I’ve got a gripe with Doctor Strange 2…
Sure, it seems like a minor thing and to casual viewers I’m sure they would never even notice. Out of my party of four I’m the only one who even understood the reference, nevermind what was lost as a result.
It’s almost a throw-away line in a movie chock full of them:
“Designated universe 616”
Again, I’m sure that out of everyone who shuffled out to catch this movie on opening night I’m in the VERY small minority of people who would get their panties in a twist over this. But it’s wrong. 100% this is an egregious error in continuity. One with implications that destroys 1 of 2 universes, one of which I care VERY deeply about… The mainline Marvel Comics Universe.
If you aren’t aware, Earth-616 is the designation given to the mainline marvel comics universe. A universe where the x-men were founded in the 60s and their contemporary FF were out galivanting through cosmic rays during the same time period… The MCU, with all it’s pros and cons compared to the comics, is Earth-199999. Canonically. Confirmed. It’s printed in a book from 2008 published by Marvel Comics themselves: “Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z – Volume 5”.
Why. WHY would they reuse the 616 moniker? Who does that benefit? Casual viewers or fans don’t give a crap what specific universe it is. Yet as a fan of the Comics continuity, I’m incited by the suggestion. Is this a change made for MCU diehards? How does it benefit them to have the two universes share a designation?
As mentioned, I’m much more a fan of the original comics universe and I’ve always felt the idea that we are seeing an alternate universe (199999) explained the differences between the screen and the page.. An excuse I can no longer turn to. When the MCU was effectively an issue of what-if in my mind, seeing a lack of mutants or the FF not show up at the battle against Thanos on earth made sense. They don’t exist in this timeline. But in the 616 timeline, they DO. They WOULD.
The implication here is that the timelines/continuities have been muddied.. Or worse, will be merged. Why not just say 606, or some other number that hasn’t been claimed in an issue of what-if or an animated series somewhere?
For clarification, yes, I know Mysterio dropped the same bomb on us in Far From Home, but he was full of shit and not an actual multiversal traveler with any real knowledge..
Anyways, just a pointless rant into the void of google. Maybe some disney exec will catch wind of this sentiment overall while sipping their LA latte reviewing the responses to Multiverse of Madness and they can correct the issue when FF drops…