As has been evident in the Marvel Studios releases over the past year, the multiverse is here and it’s not going away anytime soon. We’ve seen it in “Loki” and “What If?” on Disney+. Most recently, it’s been a huge part of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Then, in May, the multiverse knob is getting turned to 11 with “Doctor Stranger in the Multiverse of Madness.” (This isn’t to mention the other multiverse stuff in non-Marvel products like “The Flash.”) And according to Joe Russo, we could be entering a point where the multiverse will hurt overall storytelling.
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Speaking to IGN, Joe Russo, who is the co-director of some of the biggest, most beloved superhero films ever created (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Avengers: Endgame,” etc…), was asked about the prevalence of multiverse stories in the current crop of superhero films and TV series. And the filmmaker is a bit concerned that the corporate agenda might eventually overrule the creative storytelling.
“The corporate agenda is: Do you like chocolate ice cream? Well here is chocolate ice cream with sprinkles, here’s chocolate ice cream with fudge…It’s their job to turn the money printer on,” Russo said. “It’s the creative’s job to say, ‘Well shit, I don’t know if I want to watch that.'”
He added, “So yeah, too much of one thing is a bad thing, but I think there are enough creators and innovators in the space where you can expect to be surprised. Just don’t expect corporations to surprise you.”
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This is a pretty blunt comment coming from a filmmaker who has profited quite a bit from corporate-led films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But it’s clear Russo is warning fans that if the creatives involved aren’t able to push back well enough against the corporations (Disney, WarnerMedia, et al), we could be quickly reaching the saturation point of multiverse storytelling where everything is variants and cameos and no consequences. Did so-and-so die in this film? Well, don’t worry, the multiverse will fix it! You can see how this is concerning for people who crave quality stories.
On the other hand, this might be a sign that perhaps the Russos aren’t rushing back to superhero films anytime soon. Perhaps they are concerned that the best days of the genre are behind it? Or, conversely, maybe Joe Russo thinks that he’s the right type of creative force that can push back against that corporate agenda?
Regardless, you can’t deny Joe Russo is correct in his concern about the multiverse getting overused. Fans of the superhero film genre will just have to hold out hope that the filmmakers creating the stories are able to combat that.