The terms “variant” and “multiverse” are overwhelming all of the latest discourse about the MCU and its upcoming films and television plans. The concepts were properly introduced in Disney+’s Loki, and judging by the storylines that have followed in Spider-Man: No Way Home and What if…?, both the multiverse and the idea of variants are becoming crucial to understanding this new era of the MCU. In addition, both concepts are guaranteed to be big plot points in the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The Marvel universe is continuing to expand, but with the exciting prospect of new storylines and universal shifts comes a lingering sense of confusion for those viewers who haven’t caught up on every story in the ever-expanding MCU, with many asking: what exactly is a variant? These concepts tend to get muddled when characters exchange exposition on what exactly variants are and what the multiverse is, but don’t fear! The differences and exact definitions are discussed below. A word of warning: there are spoilers for Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home in the following article.
What is a Variant in the MCU?
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The enigmatic Time Variance Authority from Loki has the most cohesive vision of what exactly variants are. According to them, variants are people that diverge from a selected “main” timeline and create another timeline with events and history that differ from the original. For example, the Loki that disappears with the Tesseract during the time travel sequence in Avengers: Endgame is considered a variant, a different individual from the Loki that went on to be killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. Everyone who works for the TVA are also considered variants, having been kidnapped from their lives and homes to become part of the institution that controls time. However, the in-universe explanation begins to fall apart when the different versions of characters come into play. Is an individual considered a variant only when they pose a threat to the sacred timeline? Are all the different versions of Spider-Man variants, or just alternate versions of the character? The term “variant” has recently been properly incorporated into the Marvel comics, which hopefully means the concept will see even more development in the future.
How Do Variants Connect to the Multiverse?
The multiverse has been mentioned in a number of MCU films and TV series’, but only recently became more of a developed idea in Loki. Many worlds and dimensions exist alongside each other in the MCU, and all of them are organized according to something called “the sacred timeline,” a version of history that preserves the peace between worlds. The sacred timeline’s internal logic doesn’t make a lot of sense, but many different interpretations have emerged from the MCU stories that have tried to explain the multiverse. It’s unclear whether the sacred timeline is bound to a specific universe (for example, many of the events in the “main” MCU universe seem to be part of the sacred timeline), but actions that occur between worlds and times may still be a part of it, according to He Who Remains. The Multiverse will likely be explained further in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which will follow Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch as they navigate the fractured remains of what was once a somewhat cohesive flow of time. For now, an avid MCU fan has drawn up a graphic to explain the MCU’s multiverse story so far.
Is Loki a Variant?
This is where the in-universe explanation of the concept becomes a little murky. Loki has a number of variants whose lives are very different from the Loki that audiences saw in the rest of the MCU films. And in fact, that version of Loki is the one that died at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. But according to He Who Remains, the variant that diverged during the Battle of New York (the protagonist of Loki) was meant to join forces with Sylvie and contribute to the sacred timeline, which only truly diverges during the events of Loki’s season finale. By the show’s own rules, it’s unclear whether the original Loki from the MCU films was considered a variant, or was some kind of original or “main” Loki. There are unanswered questions about the nature of the sacred timeline that might shed light on what variants are considered harmful to the flow of time and which are considered harmless. Presumably, Loki season 2 will likely follow up on the consequences of the divergent timelines.
The question extends beyond the series to the rest of the MCU, too. The Spider-Men played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield may be variants of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, but that distinction doesn’t seem to be ironclad by the canon’s own rules. Their relationship to the sacred timeline is somewhat unclear since they technically existed before any of the multiverse business in the MCU. Future entries in the franchise will likely better dictate exactly what a variant is and isn’t.
Other Known Variants in the MCU
Loki’s known variants are Kid Loki, Alligator Loki, Boastful Loki, President Loki, and Sylvie. There is a host of other potential Lokis that take place in a confrontation in the show’s penultimate episode, but it’s clear that none are very important to the MCU’s overall story. Spider-Man’s potential variants are the versions of himself played by Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. Ahead of the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there are two known variants other than the original Strange: Defender Strange and Strange Supreme, but there’s a chance that the film explores even more versions of the beloved character. A variant of Peggy Carter becomes Captain Carter in an episode of What-if…? Also, on What-if, a variant of Killmonger is the one to take the title of Black Panther. There are likely more that will be revealed with the passing of time and more entries into the MCU, as it seems that the multiverse will be a primary focus of the franchise going forward.
