‘Logan’ Director James Mangold Has Some Choice Words for “Multiverse” Films: “I think it’s the enemy of storytelling”

We’re currently in the middle of Multiverse Saga in the MCU, and fans are already sick of it. For a large number of fans, the concept of the Multiverse is equal to bland storytelling since all stakes and risks are removed. Everything that requires complex character development can simply be written off as ” a variant.”

Any character’s death can be undone, and every pothole can simply be written off as “a different timeline.”

‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ has one specific scene during which it mocks the Multiverse concept, even though ironically the movie also tried to cash in on it, but I’m trying to avoid spoilers for you guys so I’m not going to elaborate on it further.

In any case, long before ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ was released we’ve learned that Feige was absolutely against Jackman returning to the role of Wolverine, due to the way his character arc perfectly ended during the events of ‘Logan.’ The concept of the multiverse however opened a perfect way for him to return – as a variant.

To make matters worse, Feige recently confirmed that Iron Man and Captain America can also return to the MCU “If great care is given” to their characters. This means that most of the emotional impact of ‘Endgame’ and ‘Infinity War’ can be undone through variants.

Now in the wake of ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ release, James Mangold, the director of ‘Logan’ which is often hailed as one of the best superhero movies of all time commented on the Multiverse concept. He was promoting his upcoming movie with Rolling Stone, ‘A Complete Unknown,’ movie focusing on Bob Dylan.

Mangold said that he doesn’t like multi-universe movies, of course, the director wasn’t referring to either ‘Logan’ or ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ he was referring to his latest movie and the fact that someone asked whether Johnny Cash would be in the Bob Dylan movie since Mangold directed ‘Walk the Line’ from 2005 staring Joaquin Phoenix as the famous performer.

Mangold said that he really doesn’t do multiverse, and this doesn’t seem likely to change in the future:

Someone spotted Timothée holding a letter from Johnny Cash on set, and it sparked a lot of speculation. Just to be clear, is there a Johnny Cash character in this movie?
Oh yes, there is.

Who plays him?
Boyd Holbrook.

I think people were somehow hoping this would become a cinematic-universe, multiverse return–of-Joaquin Phoenix situation.
I don’t do multiverses. But beyond that Johnny Cash was like, 30.

Exactly.
I love Joaquin, but he’s not 30, or whatever Johnny was at this moment. They’re both young people in that moment in life. It’s weird that I’ve even worked in the world of IP entertainment because I don’t like multi-movie universe-building. I think it’s the enemy of storytelling. The death of storytelling. It’s more interesting to people the way the Legos connect than the way the story works in front of us.

For me, the goal becomes, always, “What is unique about this film, and these characters?” Not making you think about some other movie or some Easter egg or something else, which is all an intellectual act, not an emotional act. You want the movie to work on an emotional level.

Mangold is not talking about the MCU specifically, but this is exactly the problem a lot of fans have with the Multiverse. Well that and the fact that at one point it becomes so complicated and riddled with plotholes, it’s more like a parody of itself than an attempt at meaningful storytelling.

Do you agree with Mangold? Let us know in the comments below!

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