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Exploring Diverse Methods of Multiversal Travel in the MCU

The Multiverse has unlocked numerous possibilities for the MCU's future. Here are various methods it has influenced the franchise to date.
Exploring Diverse Methods of Multiversal Travel in the MCU

Highlights

  • The MCU has evolved into a vast cinematic universe through the Infinity Saga and now the Multiverse Saga.
  • Various approaches to multiverse travel have been depicted, such as the Quantum Tunnel, the TVA, Doctor Strange's sorcery, America Chavez's unique abilities, and the disruption of jump points.
  • Although Kang was initially positioned as the primary antagonist of the Multiverse Saga, uncertainties surrounding the actor's participation may impact his role, leaving the exploration of alternative multiverse traversal methods uncertain.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has impressively united movie enthusiasts under a shared superhero universe since the debut of Iron Man in 2008. This movie franchise has gradually emerged as one of the most significant series in film history, largely attributed to the studios' skill in weaving a cohesive narrative across all films. The initial overarching storyline during the first decade in the MCU was the Infinity Saga, culminating in 2019 with Avengers: Endgame. Subsequent to this milestone, numerous movies and TV shows have premiered, prompting Marvel's head to christen this new film collection as the Multiverse Saga.

Instead of directly introducing the multiverse into the MCU, the writers and producers have explored several avenues through which this new narrative threat could materialize. While the concept of the multiverse is straightforward in comics, some of these multiverse portals have left viewers bewildered, with six distinct methods of multiverse travel established thus far.

6 The Quantum Tunnel

Utilized to Retrieve the Infinity Stones from the Past

  • Avengers: Endgame

The central plot of Avengers: Endgame revolved around the original superheroes' quest to undo Thanos' snap, annihilating half of life in the universe. Their strategy involved using a Quantum Tunnel to journey through time and collect the Infinity Stones from the past before Thanos could seize them. While this provided a satisfying and logical conclusion to the Infinity Stones' narrative, it also paved the way for multiverse implications.

In a discussion with The Ancient One in the past, Bruce Banner receives insight into how their actions could impact the multiverse. The sorcerer supreme clarifies that their actions in the past do not alter the future but create parallel timelines running alongside their own. Consequently, the Avengers generate multiple new timelines during their mission by displacing the stones from their original universe. Although Captain America attempts to rectify this by returning the stones, these new timelines persist within the multiverse.

5 The TVA

An Organization Regulating Time and Timelines

  • Loki

Loki marks the first Disney+ series delving into the concept of a multiverse within the primary MCU timeline. Following Loki's acquisition of the Tesseract/Space Stone in Avengers: Endgame, he swiftly gets apprehended by a group of soldiers from the Time Variance Authority (TVA). The TVA's responsibility is to eliminate inadvertent new timelines in the universe and uphold a single sacred timeline and continuity.

The initial season of Loki explores the origins of the TVA and hints at this organization being a principal method for traversing the multiverse, especially with the introduction of Kang/He Who Remains in the season finale.

4 Kang

Multiple Kang Variants Spanning the Multiverse

  • Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Similar to Thanos in the Infinity Saga, Marvel appeared to position Kang as the next major antagonist in the Multiverse Saga. This villain made his debut at the end of Loki's first season as a figure known as He Who Remains. The episode delves into his creation of the TVA and his ability to traverse the multiverse. Initially a scientist seeking to validate multiversal travel, Kang's variants in other universes aimed to dominate these new realities. Consequently, He Who Remains established a single sacred timeline to thwart these malevolent variations.

Initially poised to be the primary adversary in the multiversal conflict, Kang's role became uncertain due to real-world complications with the actor portraying him. This uncertainty raises questions about whether alternative methods of multiverse traversal will be explored.

3 Doctor Strange's Magic

An Erroneous Spell Unleashes Multiverse Menaces

  • Spider-Man: No Way Home

Following the conclusion of Loki's first season, which saw Sylvie, a variant of Loki, triggering multiverse chaos by eliminating He Who Remains, MCU enthusiasts anticipated that Spider-Man: No Way Home's events would directly stem from these actions. The movie trailers hinted at the appearance of villains from other Spider-Man universes, fueling speculation about Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprising their roles. While these speculations materialized, the catalyst for these events was not what fans anticipated.

Contrary to the expectations of Loki's repercussions, the multiverse incursion in Spider-Man: No Way Home ensued from a spell cast by Doctor Strange. Although cast inadvertently, the spell is rectified by the movie's conclusion, hinting that the MCU may limit the use of this method for fracturing the multiverse.

2 America Chavez

Interdimensional Travel via Star-Shaped Portals

  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

The upcoming Doctor Strange movie in the MCU teases significant multiverse developments. Trailers featuring familiar characters from various Marvel franchises and the movie title suggest the titular hero embarking on a multiverse-spanning adventure. Fans anticipated that the events in Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home would influence Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

However, the movie unveils that multiverse travel is facilitated by a new character, America Chavez, endowed with powers enabling interdimensional travel. Pursued by Wanda Maximoff, America possesses magical capabilities enabling her to navigate between universes. The source of her powers remains ambiguous, and her role in influencing future events is uncertain.

1 Disrupting Jump Points

Forging Connections Between the MCU and the X-Men Franchise

  • The Marvels

The hexagonal jump point network introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 serves as a system facilitating interstellar travel, consistently featured in MCU space journeys. The Marvels incorporates these jump points prominently in its storyline.

The film follows the titular team's efforts to thwart a villainous Kree from exploiting these jump points to extract crucial resources from other planets. The movie concludes with the shattering of the jump point network, with Monica Rambeau using her powers to mend it, albeit stranding herself on the other side. A post-credit scene hints at Monica's existence in a new reality where mutants exist. Given that one of the individuals welcoming Monica is a variant of her mother, the MCU may revisit this universe. Moreover, the jump points in the primary universe now serve as a boundary between timelines.

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