The Ultimate Universe Is Possible In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Marvel President Kevin Feige has teased for months that Doctor Strange will open up the concept of a multiverse – universes that are tangentially connected, alternate realities and dimensions.

During a set visit, he clarified that stance and explained what shape that multiverse could take in the film.

“When comic book fans hear parallel dimensions or multiple dimensions, they think of Earth 616 and Earth 617 or Earth 618,” Feige said. “That’s all possible, but what we’re playing with in this world is that there are dimensions. That the other dimensions are not just parallel realities.”

So, while it’s certainly possible that worlds like the Ultimate Universe, the Squadron Supreme’s world, or a world where the Avengers are evil could all exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or is that the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse?), don’t expect to see those on screen in Doctor Strange.

Feige continued to explain the dimensions we will see, name-dropping a major Doctor Strange villain along the way.

“Although some of them are [parallel realities]… there are the dark dimension, where Dormammu inhabits. There are dimensions that are so mind-bending that you can barely perceive them. There are dimensions that … That’s where a lot of the Ditko images come from. They’re dimensions that are just mind trips, that the human mind can barely fathom, which is why it’s hard to turn them into something to show an audience in November,” he said with a laugh. “We’re playing as much with the multiverse as alien dimensions for lack of a better term, than as parallel realities where there’s a Strange that wears Iron Man armor! We’re not there yet.”

Perhaps that’ll be Doctor Strange 2 or 3, a few years down the road.

Doctor Strange is in theaters November 4, 2016.