After over twenty films and TV series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally begun exploring the multiverse. The comic books have been using the multiverse to tell various stories for years, so it’s fitting that the films would follow suit. We’ve now seen the MCU dive into the multiverse in What If…?, Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It’s clear that they plan on pushing further and further into the multiverse as their franchise progresses. Because of this, it’s time that the MCU should officially be called the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse. 

Marvel Studios appears to have plans to continue onward with multiverse-centered plotlines. Loki is currently stuck in a different timeline. Doctor Strange followed Clea to a different universe. Since they’re not stopping with it any time soon, they might as well embrace it.

They’ve brought in actors who have portrayed Marvel characters outside of the MCU to reprise their roles as cameos as other-universe versions of them, like Andrew Garfield, Toby Maguire, Patrick Stewart, and Anson Mount. They’ve even used a popular fan-cast in John Krasinski to play Mr. Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This is an idea they could keep using for a good while if they’d like. It would be a smart move since it could likely get their audience to watch or rewatch some older Marvel movies and TV series so that they feel more “in-the-know.” Sure, one of the drawbacks of many MCU movies is having to watch several films just to enjoy one and this may escalate that, but it would be great for Disney+ subscriptions and Blu-Ray sales, along with providing more fan-service to viewers. 

The idea of Marvel Studios exploring the multiverse further is ratchet exciting because it will allow them to play with their characters in ways we haven’t seen before, similar to what they’ve done in What If…? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. A lot of truly creative ideas can come of it. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has so far covered a single, shared movie universe, but now it’s growing far beyond that. Because of that, it’s about time that Disney and Marvel Studios rebrand it as the “Marvel Cinematic Multiverse.”