The superhero genre is ever-changing and ever-evolving. It began in the books, and that success elevated to live-action interpretation. The films had many forms of success: making loads of money, putting new spins on classic characters, and giving lesser-known heroes a spotlight. And fans and critics loved it. But now, that is getting stale. The strategy is to make the live-action form get back to its prominence by going into the multiverse. Several movies have done this. A few more movies down the line will also use the multiverse. This trope has been implanted in such a fast time within a short time of each other. Yet, the use of the multiverse could be a sharp, double-edged sword.
To begin on a good note, a few movies have done the multiverse right. The ones that come to mind are the Spider-Verse films. In the first one, a few Spidermen joined Miles Morales in stopping the threat. Their own twist on the Spider-Man character added versatility for a character that has been around for decades. Although they existed in the books prior to the film and got some attention from readers, the introduction to something as big as a film brought freshness and, in some capacity, originality. Then, in the next film, dozens upon dozens of Spider-Man were introduced. A group of them were plucked from books; one was plucked from a successful video game, and some were even completely new and original. Even though most of their appearances were small scenes, it was fun for fans to spot a Spider-Man that was from the books or a brand-new idea. For films that really wanted to lean on different versions of Spider-Ma, the multiverse had to be used with great purpose. And the films used it to great effect.
The Multiverse is also going to serve as a gateway for Deadpool and Wolverine to enter the MCU finally. There is huge expectation for Deadpool and Wolverine when it comes out this summer. At a time when many people are eye-rolling at the mention of the MCU, Deadpool and Wolverine are being treated as saviors of the MCU. It is fitting since fans wanted Hugh Jackman in the MCU when he was still playing Wolverine regularly and the longest-tenured actor for Marvel to be playing one of their iconic characters. In addition, Deadpool’s more violent tone may add another fresh element that the MCU needs. Since the MCU tends to aim for a family-friendly audience, obviously, the tone of the stories needs to reflect that. But that tone is copied and pasted for most of their movies. It’s something fans want Marvel to break away from time to time. Fortunately, Deadpool does not follow that. Both of those introductions are possible due to the multiverse.
However, there is a bad side to the multiverse. Although No Way Home was a positive sign post Endgame, even though it was sublime to see all three Spider-Men together, some criticism said it was for nostalgia purposes. It was epic to see Michael Keaton come back at Batman in The Flash and see his Batman stand toe to toe with a supersized Kryptonian. Of course, it’s a dream come true to finally see Wolverine enter the MCU. But, much like the inclusion of the Spider-Men in No Way Home, the addition of Keaton’s Batman was for nostalgia purposes. Even though it’s a sigh of relief to finally get Wolverine in the MCU, it kind of unravels the bittersweet ending of his arc that came to a conclusion in Logan. The multiverse allows the creative team to play it safe.
With it, death is that much more temporary in a genre where death is already lenient. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was set up to be one of the biggest movies dealing with the Multiverse, but it only gave slight adjustments to established characters. There were only three variations of Doctor Strange, but the only element that really separated them was different apparel. At least the three Spider-Men in No Way Home looked different from each other and had some slight differences when it came to their powers. Even with the appearance of Mr. Fantastic, that was fan service, and fan service is a sensitive topic. Fans cast John to be the character, and they got what they wanted, but it was a one-time thing that lasted a few minutes. With the announcement of the new cast for the upcoming Fantastic Four, John K’s version of the character will now be a version of the character that exists out in the multiverse instead of the main Earth of the MCU. With the multiverse being thrown in the toolbox for a creative team, it allows them to play things safe. It could quickly end up being a slippery slope. If a decision is made for a story that doesn’t sit well with fans, the creative team could quickly plunge their hands into the multiverse to undo the problem. The books do a much better job with the Multiverse due to the books having more time with the story. But the films are telling their own stories at a quick pace, and the only thing most of them are doing to achieve the multiverse is getting actors back to reprise their roles or getting actors to meet fan service. That’s as far as the creativity goes for the multiverse. Instead of doing something bold, something new like introducing a brand new interpretation of a character exclusive to the film, fans get something
The Multiverse has done wonders. Adding and changing aspects to worlds and characters make them stand the test of time. It adds more creative freedom. Writers could entertain their own ‘what if’ scenarios with this storytelling tool. Offer audiences a new way to look and embrace a character. It is an intelligent move at times to freshen up lore.
