Going into Avengers: Endgame, fans had various theories about how the multiverse could be properly introduced into the MCU in the event movie. As it happened, though, that wasn’t the case. It had enough on its plate with all the alternate timelines it dealt with as is, but for writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, there was another major reason why they never considered playing with the potential of the multiverse in the film.
At their enlightening panel at SDCC last weekend, the screenwriting duo touched on the dangers of introducing the idea of multiple universes in a movie like Endgame that relies on high stakes.
“I’m a big believer in stakes, and if you tell me that I can just go get another Natasha and another Tony and we can keep rolling, then particularly my grandma’s gonna go, ‘Why don’t I watch that?’ And yet we are retraining the audience all the time. I may be wrong, two years from now, where people go, ‘I want all sorts of stories from people that I’ve already lost.’”
Markus also reiterated that bringing the multiverse in just wouldn’t have been right for Endgame.
“Particularly in a movie where we are very much heading towards some final resolutions, toward things ending, toward people leaving. If you go, ‘Yeah, but there are 75 Tonys out there or 75 billion Tonys out there,’ your drama is gonna suffer because your stakes are lower. Now, these things may or may not be true, but for the concrete rules of your movie, you have to run with the people. ‘Dance with who brung ya,’ as they say.”
McFeely then reminded those in attendance that the MCU multiverse does exist as it was played with in 2016’s Doctor Strange, saying it was “part of the fabric” of the Sorcerer Supreme’s world. In hindsight, the scribe may have been hinting at the big reveal Marvel made later on at Comic-Con: that Strange is set to return in 2021’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
So, those fans who were disappointed there was no meddling with the multiverse in Avengers: Endgame – and Spider-Man: Far From Home – can rest easy that Marvel will be tackling it soon.