Why Marvel’s Earth-616 Can’t Cross Over in the MCU or ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

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Okay, so as a huge Marvel fan, I’ll admit the Multiverse Saga hasn’t quite hit the high notes of the Infinity Saga. But it’s still given us some great stuff! Though, honestly, one decision they made has pretty much ruined the potential for what would have been an amazing team-up. Thinking about all the different realities we’ve seen in the MCU, 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness really stands out. Sam Raimi, the director, took Doctor Strange—played by Benedict Cumberbatch, of course—on a wild ride through all these crazy parallel universes, and it got weird—even for Marvel!

In the Marvel universe, every alternate reality—whether it’s in comics, movies, or games—is given a unique number to identify it. For instance, the X-Men films happen on Earth-10005, and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man lives on Earth-96283. The popular Insomniac Marvel games, including the upcoming Wolverine title, take place on Earth-1048. This numbering system isn’t just for films and TV; it’s meant to ensure each reality is distinct. However, Multiverse of Madness recently reused a number, which has caused some confusion.

‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Labeled the MCU’s Primary Setting as Earth-616

Earth-616 Is Already Used in Marvel Comics


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

So, in the second Doctor Strange movie, he’s jumping all over the multiverse, but there’s one universe – Earth-838 – where he spends a lot more time. It’s a version where the Strange from that world is already gone. He reconnects with Christine Palmer, but she’s not the same Christine we know; in this universe, she’s a big expert on the multiverse! She casually drops that our universe is labeled 616, which, honestly, most regular MCU viewers probably didn’t think twice about. But as a longtime Marvel fan, I immediately went, ‘Wait a minute… that’s not how the numbering has worked in the comics!’ It was a bit jarring, and a lot of us were pretty confused or annoyed by that detail.

For a long time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was officially designated as universe number 199999 within the larger multiverse. This detail wasn’t widely discussed until the start of the Multiverse Saga, but it was established as part of the official story. It even appeared in the animated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in 2023, which showed multiple different universes. In 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) claimed the MCU’s main reality was Earth-616, but this was later revealed to be a lie he used to trick people into believing he was from another universe.

In Far From Home, Mysterio’s revelations felt like a minor, clever detail for comic book fans. The main Marvel comic universe, known as Earth-616, has been around for decades, so even though Mysterio made some surprising claims, the established story wasn’t harmed when it was revealed he was lying to appear heroic. However, three years later, Multiverse of Madness did something similar but didn’t undo it. What was previously called Universe-199999 is now officially also known as Universe-616, creating a second version of the main universe within the Marvel multiverse.

A simple explanation is that Christine from 838 simply decided what to call the main MCU setting, and it turned out to be the same as the well-known Earth-616 from the comics. While accepting this as true creates some confusion, since other Marvel universes don’t share designations, it’s more probable that this is a deliberate change by Marvel. Earth-199999 is a bit awkward to say, so a rebrand makes sense. However, it’s puzzling why they picked Earth-616 as the new designation when a prominent 616 already exists in the comics.

Marvel’s Decision To Rebrand Earth-199999 Makes ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ a Little Less Exciting


20th Century Fox

For a long time, legal issues prevented certain Marvel characters and storylines from crossing over into the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. For instance, the X-Men were owned by Fox, making a team-up between Iron Man and Wolverine impossible. Disney fixed this by buying Fox, opening the door for those crossovers. More recently, the Spider-Verse films have shown that characters from different Marvel sources – like video games and animated series – can also appear together. Across the Spider-Verse especially became known for taking full advantage of this possibility.

This means characters from the main Marvel comic universe (Earth-616) could appear in future Marvel movies and shows, which would be incredibly exciting for longtime fans. The upcoming Avengers: Doomsday is planned as a huge, decades-spanning event across the multiverse, but calling the movie universe Earth-616 suggests Disney may not recognize the original comic book Earth-616. While it’s understandable that the movies have become more popular than the comics, it’s still frustrating that it now seems unlikely the two will ever truly connect.

Bringing together the main Marvel Cinematic Universe Earth (Earth-616) with the Earth from the older animated series seems unlikely due to the difference in how they’re presented – comics versus animation. While some worry that mixing these styles could damage the original stories, projects like What If, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the Spider-Verse films have shown that live-action and animated Marvel worlds can connect successfully without losing their unique feel. Whether the MCU will actually allow this to happen remains uncertain, and it doesn’t seem probable at this point.

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2025-11-23 01:18