'Deadpool & Wolverine': What Anchor Beings mean for MCU's multiverse saga
Contains spoilers for 'Deadpool & Wolverine'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The highly anticipated Marvel movie, 'Deadpool & Wolverine', hit theaters on Friday, July 26, delivering a whirlwind of excitement and irreverent humor. With its self-aware wit, the film takes aim at the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) itself, poking fun at its recent struggles and formulaic approach.
Amid the laugh-out-loud moments and heartfelt quotes, 'Deadpool & Wolverine' introduces a significant concept for the MCU's multiverse saga: Anchor Beings. These entities are crucial in maintaining the stability of the multiverse, acting as pivotal points around which reality revolves.
The film's sharp humor and unexpected depth make it a standout in the Marvel universe, seamlessly blending comedy with essential lore. The inclusion of Anchor Beings not only enriches the storyline but also sets the stage for future multiverse adventures.
As the MCU continues to explore the complexities of parallel realities, understanding the role of Anchor Beings becomes vital. 'Deadpool & Wolverine' not only entertains but also deepens the narrative, ensuring its place as a must-see in the Marvel franchise.
What are Anchor Beings? A new concept shakes the MCU
In 'Deadpool & Wolverine', the MCU introduces the concept of 'anchor beings' through the TVA's Mister Paradox. These select individuals are vital for holding their reality together. When an anchor being is removed or killed, their universe gradually begins to degrade.
For Earth-10005, also known as Fox's X-Men universe, this anchor being was Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, who heroically died to save X-23's Laura Kinney in 2017's 'Logan'. Although the decay of a reality without its anchor being typically takes millennia, Paradox is impatient and has created the Time Ripper, a device capable of instantaneously deleting an entire reality.
Wade Wilson, a.k.a. Deadpool, is offered a chance to integrate into Earth-616 and the Sacred Timeline, leaving his reality to its fate. Predictably, Deadpool rejects this offer. Instead, he embarks on a quest to find a new Wolverine from another reality to serve as a replacement anchor being, hoping to stabilize his world and save those he cares about.
This move underscores Deadpool's unique blend of irreverence and heroism, adding depth to the MCU's multiverse saga.
Are Anchor Beings mentioned in Marvel Comics?
No, but they share similarities with the concept of nexus beings from Marvel Comics. While 'anchor beings' aren't directly from the comics, they align with ideas like singularities and nexus beings. In the comics, nexus beings are rare individuals capable of altering probability and the future, creating key nexus events that affect their timelines.
These beings are closely monitored by the Time Variance Authority and help 'anchor' their reality. The MCU might be using 'anchor beings' as a more official term for nexus beings. Shows like 'WandaVision' implied that Wanda Maximoff's Scarlet Witch is a nexus being.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige suggested that terms like nexus beings and omega-level mutants might be context-dependent within the Marvel universe. Given these insights, it seems plausible that anchor beings and nexus beings could be related or even interchangeable in the MCU.
Anchor Beings - the Unlikely heroes of the MCU's multiverse saga
Anchor beings, as introduced in 'Deadpool & Wolverine', are crucial to the stability of their respective realities. Their removal can lead to the gradual degradation of entire universes, suggesting that certain individuals are fundamentally more important to the multiverse than others.
The potential targeting of multiple anchor beings could result in cataclysmic events, posing significant threats to multiversal stability. With the MCU approaching the climax of its multiverse saga in 'Avengers 5' and 'Avengers: Secret Wars', anchor beings are likely to play a pivotal role in the overarching narrative.
Incursions and the collision of realities have already been established as major threats, and anchor beings could become key players in preventing total multiversal collapse. As these crossover event films draw near, it's plausible that various anchor beings will unite, forming a team of heroes uniquely suited to safeguard the multiverse and avert impending disasters.
'Deadpool & Wolverine' trailer
'Deadpool & Wolverine' is available in theaters