Cinematic universes have been proven to be a successful formula, just look at the past decade and you can see the sheer number of them that have popped up. As each one continues, producers and studios feel the need to up the stakes every time and the conclusion of this is the recent multiverse trend.
The idea of the multiverse in films is an interesting idea, when utilized correctly. However, it seems filmmakers depend on the multiverse trend too much these days, with many films defaulting to the multiverse for its stakes. Studios seem to have begun using the multiverse as a crutch for lazy storytelling rather than an interesting device for a story.
One of its biggest glaring faults is its dependance on bringing back characters or niche references for cheap excitement from fans rather than utilizing old characters in an interesting way. Take “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” or “The Flash,” for example. It brings back fan favorites to appeal to nostalgia in cheap fashion rather than utilizing them in a way that feels as if it’s building on the story in an interesting way. Not all films fall into this trap however, such as “Spider-Man No Way Home” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Both bring back old characters and properly utilize them to create a rather interesting narrative and a tone that fits the film and characters.
The multiverse also feels as if it messes with stakes too much. When filmmakers try to create stakes in multiverse films, those stakes lose all meaning as characters can easily be replaced by other equivalents of themselves from other universes. It feels as if no matter what happens to them, a character will end up returning somehow.
The multiverse also forces every antagonist to be reality-ending threats and with steaks so high, it loses its appeal fast. Studios seem to have gotten it into their heads that every villain needs to be a multiversal threat, when it’s more interesting when smaller stakes are on the table.
