Avengers: Doomsday - Time Travel Threatens the MCU Multiverse

The Multiverse Takes Center Stage in Avengers: Doomsday

Avengers: Doomsday is set to be the most expansive multiverse story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to date. A new theory suggests that the events of Avengers: Endgame could have a significant impact on the multiversal narrative of this upcoming film. The MCU’s Avengers movies have consistently pushed the boundaries of storytelling, evolving from the original team of heroes to massive crossover events that span the entire universe.

The cast of the next Avengers movie includes returning stars from previous MCU films, as well as new faces from the Multiverse Saga. Rumors also suggest that characters from Fox’s original X-Men franchise may appear in the upcoming film, adding another layer of complexity to the story.

In the comics, incursions played a pivotal role in 2015’s Secret Wars, which inspired the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars. An incursion occurs when two universes collide, often leading to the destruction of one or both. These events eventually led to the creation of Doctor Doom’s Battleworld and the end of the multiverse in the comics.

Avengers: Endgame showcased how similar events could unfold in the MCU, setting the stage for potential multiversal chaos in Doomsday.

The MCU's First Glimpse at an Incursion

While incursions are relatively new to the MCU, they were already introduced in a major way through Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This film was one of the most significant entries in the MCU’s multiverse storyline, introducing key concepts that would shape future narratives.

One of the most memorable scenes involved an incursion linked to a variant of Doctor Strange. Benedict Cumberbatch’s character encountered his evil counterpart, Sinister Strange, who had created a dark world filled with destruction. The sky was broken, buildings floated into nothingness, and the environment was a clear sign of the catastrophic power of an incursion.

Sinister Strange’s actions, including dreamwalking into other universes, ultimately led to the destruction of his own. His presence left a mark on the multiverse that could not be ignored, proving that incursions are no small threat.

How Avengers: Endgame Could Trigger Incursions

Based on the rules established in the MCU, incursions are tied to changes in timelines that should not occur. This was demonstrated in the TVA’s mission in Loki, where they pruned divergent timelines to maintain the main path. A new theory suggests that the events of Avengers: Endgame might lead to incursions in Doomsday.

Endgame introduced time travel to the MCU, allowing the Avengers to retrieve the Infinity Stones and undo the damage caused by Thanos. However, this plan resulted in numerous changes to the timeline, including:

• 2014’s Thanos following the heroes to the future
• Loki escaping with the Tesseract after his original version died
• Two versions of Nebula meeting each other
• Captain America staying in the past with Peggy Carter

These branching timelines could continue to evolve based on new decisions, potentially leading to incursions.

Other Potential Incursions in Avengers: Doomsday

Beyond the possible consequences of Endgame, Avengers: Doomsday is expected to deal with at least three other incursions. In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Stephen Strange’s dreamwalking to stop the Scarlet Witch accidentally created an incursion, which was later revealed by Clea.

In The Marvels’ post-credits scene, Monica Rambeau gets trapped in a universe featuring Fox’s X-Men. With many actors from that franchise returning in Doomsday, her presence could trigger an incursion between the X-Men’s universe and the main MCU Earth.

Additionally, the arrival of the Fantastic Four in the MCU, seen through their spaceship in Thunderbolts, could lead to an incursion between their universe and Earth-616.

The Role of Doctor Doom in the Multiverse Crisis

According to an official synopsis for Avengers: Doomsday, Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom will "unleash a cascading crisis across the multiverse." Based on the incursions already set up for the film, it seems likely that he will be responsible for creating new ones.

Interestingly, the Fantastic Four spaceship in Thunderbolts’ post-credits scene is different from the one seen in their MCU debut. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has also teased that someone else might be on the ship. If Doctor Doom were on board, he could be the catalyst for an incursion between the Fantastic Four’s universe and the main MCU.