WARNING: Major Deadpool & Wolverine spoilers ahead
Summary
AfterDeadpool & Wolverineintroduced the concept, a fewMCUicons seem likely to be Earth-616’s anchor being.Deadpool & Wolverinefeatures countless cameos, locations, and concepts that call back to previous Marvel movies and tease more stories to come in the Multiverse Saga and beyond. Although neither ofDeadpool & Wolverine’s two post-credits scenesdirectly sets up future MCU projects, the main plot lays the foundations for upcoming multiverse-based movies such asAvengers 5andAvengers: Secret Wars.
Notably,Deadpool & Wolverineintroduced the concept of anchor beings. As defined by TVA agent Paradox, each timeline possesses one individual so influential that their death signals the end of their universe. In the case of Earth-10005 (Deadpool’s home universe), it’s Hugh Jackman’s original Wolverine who acts as its anchor being. Given that this Wolverine died inLogan, Earth-10005 began to decay — a process that can allegedly take up to two thousand years. Likewise, the anchor being of the MCU’s main timeline, Earth-616, may already have been introduced.
5Scarlet Witch Can Still Be Key To The Multiverse Saga As An Anchor Being
Wanda Maximoff’s Role In The Multiverse Saga May Not Be Over Yet
InDeadpool & Wolverine, Paradox explains that Earth-10005 is decaying due to the original Wolverine’s death, and he offers Wade refuge on Earth-616. If Earth-616’s anchor being were already dead, then Paradox likely wouldn’t have offered Deadpool this timeline, or Deadpool would have rejected it. Nevertheless, Scarlet Witch’s death inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessleft some loose ends, which suggests that her death may not be definitive. For instance,the Darkhold’s prophecy about Scarlet Witch ending the multiversehasn’t been fulfilled, and part of Wanda’s magic may still exist within Agatha Harkness or Billy Maximoff.
One potential hint at Scarlet Witch’s resurrection lies intheAgatha All Alongtrailer’s dead Wanda Maximoff. In a brief shot ofAgatha All Along’s first trailer, a dead woman wearing a blue sweater and jeans can be seen lying face down on the ground. These are the same clothes Earth-838’s Wanda wore when she met Earth-616 Scarlet Witch inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It’s possible that Agatha or another mystical character finds this Wanda’s dead body and finds a way to resurrect Earth-616’s Scarlet Witch within it.
WandaVisionsuggested Wanda Maximoff is a Nexus being — a similar term that hasn’t been acknowledged ever since, unless it’s the same thing as an anchor being.
Once resurrected, Earth 616’s Scarlet Witch can be revealed to be the MCU’s main anchor being. After all,WandaVisionsuggested Wanda Maximoff is a Nexus being — a similar term that hasn’t been acknowledged ever since. Upcoming MCU projects likeAgatha All AlongandAvengers 5could also confirm that Wanda’s brief death has unleashed a chain reaction that needs to be stopped before the MCU’s main timeline collapses. This, in turn, would give Elizabeth Olsen’s original Wanda Maximoff a final chance to redeem herself or the opportunity to fulfill the Darkhold’s Scarlet Witch prophecy and destroy the multiverse.
4Doctor Strange Has Saved His Universe Multiple Times
Stephen Strange Is Earth-616’s Most Effective Defender
Wong might be his universe’s Sorcerer Supreme, butDoctor Strange is undeniably Earth-616’s main protector. Even before Iron Man’s death, it was Doctor Strange who kept all kinds of cosmic and magical threats at bay, preventing Dormammu’s invasion, keeping an eye on Loki, and crafting a successful plan to defeat Thanos. After Thanos' defeat, Doctor Strange continued to defend reality. So far, Strange stopped Scarlet Witch before she could wreak more havoc across the multiverse, helped Spider-Man prevent an incursion on Earth-616, and teamed up with Clea to investigate other incursions.
In the absence of a clear Avengers team during the Multiverse Saga, Doctor Strange acts as the Earth’s main Avenger. Earth-616’s Strange is materializing the Ancient One’s prediction that he’ll be the best Sorcerer Supreme in history. In fact, this Doctor Strange is proving himself to be the best ofall Doctor Strange variants in the MCU multiverse, as the rest of Strange variants introduced or alluded to so far have been weaker or less heroic.
Killed by the Illuminati after using the Darkhold
Sinister Strange
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Killed by Earth-616 Strange after leading his world to an incursion
Lives in a restored universe
Devoured by ants and wasps
Devoured by Alioth or killed by Cassandra Nova
Doctor Strange
Alive, ventured into the Dark Dimension with Clea
Being revealed to be an anchor being inAvengers 5orAvengers: Secret Warswould put Doctor Strange back in the forefront after several years of helping other heroes in their own adventures. It would also give Doctor Strange a long-deserved protagonist role in an MCU crossover event and provide him with the options of leaving the MCU with a heroic sacrifice or cementing himself as the MCU’s main hero. Besides, if there’s anyone who can make the most out of a metaphysical complex like “anchor being”, it’s the MCU’s most powerful sorcerer.
3Spider-Man Is Marvel’s Most Important Hero
Spider-Man’s Central Role In Marvel History Is Akin To Wolverine’s Importance To The X-Men Movies
Hugh Jackman’s original Wolverine is his universe’s anchor being because he’s more special thanall other Wolverines in the multiverse. Deadpool passes this knowledge onto Jackman’s new Wolverine, telling him that the original variant wasn’t just a member of the X-Men — he was"the X-Men". The same can be said about the MCU’s main Tony Stark, as the MCU was born withIron Manand Stark’s death marked the end of an era. However, if Iron Man’s death had to happen — as suggested by the inevitability of Doctor Strange’s plan — then Spider-Man would be the perfect candidate for the MCU’s anchor being.
If Wolverine is the X-Men and Iron Man is the MCU, then Spider-Man is Marvel itself.While characters like Iron Man, Captain America, and Wolverine have reached similar levels of popularity, no Marvel character represents Marvel in every medium as clearly as Spider-Man. The fact that Marvel Studios signed a deal with Sony to include Spider-Man in the MCU at a moment when such a feat seemed impossible only adds to Spider-Man’s importance within the MCU.
Like Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has showcased impressive feats of bravery and humility
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has also attained several achievements that make him vital to the MCU’s Earth-616 timeline. Namely, Holland’s Spider-Man avoided an incursion and helped five supervillains from different universes redeem themselves inSpider-Man: No Way Home, helping those universes' respective Spider-Man variants along the way. Like Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has showcased impressive feats of bravery and humility, ranging from respecting his enemy’s secret identity to putting his loved ones in danger just to give a group of villains another chance.
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2Hulk’s Gradual Disappearance Could Count As His Timeline’s Anchor Being Death
Hulk Being His Universe’s Anchor Being Would Compensate For His Lack Of Movies
Future MCU projects could surprise audiences and reveal that the anchor being of the MCU’s main timeline is Hulk, who has been a central character in the MCU despite his lack of solo movies. Hulk played a key role inAvengers: Endgame, performing the Snap that brought back every hero Thanos had eliminated with the first Snap. After all, the second Snap is technically more influential to the whole universe than the Snap that killed Iron Man, which only got rid of Thanos and his army.
Instead of killing off Smart Hulk to kick off the events ofAvengers 5andSecret Wars,Bruce Banner’s successful attempt to “kill” his alter ego by merging the man with the monster could count as Hulk’s demise. To bring Earth-616’s anchor being back, Bruce Banner would then find himself forced to resurrect the original Hulk, dooming himself to deal with his uncontrollable alter ego for the rest of his life. Such a sacrifice would open the door for many Hulk stories that seem impossible with the tamer Smart Hulk, includingthe long-awaitedWorld War Hulkmovie.
Hulk more than deserves a hefty role in the Multiverse Saga’s ending given how often he has been overlooked in the MCU
Various iterations of Hulk in the source material are implied to be immortal. Most notably, Marvel Comics’The Immortal Hulkrun underlined Hulk’s mystical elements, confirming that the Jade Giant isn’t just a result of Gamma radiation in Bruce Banner’s body, but also a separate being who’s destined to live forever, even if that entails coming back from the dead over and over again. Similarly, the MCU’s Hulk could be destined to return sooner or later. Besides, Hulk more than deserves a hefty role in the Multiverse Saga’s conclusion given how often he has been overlooked in the MCU.
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1Kang’s Earth-616 Variant Can Help Kick Off Avengers 5 And Secret Wars
Kang’s Death Can Be His Perfect Send-Off As The MCU Moves On From The Villain
Avengers 5, originally titledAvengers: The Kang Dynasty, is officially being rewritten afterJonathan Majors' firing due to his legal troubles. As a result, Kang the Conqueror and his variants will no longer be the Multiverse Saga’s main antagonists, and bothAvengers5andAvengers: Secret Warswill likely pivot to a different villain. However,the first thingAvengers 5could do is acknowledge Kang’s departure, revealing that Kang’s Earth-616 variant is an anchor being that has died. This way, Kang’s story can be closed properly, and he can at least have a certain impact on the Multiverse Saga’s conclusion.
LokiandAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaintroduced numerous Kang variants, including He Who Remains, Immortus, Rama-Tut, the Scarlet Centurion, and the rest of the Council of Kangs, but Earth-616’s Kang variant was never mentioned. Hence, the Kang variant in the MCU’s main timeline can be killed without affecting what has already been established. His death would also help Kang’s replacement villain seem more powerful, if they’re the ones responsible.
Iron Lad’s introduction as an anchor being would allowAvengers 5andAvengers: Secret Warsto continue Kang’s story with a different actor
The most famous Kang variant who hasn’t been introduced yet is Iron Lad, a young version of Nathaniel Richards who realizes that he’s on a path to becoming a supervillain and tries to avoid it. Iron Lad’s introduction as an anchor being in the MCU would allowAvengers 5andAvengers: Secret Warsto continue Kang’s story with a different actor and connect toLokiandAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaas a new main antagonist takes center stage. Whatever the MCU chooses to do with Kang now,Deadpool & Wolverine’s newly introduced concept could be helpful.
