Multiverse (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Multiverse
Marvel Cinematic Universe location
Top: The MCU multiverse, depicted as a sprawling branch of various timelines, in the first-season finale of Loki (2021) Bottom: The MCU multiverse, now depicted in the form of a Yggdrasil-like tree, in the second-season finale of Loki (2023)
First appearance	Doctor Strange (2016)
Based on	Multiverse by Marvel Comics
Adapted by	Jon Spaihts Scott Derrickson C. Robert Cargill
Genre	Superhero fiction
In-universe information
Type	Multiverse
Locations	See below

The multiverse is a setting within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Based on the setting of the same name from the Marvel Comics, it is a collection of infinitely many alternate realities and dimensions. First explored in the film Doctor Strange (2016), it is revisited in the film Avengers: Endgame (2019) before playing a key role in Phases Four, Five, and Six of the MCU, which constitute "The Multiverse Saga". The MCU's multiverse centers on a universe called the "Sacred Timeline". Initially, alternative universes were generally "pruned" by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), until Sylvie kills TVA's leader, "He Who Remains", allowing new universes to fully form. Following this, the TVA under new management instead nurtures and observes these new universes. Occasionally, some universes are considered separate from the "Sacred Timeline" but still monitored by the TVA.

Many alternate versions of existing MCU characters have been introduced via the multiverse, most notably those of Loki, Kang the Conqueror, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Deadpool, and Wolverine. The main reality depicted in the MCU is designated Earth-616 beginning with the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), despite its original designation as Earth-199999 by Marvel Comics and outside media. The multiverse has received a mixed response from critics, with praise for its visuals and nostalgic appeal but criticism of its excessive reliance on fan service. The incorporation of characters from non-MCU Marvel films were featured in the films Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) which has also generated speculation and discussion among viewers and commentators.