Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania producer Stephen Broussard recently revealed why the Marvel Cinematic Universe sometimes breaks the rules of its own multiverse.
Broussard addressed Marvel Studios' approach to the logic underpinning the MCU's multiverse in an episode of the D23 Inside Disney podcast. "...We kind of look to be logically consistent across the films," he said. "Like are we sticking to our own rules? Whether these rules hold scientific water or not, do they feel like they hold water for the universe at large? And the moments where we might break or kinda bend those rules, the tie always goes to: is it emotionally satisfying? I do think you could maybe pick on some of the logic here or there, no particular examples come to mind."
"But we always are [focused on] emotion first and if it feels like it's gonna resonate, if it feels like the story's gonna connect, we know that the audience is gonna go with us," Broussard continued. "And all movies have what I call sleight of hand. They're trying to get you to watch the magic trick, and so the job of the movie is to not pay attention to the rules, or not pay attention to how you're getting there. And I think all movies are kinda judged as successful or not successful based on sleight of hand and how well they've [hidden] the magic trick." Broussard's comments track with remarks he made in the run-up to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's release about how that film prioritizes its core father/daughter story over its multiverse-related "window dressing."
The Multiverse Saga Ramps Up in the MCU Phase Five
At the same time, Marvel Studios makes no bones about the multiverse being central to Phases Four, Five and Six of the MCU. Collectively, these phases are known as the "Multiverse Saga," which further underscores how linked they are to the concept. Several MCU installments to date -- including Spider-Man: No Way Home, Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness -- have featured the MCU multiverse prominently, and Quantumania's mid and post-credits scenes indicate that future films will follow their lead.
Despite this, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently assured fans that not every entry in the MCU Phases Five and Six will be multiverse-centric. According to Feige, the "Multiverse Saga" will include several standalone movies, although the multiverse will become increasingly important as the end of Phase Six approaches. "[W]e're gearing up. People will get a taste of this in a big way in Quantumania as we lead to Avengers: Secret Wars, which I'm extremely excited for," he said.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently in cinemas.
Source: D23 Inside Disney