MCU Theory Answers Multiverse Of Madness’ Earth-838 Differences

Introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Earth-838 has many differences from the MCU's main reality, which could be explained by one diversion in the events of The Avengers. The sequel to 2016's Doctor Strange saw Stephen Strange and America Chavez travel through the multiverse, visiting various new universes but spending most of their time in a reality dubbed 838. While looking strikingly similar to the main reality of the MCU, known as 616, Earth-838 had some major differences, including waterfalls flowing from skyscrapers, flora growing from rooftops, and a new superhero team in the form of the Illuminati, comprised of representatives from each superpowered team.

Since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness released in May 2022, many have speculated about what event could have caused the diversion of the 616 and 838 universes. With Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Maria Rambeau, a.k.a. Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch), operating as superheroes, it can be assumed that the diversion started long ago. Multiverse of Madness also debuted mutants and Inhumans in the MCU, which aren't currently so widespread in the MCU proper. Even so, one Reddit theory points to one major difference in the events of The Avengers, including the Avengers first team-up mission, that could have set the 838 universe on a very different path.

Thanos Might Have Sent Loki To Earth Without The Mind Stone

Tom Hiddleston as Loki with his sceptre in the Avengers

The Avengers saw Loki (Tom Hiddleston) make his way to Earth in an effort to rule over humanity, armed with a scepter that housed the Mind Stone, allowing him to control some important members of SHIELD, including Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye. In the original continuity, Loki was gifted the scepter and Mind Stone by Thanos, marking his first attempt at attacking Earth on the hunt for the Tesseract, a.k.a. the Space Stone. The Reddit theory poses that these events could have played out differently in the 838 universe, starting with Thanos keeping the Mind Stone for himself instead of giving it to Loki.

Thanos' ultimate goal in any MCU reality was to acquire all six Infinity Stones, so it never truly made sense for him to relinquish an Infinity Stone to Loki in The Avengers. It would fit Thanos' character to hold onto the Mind Stone and send Loki down to Earth to collect the Space Stone. This could have been the turn of events in the 838 universe of the MCU, since Loki would have certainly had enough power anyway as the God of Mischief to be a formidable opponent to the Avengers without his scepter, and Earth missing the Mind Stone would explain a lot of Earth-838 in Multiverse of Madness.

HYDRA Would Have Never Completed Their Mind Stone Experiments

Wanda Maximoff being exposed to the Mind Stone in WandaVision

If Loki had never brought the Mind Stone to Earth, several important storylines would have subsequently never played out, the first of which would have presented itself almost immediately as HYDRA would have never acquired Loki's scepter. In the post-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, HYDRA is revealed to have been experimenting on Sokovian civilians in an effort to work out the properties of Loki's scepter and the gem inside. Two of these subjects were the twins Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, who had their remarkable abilities enhanced ten-fold by their exposure to the Mind Stone, something which was uncovered in full during Phase 4's WandaVision on Disney+.

While Pietro was killed during Avengers: Age of Ultron, Wanda went on to have an incredible MCU career, none of which would have happened had she not been exposed to the Mind Stone. It was revealed in WandaVision that Wanda did have some powers before HYDRA's experiments, but it was the Mind Stone that set her on her journey to become the Scarlet Witch, so this destiny would have never been put into place had Loki not brought the Mind Stone to Earth. It's likely that Wanda wouldn't have become an Avenger, which could explain her suburban life on Earth-838 before the Scarlet Witch dreamwalks into her variant body.

Vision Wouldn’t Have Been Created (& Ultron Would Be Different)

Vision being born in Avengers Age of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron would have been a very different film if the Mind Stone hadn't been involved, particularly because Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Bruce Banner (the Hulk) wouldn't have had the opportunity to develop Ultron without the stone. Ultron used the Mind Stone and vibranium to create a body for himself, birthing Vision, but this would have been impossible if Ultron hadn't been created to start with. It was the realization that the Mind Stone has something of a consciousness that allowed Stark and Banner to develop Ultron, so they (or someone else) would have needed to devise a different way of creating the artificial intelligence on Earth-838.

Ultron was featured in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a network of drones inside the Illuminati headquarters, so it seems that the heroes of Earth-838 managed to create a productive version of Ultron. Perhaps this was developed without the Mind Stone's consciousness, potentially designed in a different and much less nefarious way, whether that be from the mind of Stark, Banner, or the smartest man alive, Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic. With a working Ultron and a non-existent Vision, Sokovia might have never been destroyed, the Maximoff twins wouldn't have fought the Avengers, and the landscape of the MCU would be very different.

Earth-838’s Heroes Would Be Very Different Without The Mind Stone

Earth-838s Illuminati In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

The state of Earth-838's heroes is vastly different from the main MCU continuity, especially with the debuts of Black Bolt (Anson Mount), the Inhuman leader, Reed Richards (John Krasinski) of the Fantastic Four, and Professor X (Patrick Stewart), as a variant of the X-Men mentor. It could have been the lack of the Mind Stone on Earth that caused the Illuminati to come together, especially since several other heroes wouldn't be operating. Not only would Wanda not have joined the Avengers, and Vision wouldn't have been created, but the rift between the Avengers might not have happened, which would have eliminated the events of Captain America: Civil War.

Without Captain America: Civil War happening in the same way, the likes of Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) might have never officially joined the Avengers, instead still operating as smaller-scale heroes. Losing the Civil War battle would have perhaps enabled Earth-838's superhero factions to come together and form the Illuminati, who battled Thanos on Titan akin to Avengers: Infinity War, but won. While there were various other diversions from the 616 universe that were featured on Earth-838 in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the Mind Stone never coming to Earth could have been a massive difference in the world of the Illuminati.

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