Most Marvel movies are grand spectacles of CGI and action set pieces that only use the plot as an excuse for more explosions or fighting. This is especially true of the movies that use the multiverse, or the infinite number of different universes where every possible thing could happen, as a major plot device. The problem with this style of storytelling is that it often leads to unsatisfying stories that feel to me as though their potential is wasted. And all you need to do is read one of the many Reddit threads complaining about the concept of the multiverse to realize that I’m not alone.
The worst multiverse movie I can think of, and certainly the one that is easiest to point at for all of the problems with the subgenre, is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Very basically, Multiverse of Madness follows Doctor Strange as he travels through the infinite multiverse trying to find a way to stop Wanda Maximov from destroying our universe. The movie relies almost exclusively on its CGI to keep audiences interested, and in doing so it forgets the most basic principles of storytelling, rising stakes and character development. Instead of allowing the audience to get to know the characters and understand the plight of the universe, it’s almost like Multiverse of Madness feels like it has to show off every facet of the infinite multiverse. When this inevitably gets tiring, the plot does not ramp up the tension, nor do the characters go through any sort of internal struggle.
While Spiderman No Way Home, another Marvel multiverse movie, was able to avoid the ugly pitfalls of Mutliverse of Madness through applying rising stakes and allowing the audience time to understand the characters, it is bogged down with its exposition. This is a very common problem with almost all of the Marvel multiverse movies, as the movie must bring the audience up to speed with the ways that the multiverse is accessed or the plot contrivances which force the protagonists to interact with its limitless possibilities. Sections of exposition are often the dullest parts of any story, and No Way Home is no exception. The long info dumps are the most prominent thing I remembered about the movie before writing this article, and they hold back the movie from its true potential.
So then, are multiverse movies fundamentally flawed? Are the need for exposition and overuse of CGI fatal flaws that doom the whole subgenre to mediocrity at best? Well, not exactly. Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse is the proof that not every multiverse movie needs to be bereft of rising tension or burdened with exposition. Across the Spiderverse does have help with exposition because it’s a sequel to another movie about the multiverse, which means that the basic concept is well established. But even when the exposition is delivered, it is tied to important character beats and emotional moments that immediately grab the audience’s attention and prevent the story from flagging.
Across the Spiderverse also uses the multiverse as a powerful tool to build stakes. It understands that because of the unique position of the multiverse, that everything that could ever possibly exist does exist somewhere, and that every universe is unique, to great effect. In the story, we see multiple different universes get to the brink of destruction and complete erasure. This is a huge moment for the characters, and through the use of its clever and subtle exposition, the film lets us know that this same thing could happen to the characters we care the most about. This creates a much more tense story that feels impactful, despite the movie not having a true climax.
The multiverse is a concept that has long been used in comics as a way to wave away the consequences that were supposed permanent. Unfortunately, big screen adaptations of the idea thus far have mostly failed to provide engaging and snappy stories, although this doesn’t have to be the case.