Marvel or real life?

By Grace Downing, 2022

Published 2/23/22

As 2021 came to an end, there was one film everyone was talking about; Spider-Man: No Way Home. Marvel has been known to hook in its gigantic audience through household name actors, impeccable storytelling, and the long wait fans must endure between films. But there is a certain ingredient in the Marvel cinematic universe that has kept Marvel relevant for all these years: the ability to make us question our own reality. With the last few major films Marvel has put out, a main theme has been the introduction of what we have come to know as the multiverse: separate parallel universes expanding and overlapping into our famous heroes' own. However, is Dr. Steven Strange’s theories about the multiverse just another great piece of writing, or do they have real precedent in our world?

Science goes with the latter. The English Oxford Dictionary today defines the multiverse as “a hypothetical space or realm consisting of a number of universes, of which our own universe is only one.” The multiverse is acknowledged by the scientific community as a theoretical inquiry, compelling to some, or put under scrutiny. Yet, as of today, thousands of cosmologists study and research the possibility of the multiverse, based upon the principle of string-theory (that the fundamental constituents of the universe are one-dimensional “strings” rather than point-like particles) and cosmic inflation (the faster-than-light expansion of the universe that spawns many others). This theory remains to be primarily based upon questions and faith, yet the idea has been around for centuries, specifically since 1895, the term coined by American philosopher William James. It is discussed in cosmology, quantum mechanics, and philosophy, and many ideas surrounding it would help scientists understand parts of the observable universe such as dark energy, extra dimensions, and black holes. It could also help unite Einstein's theory of general relativity with quantum mechanics.

The details of a real-life multiverse are far from developed, but one thing is for sure; cinematic portrayals can only say so much. As much as an alternate universe with possible alternate spidermen would be quite amazing, we can only believe so much. But the theory exists, and there are people around the world devoting their days and lives trying to discover more about the universe(s). So next time you use the phrase “in the whole universe,” maybe change it to “whole multiverse” if you want a true emphasis.