The concept of parallel universes, or the “multiverse” as it is often called, has come a long way since its supposed inception in the 1950s. It was later popularized by comic books in the 1960s and has since become the go-to plot device for the said piece of literature in case they need to reboot their superheroes. It wasn’t until late into the 2000s that the multiverse concept became widely accepted in cinema.
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At the moment, there are only a few such multiverses. Most are limited to the superhero genre since the comic book template makes it easier to utilize the setting. Some films boldly depict branching realities and make convoluted but interesting plots possible. In any case, these flicks about the multiverse ought to prepare film buffs for moremaddening multiversemythos movies.
Updated June 05, 2025 by Sid Natividad:Multiverse movies are on a roll right now, especially with the most recent titles (at the time of writing) making good use of the parallel universe theory to add to their complex plots. The beauty of movies about the multiverse is that nearly everything is possible with them from a narrative standpoint.
Now, with the box office success of the most recentmultiverse movies, the film industry is about to become wilder and more convoluted with its stories in the near future. That is assuming they keep up the momentum with multiverse movies. But in any case, here are five more additions to this budding sub-genre of film.
15Another Earth (2011)
Another Earthexplores the idea of the parallel universe through the eyes of an aspiring MIT student who ruined her life and another man’s when she accidentally crashed her car into his. A few years later, the woman, named Rhoda, was suffering from regret.
That’s why she signed up for a space travel program that will supposedly bring her to another Earth from another parallel universe where she never crashed her car. Matters become complicated when Rhoda entangles her life with that of the man whose life she ruined, leading to an accidental romance.
14Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)
BasicallyDoctor Strange 2,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis a grand follow-up to the multiverse aspect of the MCU which was kicked off byAvengers:Endgame. The Multiverse of Madnesssees Strange trying to fix the transgressions and plans of a rogue metahuman who was once an ally.
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New faces are also introduced here such as America Chavez and other weird or violent variations of Strange and other MCU superheroes. The film also serves as a crossover event where the otherbig names of the Marvel comic book franchise(usually owned by Sony) are eased into the MCU.
13Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
Happy Death Day 2Uis the sequel to the acclaimed horror movieHappy Death Day.The first one incorporated some kind of a time loop where the protagonist keeps getting sent back to a certain point in her life in order to deal with a serial killer.
Meanwhile, the sequel throws in a parallel universe to the fray where the protagonist, Tree Gelbman, suddenly wakes up in an alternate reality. There, she must die over and over again to find out another killer who’s after her circle while dealing with her different life.
12Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Everything Everywhere All At Onceis like a gender-bender version of Jet Li’sThe One. Here, a 59-year-old Asian woman named Evelyn Wang is suddenly recruited by her husband from another universe to help fight against a multiversal threat. Turns out Evelyn can access the memories and skills of all versions of her from other parallel universes.
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Thus, this makes Evelyn essentially a superhero as she’s pretty much capable of anything humanly possible. Playing Evelyn is the legendary Michelle Yeoh along with an all-star Asian cast in a refreshing take on the multiverse sub-genre.
11Coraline (2009)
Coralineis an old one and is a direct adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s award-winning coming-of-age novel. The film follows a bizarre event in Coraline’s puberty. She finds herself growing bored of her parents and any familial interactions with them; so conveniently enough, she stumbles upon a magical door in their new house.
This door acts like a portal to an alternate reality or parallel world that houses a different and “cooler” version of her parents. They have buttons for the eyes. However, not everything is as it seems and it becomes apparent that Coraline bites off more than she can chew in thischildren’s horror story.
10Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Bringing a parallel universe on a comic book scale didn’t seem possible at first but the wizards at Marvel and Disney did it with flying colors.Avengers: Endgameturned its hopeless predecessor around, and gave the heroes of the MCU a fighting chance against Thanos.
It was made possible through time travel, which took the heroes to a parallel universe where they borrowed all the Infinity Stones. A lot of things could have gone wrong, especially in handling multiverse stories, butAvengers: Endgamepulled it off smoothly just like its heroes pulled off that time heist.
9Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
After the success of MCU’s multiverse inAvengers: Endgame, it was only a matter of time before the MCU started cranking up the madness to eleven.Spider-Man: No Way Homeprovided that perfect opportunity. It tapped into the multiverse when Doctor Strange botched a spell that Peter Parker asked for so that people would forget his identity.
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This then introduced allthe Spider-Man villainsfrom otherSpider-Manfilms, along with the older Spider-Men, into the MCU’s main universe. The film was an overload of fan service, science fiction, and superhero mayhem which somehow matched the emotional impact ofAvengers: Endgame.
8Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)
Spider-Man: No Way Homewouldn’t have had its boldness if it weren’tforSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This film came out earlier and tested the waters by including several wacky variations of Spider-Men from other universes and joining them together with Miles Morales.
It’s a little too much fan service and could be confusing for those who aren’t comic book fans of the said superhero. However, the charming art style, heartfelt story, and plethora of Spider-Men all make the film a must-watch for those craving eithermore Spider-Manor more multiverse.
7Star Trek (2009)
Speaking of fan service,Star Trekhad its much-needed franchise reboot thanks to J.J. Abrams. He did it in a way that didn’t desecrate the official canon of theStar Trekmythos: by setting the whole reboot in a parallel universe. The move paid off, as the filmmakers were able to exploreStar Trekthrough a more modern lens.
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The beauty in it is that they still incorporated characters and elements of the original canon universe, where old Spock met the young one after using a wormhole to travel to a different universe. The multiverse part of the story is also a big driving point for the plot and is not just used for convenience.
6Coherence (2013)
Before Disney or Marvel even started tampering with the concept of the multiverse in acrobatic ways, films likeCoherencewere already bending minds with how they handled the complex sci-fi trope. This film turns what appears to be a reunion drama into sci-fi suspense.
Everything in the reunion seems normal, until a comet passes and splits the reality into two, where the second reality will supposedly collapse once the comet has passed. Hence, the protagonists become hell-bent on a mad-dash to kill off their multiverse doppelgängers to ensure their chance of survival.
