The Infinity Stones were once the foundation upon which the Marvel Cinematic Universe was built on. After Avengers: Endgame, and all the ramifications that came after, the MCU has a new narrative tool: the Multiverse. It’s one of near-limitless potential—anything can happen. Fans should make sure to show some appreciation to Sylvie, whose actions in the Disney+ show Loki made it all possible.
Without her, fans would have gotten to see Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland all team up to go against some of their greatest villains. Though, the downside would be that because of Sophia D'Martino's new character, Peter Parker had to make everyone forget about him. Lokis; always ruining everything.
With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness having just been released, Marvel Studios has cooked up even more Multiversal insanity with things like dreamwalking, Variants galore, and the introduction of America Chavez.
In the official press release for the film, Elizabeth Olsen, the actress behind the Scarlet Witch, has now teased even more Multiverse stories in the MCU's future.
What's Next After Doctor Strange 2?
In the official press release for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the talent behind the project talked about the potential that the Multiverse offers and the endless possibilities it brings to the table for future stories in the MCU.
Elizabeth Olsen, who plays the Scarlet Witch, claimed that the movie "creates quite a big pandora's box of limitless possibilities," which, according to the actress, will certainly have an impact on the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
“Unlocking the Multiverse, as well as what happened in Spider-Man: No Way Home, creates quite a big Pandora’s box of limitless possibilities... How the MCU navigates all those options with this Multiverse feels endless.”
Sam Raimi, the film's director, went into depth explaining how his favorite part of those Multiversal options is how "it gives the characters a unique opportunity to meet themselves and see where they went right and where they went wrong:"
“In the Multiverse, there are alternate versions of everything. So, it gives the characters a unique opportunity to meet themselves and see where they went right and where they went wrong. They recognize qualities that they may have been blind to in themselves that are clearer to see in another. They also see better versions of themselves, people who they could be. That’s what movies, Super Hero movies especially, offer all of us: the chance to see possibilities. I could do good. I could be a better person. In this movie, the Super Heroes themselves get to see that.”
More MCU Multiverse Movies?
Multiverse of Madness is certainly not the last time fans have crossed into another universe. With America Chavez now an MCU mainstay, Marvel now has a walking, talking, Multiversal portal at their disposal to use whenever they like. This could be in the form of her own solo project or in a fashion similar to how she was meant to appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
As for where it all could be heading, the biggest Multiverse story of them all is undoubtedly Secret Wars, a tale which seems to clearly be a future event that Marvel Studios is aiming for. Jonathan Hickman's particular take in 2015 saw the comic book story destroy all existence—every universe ever. However, thanks to the fast thinking of Doctor Doom, a sliver of existence was saved and pieced together into a patchwork planet called Battleworld.
The destruction of the Multiverse occurred for a multitude of reasons, one of them being incursions—two universes smashing into one another. That term may seem familiar to those who have seen the latest Marvel Studios film.
Fans will have to wait to see if that's the direction the MCU is headed. After all, how long will it take to get there is it is? Will it be Avengers 5? An Endgame level event a decade from now? Only Marvel Studios President Kevin Fiege knows.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters worldwide.
