One thing’s become clear lately: we’re living in a universe where multiverse movies are extremely popular. The idea of multiple universes existing is a sci-fi concept that’s existed for decades, but as far as movies go, stories about people traveling to different universes have only recently become very fashionable. Despite it being a TV show, Rick and Morty may have played a part in this. And of course, once the MCU started exploring multiverses, other franchises would inevitably follow.
Some of the biggest and most successful films of the last few years have set themselves within the multiverse, and it seems here to stay for as long as audiences continue to find such a concept interesting. Below are some of the most noteworthy multiverse movies of all time, and are ranked from worst to best, showcasing the mind-blowing opportunities fictional multiverses allow.
15 ‘The One’ (2001)
Directed by James Wong
Okay, The One is not the #1 multiverse movie when judged by quality. That does need to be emphasized, because it’s not exactly a movie that critics flocked to and subsequently praised. However, The One was #1 when it came to exploring the idea of the multiverse within a large-scale action movie, with it having a decent-sized budget of $49 million (not adjusted for inflation).
It’s an action/sci-fi movie starring Jet Li, following his character being forced to fight another version of himself: a universe-hopping agent who’s killed various other alternate versions of himself, growing more powerful with each kill. It deserves credit for coming out more than a decade before action movies with multiverse settings truly took off, and even if it can’t fully be considered a masterful trailblazer, it can at least be called ahead of its time.
14 ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ (2022)
Directed by Sam Raimi
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While it’s not one of the best MCU movies by any means, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness isn’t without its merits. It manages to have some fun with the premise, which involves the title character traveling to different universes, but doesn’t push things as far as it could, feeling strangely tame in some areas.
Still, it does sometimes go a little bananas with its horror elements, certain creative action scenes, and a level of violence that’s a little more intense than most MCU movies. It’s neither the worst nor best MCU movie to tie into the multiverse in some way, but is worth mentioning for having its premise centered on the multiverse, even if it didn’t explore it as much as it should’ve.
13 ‘The Flash’ (2023)
Directed by Andy Muschietti
When judged as a superhero or time travel movie, The Flash may falter a little, but it does at least utilize the multiverse well. It’s the first theatrical film to focus on the title character, who’s previously been seen in both Justice League (2017) and the better-received Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021).
It’s easy to see it as DC’s response to various MCU and other Marvel movies utilizing the multiverse well, with The Flash bringing in multiple versions of familiar characters (and some alternate versions previously unseen) and putting them in one film. Whether it’s a concept that will continue to be explored in future DC films remains to be seen.
12 ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ (2024)
Directed by Shawn Levy
The whole multiverse thing continues in the MCU with Deadpool & Wolverine, a film that does acknowledge a certain amount of fatigue with the multiverse while engaging with it nonetheless. But that’s kind of on-brand for the Deadpool movies. Your mileage will vary on whether clichés are still clichés if the film says to you, “Hey, check out all these clichés that are super silly.”
Still, the multiverse is used here to bring back Wolverine in a way that doesn’t entirely undermine the powerful conclusion (of sorts) to the character’s arc that was Logan. And the Ryan Reynolds + Hugh Jackman pairing is a fun one, with Deadpool & Wolverine certainly being fun in bursts, even if the film falls apart more than a little the more you think about both it and what it could ultimately mean for the superhero genre going forward.
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11 ‘Mr. Nobody’ (2009)
Directed by Jaco Van Dormael
Mr. Nobody and a handful of soon-to-be-mentioned movies kind of stretch the definition of what a multiverse movie is, but this film, plus those others, can be seen as sort of proto-multiverse films. Looking at the idea of a different reality, timeline, or universe is potentially emblematic of baby steps taken before exploring the idea of countless universes or realities, which is kind of what modern-day multiverse flicks do.
Anyway, that’s all preamble to say that Mr. Nobody is an intricate and perhaps even mind-bending sci-fi film about the last mortal man on Earth near the end of the 21st century, and how he recounts his life… or lives? Across the different periods he talks about, things branch out and potential new realities and/or false memories are explored. It’s lofty stuff and perhaps bites off more than it can chew, but there are certainly interesting things to think over here.
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10 ‘Altered States’ (1980)
Directed by Ken Russell
A little like Mr. Nobody, Altered States is all about exploring the human mind, consciousness, and the unreliability of memories in a way that almost replicates the feeling of traveling across different realities. Perhaps it’s more literally about that; it could all depend on the way one wants to interpret an out-there movie such as this one (and it’s far from the only unusual/mind-blowing film Ken Russell directed).
The film follows a scientist exploring such things and putting himself at the center of such a journey, with Altered States also being about the consequences of such a decision. It’s an effective blend of science fiction and psychological horror, being a slow build that gets more intense as things progress into an outright nightmare where reality bends and shocking, hard-to-define new spaces unfold while promising to be places to get lost in.
9 ‘The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension’ (1984)
Directed by W.D. Richter
Going back to the idea of baby steps preceding a full-on cinematic descent into the multiverse, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension – despite its wild title – keeps things safe by “only” focusing on the idea of another dimension. Yes, it’s the 8th one, and from it come aliens who have typically evil plans that need to be stopped by a group of scrappy Earth heroes.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is absolutely a cult classic in every sense of the term, having a loopy plot, a strange sense of humor, and undeniably admirable ambition, even if it’s more than a little messy. It’s just a good time if you find yourself able to click with it (even just a little), and it’s another quality proto-multiverse flick.
8 ‘Run Lola Run’ (1998)
Directed by Tom Tykwer
Run Lola Run has a genius premise for a thriller, revolving around two people who need to find a large amount of money in a very short time, because their lives essentially depend on it. One decides he has to resort to armed robbery, while the other – the titular Lola – believes she can find another way to collect the necessary cash, and so she ends up doing a lot of running to achieve this before a robbery can happen.
Not only does she run a lot initially, but Run Lola Run has a time loop structure, showing the same situation playing out three times, each one a little different thanks to small deviations snowballing. With different realities effectively created from each of these timelines, it almost has the feeling of exploring different universes… kind of. Sort of. Again, expansion of one’s mind might be necessary, but the movie does inevitably scratch the same itch that good multiverse movies do.
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7 ‘Last Action Hero’ (1993)
Directed by John McTiernan
An action movie that’s also a parody of action movies, 1993’s Last Action Hero is a very underrated Arnold Schwarzenegger film that has at least gained a cult following in the years since its release. It follows a young boy who’s sucked into the world of an action movie he loves, with fictional characters eventually making their way into the real world, too.
It can be viewed as a proto-multiverse movie, because while it’s not a multiverse movie in the modern sense, it does get a ton of mileage out of a premise involving every movie effectively being its own universe. Also, there are two Arnold Schwarzeneggers for the price of one, seeing as he (briefly) plays himself and the fictional character that he plays within the film inside the film. It might make you go cross-eyed, but in a fun way.
6 ‘Coherence’ (2013)
Directed by James Ward Byrkit
Coherence came out a few years before the recent wave of multiverse blockbusters, and showed how it’s possible to explore such a huge concept with a tiny budget. This 2013 sci-fi/mystery film was made for just $50,000, and follows the strange things that begin happening to a group of people at a dinner party when a comet flies overhead.
Reality bends in interesting ways as the film goes on, with alternate selves – and the possibility of two universes crossing paths – being explored effectively within a small-scale story and a low budget. It’s an engaging and mind-bending movie, and one of the more creative and down-to-earth multiverse-themed movies out there.
5 ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
Directed by Jon Watts
Releasing a few months before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Spider-Man: No Way Home is generally regarded as the best multiverse-centered movie in the MCU so far. It has Peter Parker come up against villains from other realities, who audiences will recognize from past Spider-Man movies that weren’t part of the MCU.
While they weren’t shown in marketing, the universe-hopping eventually leads to previous Spider-Men – played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield – entering the world of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, and helping him out in the final act. It was a simple but crowd-pleasing crossover and an overall effective use of the multiverse that future MCU movies tackling the same concept will ultimately be compared to.
4 ‘The Lego Movie’ (2014)
Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Another earlier release movie that likely had some influence on the multiverse-heavy pop culture landscape of the 2020s, The Lego Movie was a surprisingly good film that proved to be a critical and commercial success. It followed one seemingly ordinary Lego person getting involved in a huge battle against an evil force that seemed determined to destroy all Lego worlds.
This leads to plenty of new and unique locations for the characters to visit, and another non-Lego reality (a live-action one) is even featured prominently towards the end of the movie. It doesn’t provide the exact same type of universe traveling as other multiverse movies, but arguably belongs in the same camp nonetheless.
3 ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ (2023)
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson
Almost straight away, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse became one of the most acclaimed superhero movie sequels of all time. It follows Miles Morales, who’s now gotten used to being his universe’s Spider-Man, after the death of Peter Parker in the previous film. Complications arise, however, when a new villain emerges, and Miles discovers various Spider-People who’ll stop at nothing to ensure their various universes are protected.
It’s a relentlessly fast-paced film that’s visually stunning and endlessly creative, with it effectively mixing action, humor, and heart, all the while dealing with some fairly intense themes (by family movie standards). It ending with a particularly abrupt cliffhanger – setting up 2024’s Beyond the Spider-Verse – is the only thing keeping it from unequivocally equaling its predecessor. Speaking of…
2 ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)
Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman
2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse remains the gold standard for how to use the multiverse within a superhero movie. It serves as an origin story for Miles Morales while introducing him – and audiences – to the Spider-Verse, with various Spider-people coming into contact with Miles and getting wrapped up in a battle to protect all their various realities.
It uses this premise to comment on (and sometimes parody) previous Spider-Man movies, and also finds ways to mine drama and compelling character development out of the multiverse, too. It’s an incredibly clever movie that’s also spectacular to look at, and skillfully manages to appeal to audiences young and old.
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1 ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Image via A24
If Into the Spider-Verse helped show the potential of a multiverse premise at its best, Everything Everywhere All at Once arguably went one step further still, and became a huge success in the process. It follows a middle-aged woman finding herself unexpectedly at the center of a battle that will determine the fate of the multiverse, with her needing to harness the powers of her alternate selves to fight the most powerful force the multiverse has ever known.
It was made with a modest budget, and uses sheer imagination to go to places no other film’s really managed to go before. It’s funny, heartbreaking, thrilling, and entertaining in equal measure, ultimately standing as the best of the best when it comes to multiverse movies. Everything Everywhere All at Once stands as the film to beat, for any other movie utilizing the multiverse going forward.
