 26, 2019). "Doctor Strange Sends Thanos on Magical Mystery Tour in Unused Avengers: Infinity War Scene". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  33. ^ Damore, Meagan (January 6, 2016). "Kevin Feige Offers New Details on "Doctor Strange's" "Psychedelic" Dark Dimension". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  34. ^ Hewitt, Chris (February 2016). "The 2016 Preview – 07 Doctor Strange". Empire. United Kingdom. p. 85. 'We see glimpses of something called the Dark Dimension,' says Feige, 'but if you were to open a Doctor Strange comic drawn by Steve Ditko, you would see the Dark Dimension is, in fact, very colourful in an extremely psychedelic way. Those are the things we're not shying away from.'
  35. ^ Schwartz, Terri (October 11, 2016). "Doctor Strange Fully Embraces The Trippy Astral Realm – And Promise of the Multiverse". IGN. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  36. ^ Patel, Neel V. (October 9, 2016). "A Physicist Explains Consciousness to 'Doctor Strange'". Inverse. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  37. ^ Young, Sage (November 3, 2016). "The Science Behind 'Doctor Strange's Multiverse". Bustle. Archived from the original on May 14, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  38. ^ Kleinhenz, Marc N. (March 2, 2017). "Doctor Strange Advisor Explains the Science Behind Marvel's Multiverse". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  39. ^ Schager, Nick (February 6, 2017). "'Doctor Strange' Consultant Explains Science Behind Marvel Blockbuster's Mind-Blowing Multiverse". Yahoo! Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 27, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  40. ^ Agard, Chancellor (August 11, 2020). "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. stars and bosses reflect on the show's standout moments". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  41. ^ Rouben, David (December 9, 2017). "Agents of SHIELD season 5, episode 3 recap: A Life Spent". FanSided. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  42. ^ Bacon, Thomas (February 3, 2017). "The Agents of SHIELD Will Become the World's Most Wanted". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  43. ^ Cecchini, Mike; Burt, Kayti; Harrington, Delia (November 12, 2019). "Avengers: Endgame – Complete Marvel Easter Eggs and MCU Reference Guide". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  44. ^ Dockterman, Eliana (April 26, 2019). "Breaking Down the Complicated Time Travel in Avengers: Endgame". Time. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  45. ^ a b Whitbrook, James (April 5, 2021). "Marvel Secrets in the New Loki Trailer: The Avengers, Time-Keepers, and More". io9. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  46. ^ Travis, Ben (June 7, 2019). "Avengers Endgame: 26 Spoilers Explained By The Directors And Writers". Empire. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  47. ^ a b Harrington, Delia (November 16, 2019). "Avengers: Endgame and the Gamora Problem". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  48. ^ a b Cardona, Ian (August 21, 2019). "Peggy Carter's Husband in Captain America: Winter Soldier Was Steve Rogers". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  49. ^ Chitwood, Adam (February 15, 2021). "The Russo Brothers Finally Answer Whether Cap Went to a Different Timeline in 'Avengers: Endgame'". Collider. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  50. ^ Carr, Mary Kate (February 13, 2021). "Endgame Director Confirms Captain America Traveled Back to Main Timeline". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  51. ^ 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 15, 2021.
  52. ^ Holub, Christian (July 2, 2019). "Does Spider-Man: Far From Home confirm the existence of a multiverse?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  53. ^ Robinson, Joanna (July 2, 2019). "That Spider-Man: Far From Home End of Credits Reveal, Explained". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  54. ^ Owen, Phil (July 3, 2019). "Yes, That Was Who You Thought It Was at the End of 'Spider-Man: Far From Home'". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  55. ^ Dumaraog, Ana (July 7, 2019). "Kevin Feige Explains Spider-Man: Far From Home's Iconic Post-Credits Cameo". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  56. ^ Davis, Erik (July 7, 2019). "Marvel's Kevin Feige on the MCU Multiverse, 'Far From Home' Post-Credits Scenes and the Future of Spider-Man". Fandango. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  57. ^ Russell, Bradley (July 9, 2019). "Kevin Feige confirms the MCU multiverse – and says it was already revealed in a Marvel movie years ago". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  58. ^ Sandwell, Ian (May 28, 2020). "Agents of SHIELD season 7 premiere reveals a major Avengers connection". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  59. ^ Bacon, Thomas (May 24, 2020). "Agents of SHIELD Season 7 Explains Endgame's Time Travel (Properly)". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  60. ^ Sandwel, Ian (May 23, 2020). "Did Agents of SHIELD just contradict the MCU time travel rules?". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  61. ^ Jirak, Jamie (August 5, 2020). "Agents of SHIELD's New Timeline Could Mean the End of SHIELD". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  62. ^ Moore, Trent (August 12, 2020). "Who Lives, Who's Lost: This is How it All Ends in the Series Finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  63. ^ Drum, Nicole (May 8, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2: The Entire MCU Multiverse Arc Explained". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  64. ^ Whitten, Sarah (February 24, 2021). "Marvel's 'Loki' series will debut on Disney+ starting June 11". CNBC. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  65. ^ a b Adlakha, Siddhant (June 9, 2021). "Loki: Season 1, Episode 1 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  66. ^ Chitwood, Adam (June 16, 2021). "'Loki': What Are Those Reset Charges and What Do They Do?". Collider. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  67. ^ a b Morgan, Lauren (June 9, 2021). "Loki premiere recap: The God of Mischief meets his match in the Time Variance Authority". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  68. ^ Morgan, Lauren (June 16, 2021). "Loki recap: Double trouble". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  69. ^ a b Sepinwall, Alan (June 23, 2021). "'Loki' Episode 3 Recap: Strangers on a Train". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  70. ^ Welch, Andy (June 23, 2021). "Loki episode three recap: is this just Doctor Who ... with a big budget?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  71. ^ Siede, Caroline (July 7, 2021). "Loki's penultimate episode is a madcap thrill ride". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  72. ^ Morgan, Lauren (July 7, 2021). "Loki recap: Beyond the end of time". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  73. ^ a b c Polo, Susana (July 14, 2021). "Loki built up to the reveal of an even bigger Marvel Comics villain". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  74. ^ a b Paige, Rachel (July 14, 2021). "'Loki': Meet the Man Behind the Curtain, He Who Remains". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  75. ^ Vary, Adam (July 17, 2021). "'Loki' Director Kate Herron on the Cliffhanger Finale, Casting Jonathan Majors and What Should Happen in Season 2". Variety. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  76. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (July 14, 2021). "'Loki' Will Return for Season 2 at Disney Plus, Marvel Reveals in Season 1 Finale". Variety. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  77. ^ Agard, Chancellor (July 14, 2021). "How the Loki finale sets up Ant-Man 3, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and beyond". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  78. ^ Mathai, Jeremy (May 3, 2022). "Kevin Feige Confirms Loki And Sylvie Broke The Multiverse, Thanks A Lot Guys". /Film. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  79. ^ Chitwood, Adam (June 4, 2021). "'Loki' Head Writer Michael Waldron on Crafting Time Travel Rules for the MCU: "We've Got to Make This as Airtight as Possible"". Collider. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  80. ^ Singer, Matt (July 29, 2021). "Creator Michael Waldron Answers All Our Questions About 'Loki' And 'Heels'". ScreenCrush. Archived from the original on July 29, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  81. ^ Robinson, Tasha (July 21, 2021). "Loki series director Kate Herron weighs in on fandom's big incest question". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  82. ^ Outlaw, Kofi (November 4, 2022). "Loki Nearly Included Many Other Timelines in MCU History". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  83. ^ Travis, Ben (June 7, 2021). "Loki Will Have 'More Impact on the MCU Than Any Show So Far,' Says Kevin Feige – Exclusive Image". Empire. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  84. ^ Maytum, Matt (May 26, 2021). "Loki writer: "Our aim with the Loki series was for it to have wide-reaching ramifications across the MCU"". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  85. ^ Mancuso, Vinnie (July 20, 2019). "Marvel's 'What If?' Announces Massive Voice Cast of MCU Stars & Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher". Collider. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  86. ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (August 2, 2021). "Marvel's Captain Carter Will Connect Each Multiversal Season of What If". io9. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  87. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 1, 2021). "'What If...?' Actor Jeffrey Wright On Chadwick Boseman's Final "Mythic" Turn As T'Challa In MCU". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  88. ^ Howard, Kristen (August 25, 2021). "What If...? Episode 3 Review: The Avengers Initiative Is DOA". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  89. ^ Knight, Rosie (September 1, 2021). "What If...? Episode 4 Review: Doctor Strange Loses His Heart". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  90. ^ a b Howard, Kirsten (September 8, 2021). "What If...? Episode 5 Review: Magnificent Marvel Zombie Chaos". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  91. ^ Lethbridge, Thomas (September 15, 2021). "What If...? Episode 6 Cast Guide: Every New & Returning MCU Character". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  92. ^ Bucksbaum, Sydney (September 21, 2021). "Meet 'Party Thor' in Marvel's What If...? episode 7 first look". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  93. ^ a b Elvy, Craig (September 22, 2021). "Every MCU Easter Egg In What If? Episode 7". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  94. ^ Bucksbaum, Sydney (September 1, 2021). "Marvel's What If...? star Jeffrey Wright reveals why Doctor Strange episode 'rocked' him". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  95. ^ a b Hayes, Jackson (October 5, 2021). "What If...? Season 1, Episode 9, 'What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath?,' Recap & Spoilers". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  96. ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (August 5, 2021). "What If's Marvel Multiverse Was Already Forming Before Loki and Doctor Strange 2". io9. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  97. ^ Meyer, Joshua (August 24, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer: Doctor Strange And Spidey Break The Multiverse Wide Open". /Film. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  98. ^ Goslin, Austen (November 16, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer unleashes the multiverse of villains". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  99. ^ a b c d e Hammond, Pete (December 13, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home Review: The Most Exciting, Surprising And Emotional Spidey Of Them All". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  100. ^ a b c d e f DeFore, John (December 13, 2021). "'Spider-Man: No Way Home': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  101. ^ a b c d e f Ebiri, Bilge (December 17, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home Is Aggressively Mediocre". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  102. ^ Debruge, Peter (December 13, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home Review: Tom Holland Cleans Out the Cobwebs of Sprawling Franchise With Multiverse Super-Battle". Variety. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  103. ^ a b Sandwell, Ian (December 15, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home credits scene explained". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  104. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (November 23, 2021). "Tom Holland Reveals How 'No Way Home' Kept the Returning Villains a Secret". Collider. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  105. ^ Matadeen, Renaldo (December 18, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home Reveals an MCU Weapon Greater Than Magic". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  106. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (December 17, 2021). "How Spider-Man Producers Convinced Past Series Stars to Return For No Way Home". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  107. ^ Burt, Kayti (December 16, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home Ending Explained". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  108. ^ a b Couch, Aaron (December 29, 2021). "How 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Was "Shaped" by Its Secret Stars". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  109. ^ a b Vary, Adam B. (December 29, 2021). "'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Screenwriters Explain All Those Surprises and Spoilers: 'This Wasn't Just Fan Service'". Variety. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  110. ^ Holmes, Adam (November 16, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home's Latest Trailer Finally Shows Off Electro, Green Goblin And More". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  111. ^ Sternberg, Sabrina (December 5, 2021). "'Spider-Man: No Way Home': New Footage Gives Closer Look at Willem Dafoe's New Green Goblin Suit". Collider. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  112. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (January 7, 2022). "How 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' VFX Team Brought Back Villains From the Multiverse". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  113. ^ Aurthur, Kate (April 16, 2021). "Alfred Molina Details Doc Ock's Return in 'Spider-Man: No Way Home': 'The Tentacles Do All the Work' (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  114. ^ a b Perine, Aaron (February 24, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Producer Teases Meaning of 'The Multiverse of Madness'". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  115. ^ Erao, Math (February 23, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Producer Discusses America Chavez's Multiversal Powers". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  116. ^ Davis, Erik (April 6, 2022). "'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Director Sam Raimi Reveals New Details About His First MCU Film". Fandango. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  117. ^ Dinh, Christine (April 27, 2022). "Exclusive Interview: Xochitl Gomez on Embodying America Chavez and Journeying into the Marvel Cinematic Universe". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  118. ^ Miller, Leon (June 24, 2022). "Multiverse of Madness Director Reveals Which Universe Defender Strange Is From". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  119. ^ Welch, Alex (February 16, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Tv Spot Reveals Its Most Unexpected Defender Strange Variant". Inverse. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  120. ^ a b Mathai, Jeremy (March 15, 2022). "Multiverse Of Madness Will Feature Sinister Strange, Defender Strange, And Zombie Strange Variants". /Film. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  121. ^ a b Chang, Justin (May 3, 2022). "Review: An enjoyable 'Doctor Strange' sequel delivers the flyin', the witch and the red robe". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  122. ^ Burton, Carson (May 26, 2022). "'Doctor Strange 2' VFX Artists on Creating 20 Multiverses in 40 Seconds". Variety. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  123. ^ Failes, Ian (June 14, 2022). "The crazy multiverse shot in 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' had its own intense VFX journey". befores & afters. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  124. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (December 7, 2022). "Dinosaurs, Demons and the Deep Sea: Behind the Visual Effects of the Year's Biggest Movies". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  125. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (May 13, 2022). "'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Illuminati Explained: Who's in the MCU Version of the Secret Society?". Collider. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  126. ^ Keane, Sean (May 20, 2022). "'Doctor Strange 2' Illuminati, Explained: Who Is This Group of Elite Marvel Heroes?". CNET. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  127. ^ a b c Garbutt, Emily (May 5, 2022). "The Illuminati members in Doctor Strange 2, listed and explained". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  128. ^ Burlingame, Russ (May 12, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Writer Confirms the Illuminati's Multiversal Ties". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  129. ^ Travis, Ben (March 13, 2022). "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Producer Responds To Professor X And Illuminati Rumours – Exclusive". Empire. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  130. ^ Diaz, Eric (May 10, 2022). "Who is Black Bolt of the MCU's Illuminati?". Nerdist. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  131. ^ Travis, Ben (September 27, 2022). "Lashana Lynch On Playing Captain Marvel In Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness: 'It Blew My Mind' – Exclusive". Empire. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  132. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (June 27, 2022). "Sam Raimi Reveals How John Krasinski's 'Doctor Strange 2' Cameo Came to Be: Fan 'Dream Come True'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  133. ^ DeLoss, John (May 14, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2: Daniel Craig Backed Out Of Major Illuminati Cameo". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  134. ^ a b Vary, Adam B. (May 10, 2022). "'Doctor Strange 2' Screenwriter Defends Wanda's Evolution, Talks Cameos and His 'Star Wars' Script". Variety. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  135. ^ Arvedon, Jon (April 28, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Footage Reveals Professor X's X-Men:TAS-Inspired Chair". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  136. ^ Edwards, Molly (May 5, 2022). "That actor is not playing who you think he's playing in Doctor Strange 2". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  137. ^ Coggan, Devan (October 3, 2022). "Ryan Coogler breaks down the emotional Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  138. ^ Anderson, Jenna (December 17, 2022). "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Storyboards Reveal Two Marvel Heroes Cut From the Illuminati". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  139. ^ a b Perry, Spencer (May 6, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2: Every Stephen Strange Variant in Multiverse of Madness". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  140. ^ Russell, Bradley (May 5, 2022). "Why that number in Doctor Strange 2 got cheers in the cinema". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  141. ^ Ewing, Jeff (May 9, 2022). "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Name-Drops The Baxter Foundation, But What Is That?". /Film. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  142. ^ Davids, Brian (May 4, 2022). "'Doctor Strange 2' Star Rachel McAdams Had Made Peace Being One-and-Done in MCU". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  143. ^ a b Erbland, Kate (May 5, 2022). "'Doctor Strange' Star Rachel McAdams Originally Expected to Play 3 Different Versions of Her Character in Sequel". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  144. ^ Tolsky, Andy (May 8, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Writer Explains Intro Of [Spoiler] As Love Interest". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  145. ^ Alter, Ethan (May 11, 2022). "Tom Cruise as 'Multiverse' Iron Man, Lady Gaga and a deleted death scene — 'Doctor Strange' screenwriter spills what might have been". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  146. ^ Bisset, Jennifer (June 22, 2022). "'Doctor Strange 2' Originally Included the Wasp, Says Writer". CNET. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  147. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (July 14, 2021). "'Loki' Renewed for Season 2 at Disney+". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  148. ^ Fox, Joshua (May 7, 2022). "Why Loki Isn't In Doctor Strange 2 (Despite Breaking The Multiverse)". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  149. ^ Dinh, Christine (July 5, 2022). "'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness': The Cost of Dreamwalking and Incursions". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  150. ^ Donnelly, Matt (July 20, 2019). "'Doctor Strange' Sequel Billed as First MCU Horror Film at Comic-Con". Variety. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  151. ^ Dinh, Christine (April 22, 2022). "Explore Sam Raimi's Mind-Bending Vision for 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  152. ^ Lovett, Jamie (May 2, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Stars Benedict Wong and Xochitl Gomez Speak Out on the Difficulty of the Multiverse". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  153. ^ Anderson, Jenna (May 13, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Writer Says It 'Was Never About Fan Service' When Introducing the Marvel Multiverse". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  154. ^ Hall, Jacob (May 2, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Writer Michael Waldron Is Not Tired Of Talking About Doctor Strange [Interview]". /Film. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  155. ^ Angeles, Christian (May 2, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Writer Explains How Rick & Morty 'Trained' Him for Multiverse Of Madness". IGN. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  156. ^ Outlaw, Kofi (May 12, 2022). "How Doctor Strange 2's Multiverse Differs From Rick and Morty and Loki". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  157. ^ Setchfield, Nick (April 20, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 and Loki writer explains the pitfalls and opportunities of the multiverse". SFX. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  158. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (May 7, 2022). "'Doctor Strange 2' Scribe Michael Waldron On "Emotional" 'Loki' Season 2, New 'Star Wars' Pic, & Kang The Conqueror's Whereabouts – Hero Nation Podcast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  159. ^ a b Hiatt, Brian (May 9, 2022). "'Multiverse of Madness' Screenwriter Wanted Tom Cruise to Play An Alternate Iron Man". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  160. ^ Mancuso, Vinnie (December 7, 2019). "'WandaVision' Will Finally Introduce the Name "Scarlet Witch" and Affect All of Marvel's Phase 4". Collider. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  161. ^ Travis, Ben (January 14, 2023). "Kang Brings 'A New Kind Of Big Bad' To The MCU In Quantumania, Says Kevin Feige – Exclusive Image". Empire. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  162. ^ Eammon, Jacobs (February 11, 2023). "Here's how 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' connects to the 'Loki' series". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  163. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (February 16, 2023). "'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania' Ending Explained: Time Is the True Enemy". Collider. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  164. ^ Erbland, Kate (February 24, 2023). "'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' Director Peyton Reed Explains Those Very Kang-Centric Post-Credits Scenes". IndieWire. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  165. ^ Lussier, Germain (February 24, 2023). "How the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Post-Credits Scene Was Created". io9. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  166. ^ Busch, Jenna (February 16, 2023). "Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania Credits Scenes Explained". /Film. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  167. ^ Odman, Sydney (February 18, 2023). "'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' End-Credits Scenes Tease Future MCU Villains". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  168. ^ a b Anderson, Kyle (February 16, 2023). "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Ending and Post-Credits Scenes Explained". Nerdist. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  169. ^ a b c Davids, Brian (February 24, 2023). "'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' Writer Jeff Loveness Talks Deleted Hope Story, Jennifer Coolidge's Potential Role and 'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  170. ^ Howard, Kirsten (February 13, 2023). "Ant-Man 3's WandaVision Link Confirmed Ahead of Release". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  171. ^ Northrup, Ryan (January 25, 2023). "Avengers 5 Writer Explains How Endgame's Time Travel Affected Kang Plans". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  172. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (February 6, 2023). "Ant-Man Writer Calls the MCU Quantum Realm "The Basement of the Multiverse"". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  173. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (November 24, 2022). "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Kang Plot Details Revealed". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  174. ^ a b Bennett, Tara (December 12, 2023). "What If...? Season 2: New Avengers Lineups, a 'Lost' Episode Revived, and Other Things We Learned". IGN. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  175. ^ Graves, Sabina (March 9, 2023). "Marvel's What If? Season 2 Will Introduce a Brand New Mohawk Hero". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  176. ^ Johnston, Dais (December 12, 2023). "Jeff Goldblum Confirmed for What If Season 2 (And 5 More Things We Learned)". Inverse. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  177. ^ Johnston, Dais (December 30, 2023). "What If...? Season 2 Might Be the Final Nail in the Coffin for Marvel's Multiverse Saga". Inverse. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  178. ^ a b White, Peter; Hayes, Dade (December 14, 2017). "Disney-Fox Deal: Bob Iger Discusses Digital Future, James Murdoch, Hulu and $2B Cost Savings". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  179. ^ Couch, Aaron (February 11, 2024). "First 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Trailer Declares the Antihero Is "Marvel Jesus"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 11, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  180. ^ Outlaw, Kofi (June 22, 2022). "Deadpool 3 Writer Teases First Story Details About Deadpool's MCU Arrival". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  181. ^ Travis, Ben (May 2, 2024). "Deadpool & Wolverine Is 'The Most Deadpool Movie In The History Of Deadpool,' Says Ryan Reynolds". Empire. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  182. ^ Rubin, Rebecca; Vary, Adam B. (January 3, 2024). "Box Office Predictions for 2024: Will Deadpool, Wicked and Two Kevin Costners Bring a Blockbuster Year?". Variety. Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  183. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 27, 2022). "Hugh Jackman Returning As Wolverine In Deadpool 3, Pic Sets Fall 2024 Release". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  184. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (July 7, 2023). "Jennifer Garner Returning as Elektra for 'Deadpool 3' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  185. ^ Diaz, Eric (July 25, 2024). "Deadpool & Wolverine's Cameos In The Void Are Epic And Weird". Nerdist. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  186. ^ a b Davis, Brandon; Anderson, Jenna (August 5, 2024). Dafne Keen Spotlight: Deadpool & Wolverine X-23 Interview Live!. Phase Zero. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024 – via YouTube.
  187. ^ Milheim, Russ (August 8, 2024). "Deadpool and Wolverine: Aaron Stanford Confirms Which Pyro Variant Appears In Movie (Exclusive)". The Direct. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  188. ^ Zalben, Alex (August 3, 2024). "Deadpool & Wolverine: Every Easter Egg, Cameo and Marvel Reference (That We Spotted)". IGN. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  189. ^ Stephan, Katcy; Moreau, Jordan (July 26, 2024). "45 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Cameos and Easter Eggs From the X-Men, MCU and Beyond". Variety. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  190. ^ Dick, Jeremy (April 23, 2024). "The Punisher Villain Spotted in Deadpool & Wolverine Trailer". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  191. ^ Barnhardt, Adam (August 4, 2024). "Deadpool & Wolverine Dropped a Daredevil Easter Egg Everyone Missed". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  192. ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (August 5, 2024). "Shawn Levy Unpacks 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Cameos and Spoilers: Channing Tatum's Gambit, Jennifer Garner's Ben Affleck Divorce Joke, Henry Cavill's Wolverine and More". Variety. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  193. ^ Glazebrook, Lewis (July 25, 2024). "Every Deadpool Variant In Deadpool & Wolverine Explained". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  194. ^ Bryant, Jacob (July 30, 2024). "All the Wolverine Variants in 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' Explained". TheWrap. Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  195. ^ Davis, Brandon (July 28, 2022). "How Spider-Man: Freshman Year Fits Into MCU Revealed (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  196. ^ a b c Moreau, Jordan (July 22, 2022). "'Marvel Zombies,' 'Spider-Man: Freshman Year,' 'What If?' Season 2 Get First Looks". Variety. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  197. ^ Chapman, Tom (July 23, 2022). "Spider-Man: Freshman Year Who's Who – Daredevil, Doctor Strange and More | Comic-Con 2022". IGN. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  198. ^ Knight, Rosy (May 6, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2: The MCU's Marvel Universe Numbering System, Explained". Nerdist. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  199. ^ Shirey, Paul (November 15, 2021). "The MCU Is Earth-616, Confirms Marvel Producer". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  200. ^ Wittmer, Carrie (June 7, 2022). "The Dawn Of Iman Vellani". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  201. ^ Dyce, Andrew (November 11, 2013). "'Thor: The Dark World' Easter Eggs, Trivia & References". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  202. ^ Zuckerman, Nora; Zuckerman, Lilla (April 27, 2018). "Option Two". Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Season 5. Episode 19. ABC.
  203. ^ Fletcher, Brent (May 4, 2018). "The One Who Will Save Us All". Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Season 5. Episode 20. ABC.
  204. ^ Abrams, Natalie (April 27, 2018). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Reveals Graviton in New Promo". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  205. ^ Damore, Meagan (May 17, 2018). "Agents of SHIELD EPs Reveal Why Graviton Had to Be Season 5's Villain". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  206. ^ Greenberg, Drew Z.; Titley, Craig (May 11, 2018). "The Force of Gravity". Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Season 5. Episode 21. ABC.
  207. ^ a b Whedon, Jed; Tancharoen, Maurissa (May 18, 2018). "The End". Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Season 5. Episode 22. ABC.
  208. ^ Doyle, DJ (December 1, 2017). "Orientation Part Two". Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Season 5. Episode 2. ABC.
  209. ^ Couch, Aaron; Kit, Borys (July 23, 2022). "Marvel's Kevin Feige Unveils Phase 5 and 6 Plans, New 'Avengers' Movies at Comic-Con". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 25, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  210. ^ Silliman, Brian (September 8, 2021). "Episode 5 of 'What If...?' fills the MCU with zombies and hopelessness". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  211. ^ "What If...? Director Talks Bringing the Kirby Krackle Into the Marvel Cinematic Universe". ComicBook.com. October 8, 2021. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  212. ^ Miller, David (December 16, 2021). "Why Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man Has Organic Web Shooters". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  213. ^ Jasper, Gavin; Cecchini, Mike; Crow, David; Howard, Kirsten (December 17, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home Easter Eggs and Marvel Universe References". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  214. ^ a b Leston, Ryan (January 26, 2022). "Spider-Man: No Way Home's Entire Script Is Now Online". IGN.
  215. ^ Adams, Sam; Frank, Allegra; Wickman, Forrest (December 16, 2021). "The Casual Marvel Fan's Guide to Spider-Man: No Way Home". Slate. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  216. ^ Russell, Bradley (May 5, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Easter eggs: The biggest Marvel references". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  217. ^ Brail, Nathaniel (July 7, 2022). "Here's Why There Weren't Any Avengers In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' 838 Universe". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  218. ^ Leite, Marcelo (May 10, 2022). "Marvel Universe 838 Timeline & Every Difference To The MCU". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  219. ^ Erdmann, Kevin (May 6, 2022). "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Easter Eggs & MCU References". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  220. ^ "The Illuminati World in 'Doctor Strange 2' Is Even Darker Than It Seems". Vanity Fair. May 12, 2022.
  221. ^ Goodman, William (November 8, 2023). "The 'Marvels' Post-Credits Scene Spins the MCU in a Whole New Direction. Let's Start Freaking Out Right Now". GQ. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  222. ^ a b Purslow, Matt (July 12, 2024). "Deadpool & Wolverine: 30 Spoiler-Filled Details From the First 35 Minutes". IGN. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  223. ^ Couch, Aaron (February 11, 2024). "First 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Trailer Declares the Antihero Is "Marvel Jesus"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 11, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  224. ^ Gonzales, Umberto (October 11, 2016). "'Doctor Strange' 15-Minute IMAX 3D Sneak Peek Is Spellbinding: Here's What We Saw". TheWrap. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  225. ^ Hayes, Britt (October 11, 2016). "'Doctor Strange' Footage: We've Seen 15 Dizzying Minutes of Marvel's Mystical Superhero Film". ScreenCrush. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  226. ^ Travers, Peter (April 24, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame' Review: The MCU's Long Goodbye Is an Emotional Wipeout". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 25, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  227. ^ Debruge, Peter (April 23, 2019). "Film Review: 'Avengers: Endgame'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  228. ^ Chang, Justin (April 23, 2019). "Review: 'Avengers: Endgame' brings the Marvel saga to a thrilling, time-twisting conclusion — for now". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  229. ^ Vary, Adam B. (May 28, 2021). "Will Spider-Man Ever Connect With Sony's Other Marvel Movies? 'There Actually Is a Plan,' Says Exec". Variety. Archived from the original on May 29, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  230. ^ McMillan, Graeme (December 8, 2020). "How the Multiverse Can Reshape Marvel". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  231. ^ Bui, Hoai-Tran (December 8, 2020). "Marvel's 'Spider-Man 3' Possibly Bringing Back Past Peter Parkers, Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane". /Film. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  232. ^ Lee, Benjamin (December 14, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home review – scattered fun in ambitious sequel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  233. ^ Kaye, Don (December 14, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home Review – Tom Holland Soars into the Multiverse". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  234. ^ Duralde, Alonso (May 3, 2022). "'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Film Review: Sam Raimi Brings Visual Pop to a Less-than-Magical Adventure". TheWrap. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  235. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (May 3, 2022). "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review – cheerful alt-reality sequel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  236. ^ Defore, John (May 3, 2022). "'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  237. ^ Ehrlich, David (May 3, 2022). "'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Review: Sam Raimi Just Saved the MCU from Itself". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  238. ^ Arezou, Armin (May 3, 2022). "'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness': First Reactions Call It Macabre, Weird, and a Full-On Spectacle". Collider. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  239. ^ Sims, David (May 3, 2022). "The New 'Doctor Strange' Is Not Just Another Marvel Movie". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  240. ^ Weekes, Princess (May 6, 2022). "'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Fails by Leaning Too Hard on Fan Service". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  241. ^ Tallerico, Brian (May 3, 2022). "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  242. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (May 3, 2022). "'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Review: Benedict Cumberbatch Returns for a Head-Trip Sequel That's Both Entertaining and Exhausting". Variety. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  243. ^ Hood, Cooper (February 5, 2021). "WandaVision Episode 5 Cast Guide: Every Marvel Character". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  244. ^ Agard, Chancellor (February 5, 2021). "WandaVision recap: Family ties, for real". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  245. ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (February 5, 2021). "WandaVision's fifth episode continues its slow march from sitcom to horror". The Verge. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  246. ^ Attributed to multiple references:
  247. ^ Attributed to multiple references:
  248. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (March 5, 2021). "'Wandavision' Series Finale Recap: The Lyin', the Witch and the Wardroid". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  249. ^ Riesman, Abraham (March 5, 2021). "WandaVision Finale: Ding, Dong, the Witch Is Sad". Vulture. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  250. ^ Purslow, Matt (March 5, 2021). "WandaVision: Season 1, Episode 9 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  251. ^ Morales, Carlos (March 8, 2021). "Why Doesn't Quicksilver Matter in WandaVision?". IGN. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  252. ^ Robinson, Stephen (March 5, 2021). "The Scarlet Witch becomes the sorceress supreme in the satisfying conclusion of WandaVision". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  253. ^ Agard, Chancellor (March 5, 2021). "WandaVision finale recap: Even an android can cry". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  254. ^ Gillespie, Daniel (March 11, 2021). "WandaVision's Evan Peters Was Never Meant To Become The MCU's Quicksilver". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 12, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  255. ^ Framke, Caroline; Vary, Adam B. (March 6, 2021). "'WandaVision': A Marvel Expert and Casual Fan Unpack 'The Series Finale' and the Double-Edged Sword of Fan Theories". Variety. Archived from the original on March 13, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  256. ^ Jones, Allie (February 9, 2021). "The Charm (and Grit) of Tom Holland". Esquire. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  257. ^ Beresford, Trilby (February 23, 2021). "Tom Holland Is Tight Lipped on Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield Cameos in 'Spider-Man': "It Would Be a Miracle If They Kept That From Me"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  258. ^ Heaf, Jonathan (February 26, 2021). "Tom Holland on his darkest role yet, and why No Way Home could be his last Spider-Man film". British GQ. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  259. ^ Couch, Aaron (May 4, 2021). "Andrew Garfield Breaks Silence on 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  260. ^ Donnelly, Matt (September 8, 2021). "Andrew Garfield on Loss, Art, Televangelism and Those Pesky 'Spider-Man' Rumors". Variety. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  261. ^ Dumaraog, Ana (October 29, 2021). "Kevin Feige Warns Fans About Their Spider-Man: No Way Home Expectations". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  262. ^ Newby, Richard (October 8, 2020). "The 'Spider-Verse' Questions Facing 'Spider-Man 3'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  263. ^ Bennett, Tara (May 4, 2022). "These Are The 4 Most Ridiculous 'Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness' Fan Theories". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  264. ^ Moore, Tom (May 6, 2022). "10 Cameos We Can't Believe Didn't Happen in Doctor Strange 2". Collider. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  265. ^ Lovett, Jamie (February 19, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2: Patrick Stewart Breaks Silence on Multiverse of Madness Trailer (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  266. ^ Malkin, Marc (February 16, 2022). "Ryan Reynolds Compares 'The Adam Project' to 'E.T.,' Insists Deadpool Is Not in 'Doctor Strange 2'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  267. ^ Zilko, Christian (May 13, 2022). "'Doctor Strange 2' Deadpool Cameo Was Considered, but It 'Didn't Feel like the Right Place'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  268. ^ Cheng, Roger (May 8, 2022). "The Problem With 'Doctor Strange 2's' Surprise Cameos". CNET. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  269. ^ Acuna, Kirsten (May 5, 2022). "'Doctor Strange 2' had a huge opportunity by introducing a massively powerful group of superheroes. Marvel blew it". Business Insider. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  270. ^ Edwards, Belen (May 7, 2022). "'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' flips off fanservice in the best way possible". Mashable. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  271. ^ Abdulbaki, Mae (June 25, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Detail Sets Up Secret Wars For Avengers 5". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  272. ^ Weiss, Josh (May 13, 2022). "Is 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness' Setting Up 'Secret Wars'?". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  273. ^ Newby, Richard (May 27, 2022). "38 Years Ago, Marvel Made A Shameless Cash Grab — And Told Its Greatest Story Ever". Inverse. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  274. ^ Lussier, Germain (May 10, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2's Writer Breaks Down the Movie's Biggest Spoilers". io9. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  275. ^ Vary, Adam B. (May 15, 2022). "Where Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe Going? Only Kevin Feige Knows For Sure". Variety. Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  276. ^ King, Jack (June 22, 2022). "Marvel president Kevin Feige drops heavy hints for where the Marvel Cinematic Universe is headed next". GQ. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  277. ^ Adams, Timothy (June 20, 2022). "Secret Wars Trends After Marvel Hints at Next Big Saga". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  278. ^ Sarrubba, Stefania (June 21, 2022). "Marvel fans think they've worked out next MCU saga after Kevin Feige comments". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  279. ^ Nolfi, Joey (September 9, 2023). "Deadpool 3 director says 'army of nerdiest nerds' worked on Hugh Jackman's comic-accurate Wolverine suit". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  280. ^ Romano, Nick (May 7, 2024). "Deadpool and Wolverine 'changed radically' once Hugh Jackman came aboard". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  281. ^ Brail, Nathaniel (April 21, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 and Loki Writer Reveals the "Danger" of Multiverse-Centric Stories". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  282. ^ Bailey, Kat (February 23, 2022). "Avengers: Endgame Director On Multiverse Trend: 'Don't Expect Corporations To Surprise You'". IGN. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  283. ^ Weiss, Josh (February 24, 2022). "'Avengers: Endgame' Co-Director Joe Russo Warns Multiverse Could Be Too Much Of A Good Thing". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  284. ^ Dumaraog, Ana (July 19, 2019). "Terminator: Dark Fate Director Critiques Endgame's Time Travel". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  285. ^ Hiatt, Brian (July 24, 2024). "Inside 'A Complete Unknown': How Timothée Chalamet Became Bob Dylan". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  286. ^ a b Vary, Adam B. (October 2, 2021). "Does 'Venom: Let There Be Carnage' Reshape Sony's Marvel Universe? And More Burning Questions". Variety. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  287. ^ Britt, Ryan (October 1, 2021). "Unpacking the Venom: Let There Be Carnage Post-Credits Scene". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  288. ^ Couch, Aaron (October 19, 2021). "Marvel's Kevin Feige Talks 'Eternals' Ambition and That 'Venom' Surprise". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  289. ^ Coogan, Devan (October 1, 2021). "Let's talk about that wild end-credits scene for Venom: Let There Be Carnage". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  290. ^ McMillan, Graeme (October 1, 2021). "How Venom: Let There Be Carnage Mid-Credits Scene Shakes Up Sony's Universe". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  291. ^ Stolworthy, Jacob (October 16, 2021). "Venom 2: Marvel fans react to 'most important post-credits scene ever' in Let There Be Carnage". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  292. ^ Outlaw, Kofi (September 15, 2021). "Venom: Let There Be Carnage Fans Freaking Out Over Post-Credits Scene After Screening Event". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  293. ^ Hughes, William (October 2, 2021). "Is Venom 2 doomed to be overshadowed by its own mid-credits scene?". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  294. ^ Mancuso, Vinnie (October 1, 2021). "Let's Discuss That 'Venom: Let There Be Carnage' Credits Scene, Because Whoa". Collider. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  295. ^ Moreau, Jordan (April 1, 2022). "'Morbius' Director Daniel Espinosa Explains [Spoiler] in the Post-Credits Scene and Future Team-Ups". Variety. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  296. ^ O'Connell, Sean (March 25, 2022). "Here's How Spider-Man, Venom And The Multiverse Will Factor Into Jared Leto's Morbius Movie". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  297. ^ Edwards, Molly (March 31, 2022). "Morbius post-credit scene: how many are there? Do they set up a sequel?". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  298. ^ Garbutt, Emily (March 25, 2022). "Morbius first reactions are in and people are saying it has the "worst post-credits scenes you've ever seen"". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  299. ^ Lacey, Kellie (March 25, 2022). "Morbius Early Reactions Almost Unanimously Hate the Spider-Man Spinoff". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  300. ^ Glassman, Julia (April 4, 2022). "Here's What Happens in the 'Morbius' Post-Credit Scenes So You Don't Have to See the Movie". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  301. ^ Erbland, Kate (April 2, 2022). "'Morbius': Confusing Post-Credits Scenes Hint at Incoherent Twists for the Spider-Verse". IndieWire. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  302. ^ Brennan, Cathy (March 31, 2022). "Morbius". Time Out. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  303. ^ Langmann, Brady (April 1, 2022). "The Morbius Mid-Credits Scene Spells Out Sony's Sinister Six Plans". Esquire. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  304. ^ Kaye, Don (March 31, 2022). "Morbius Post-Credits Scenes Explained". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  305. ^ Dockterman, Eliana (April 1, 2022). "Breaking Down The Morbius End-Credits Scenes and What They Mean for Spider-Man's Future". Time. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  306. ^ a b Gvozden, Dan (June 4, 2023). "The Definitive List of 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' Easter Eggs". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  307. ^ Scott, Ryan (May 12, 2023). "Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Is 'Not Tied Into The MCU' Despite That No Way Home Reference". /Film. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023.
  308. ^ Franklin, Garth (May 12, 2023). ""Spider-Verse" Producer: No Ties To The MCU". Dark Horizons. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023.
  309. ^ Radulovic, Petrana (March 11, 2020). "Disney's Marvel Land takes place in parallel to the MCU, thanks to the multiverse". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  310. ^ Lussier, Germain (May 25, 2017). "The New Guardians of the Galaxy Ride Exists in Its Own Unique Marvel Universe". io9. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on May 25, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  311. ^ a b Bonomolo, Cameron (July 17, 2022). "Deadpool Referenced in New Avengers Ride at Disneyland Paris". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  312. ^ Boccella, Maggie (November 22, 2021). "'Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind' Ride Not a Part of the MCU, According to James Gunn". Collider. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  313. ^ Cabral, Matt (June 3, 2022). "How Guardians Of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Tells A Marvel Superhero Story In Theme Park Ride Form". /Film. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  314. ^ Wasserman, Ben (July 11, 2022). "Disney Cruise's Avengers Story Takes Place in a Variant of the Main MCU". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  315. ^ Libbey, Dick (August 20, 2021). "I Just Learned An Ant-Man Disney Cruise Ship Spoiler, And Now I Need To Go". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on August 21, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  316. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (April 3, 2020). "Avengers Campus: Thanos Snap Never Happened in Disney Parks Version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  317. ^ Han, Angie (August 25, 2019). "Disney's Avengers Campus attractions will include Spidey ride and Wakanda visit". Mashable. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  318. ^ Patten, Dominic (September 9, 2022). "Bob Chapek Tells D23 Disneyland's Avengers Campus Expanding Again; Evolving Disney+ & Other Platforms So Viewers Are "Part Of The Action"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  319. ^ Chapman, Wilson (September 11, 2022). "'Multiverse' Avengers Campus Ride Announced for Disneyland". Variety. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]