Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness looks set to explore the MCU’s multiverse in the most detail yet, signaling the potential for a future franchise reboot. Although the MCU’s first real exploration of alternate realities came in Loki, the concept can be traced back as early as Phase 2’s Thor: The Dark World. Professor Erik Selvig, still affected by the influence of the tesseract, makes a subtle reference to the MCU’s multiverse theory with the words “616 universe” written on his blackboard – a nod to Earth-616, the main universe of Marvel comics. This was then expanded again in Doctor Strange when the Ancient One mentions the potential of multiple realities, telling Steven, “This universe is only one of an infinite number. Worlds without end.”
Despite these early references, much of the narrative development in respect to the multiverse has come post-Loki. The Disney+ series explained that the Time Variance Authority (TVA) has always been there to “prune” other universes, ensuring the maintenance of “the sacred timeline.” When Sylvie kills He Who Remains (aka Kang The Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors) at the end of the first season, his sacred timeline breaks apart, releasing the full force of the multiverse into the MCU.
Spider-Man saw the consequences of this in Spider-Man: No Way Home when the hero was confronted by a host of villains from other non-MCU Marvel franchises, but the trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness suggests that the multiple realities could affect the MCU in a much larger way. The possibilities of the multiverse bring in the potential of a hard MCU reboot, and with actors finishing their contracts and characters reaching the end of their onscreen story arcs, a multiversal reboot would provide the franchise the best chance at continued longevity.
The MCU has become one of the most successful franchises of all time and if it is going to continue this level of fame then a reboot seems inevitable. The franchise has maintained a model of linear storytelling since its conception in 2008, but this can only last for so long. Be it an actor’s contract reaching its natural end (as was the case with Robert Downey Jr.) or the tragic passing of performers such as Chadwick Boseman and William Hurt, the MCU is going to have to continue to retire certain key characters as time goes by.
In its current state, this means that the studio cannot tell a future Iron Man, Black Panther, or Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross story with those characters at the helm due to the linearity of their narratives. The only way to go for these characters under the franchise’s current model is backwards – as was achieved by Black Widow, which provided origin information for the character but did little to progress the main storyline of the MCU. A reboot would provide the studio with the chance to continue making stories that star these characters without needing to focus on the forward momentum of a singular narrative. Unless they are going to eventually give up on their most popular properties, an MCU reboot is only a matter of time.
With the concept of the multiverse, Marvel Studios provide themselves the opportunity to perform this reboot as a part of their narrative development. The MCU multiverse theory states that there are an infinite number of universes existing in tandem, each with its own occupants and events. This explained Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s roles in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but it could be used on a larger level to move the franchise’s focus away from the universe which has held all the narrative events so far and introduce characters and stories that are yet to be explored.
Rather than acting as a hard cut-off from the franchise so far, the multiverse could thus be used to explain a transition between this era of the MCU and the next. This may be as simple as drawing characters from different universes into one or it could do the equally effective approach of moving the franchise’s focus to a different universe entirely. The latter approach has already been explored in the multiverse-hopping animated series What If…?, which provides the groundwork for changing narrative focus if the live-action films wish to do the same.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the perfect place for this important franchise development to begin. The trailer has already teased that the film will contain multiple versions of Doctor Strange himself as well as hinting at the inclusion of the Illuminati and certain branches of the X-Men in the tease of Patrick Stewart’s role in the film. If this sequel is to introduce a new host of characters into the same world, then it seems reasonable that a similar approach could be used on a franchise-wide scale, changing the casting and storylines for each of the major heroes in the process.
The multiverse exploration in the coming sequel could also be used to deviate from the established continuity of the MCU, much like the way the comics are consistently able to reinvigorate their characters. Elseworld stories simply move the focus of the narrative away from the main universe in Marvel and DC comics, allowing writers to tell interesting and original stories which can then be developed into universes of their own. The trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness shows Doctor Strange and America Chavez jumping through multiple realities, each of which has the potential to be the unique focus of future MCU projects.
Perhaps the most promising aspect that the multiverse brings to the MCU, however, is that it does not necessitate the definitive end of the current timeline. A hard reboot would make it difficult for the studio to revisit some of their most popular properties but going down the multiverse route would allow these characters to co-exist alongside whichever narratives they explore in the future. This means that more stories could be made starring Iron Man and Black Panther in a new universe, while storylines such as Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Paul Rudd's Ant-Man could continue in the present.
The multiverse conveniently keeps all possibilities open for the MCU. It can explore new narratives without the risk of losing popular ones, or it can draw a host of new characters into the same universe to maintain a sense of narrative continuity. Whether this is the beginning of the end for the current slate of Marvel Studios remains to be seen, but at some point the MCU must undergo a reboot of sorts if it is to continue to adapt some of its characters’ best stories. The multiversal exploration in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness provides the perfect opportunity lay the groundwork for this eventual MCU restructure.
