Marvel Star Criticizes Major Plot Hole From Spider-Man Movie
True Believers, we have a serious debate to settle about Marvel Comics, the Cinematic Univserse, and everything in between. It’s an argument that would make Stan Lee proud, and it comes from – of all people – Ms. Marvel herself, Iman Vellani. She’s taken issue with what she sees as a major Marvel plot hole in their Cinematic Universe (aka the MCU), and she wants it filled. She’s even taken it to the man himself, Kevin Feige, for answers, and now she’s going to the fans.
In an interview with Deadline’s podcast Hero Nation, Vellani pointed out a glaring Marvel plot hole regarding Earth’s parallel-universe designation in the Multiverse. In 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) says the Earth depicted in the MCU is designated as Earth-616. This is seemingly the first time the MCU films have made this designation, and it was reinforced by this year’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Marvel Comic Book universe is also designated as Earth-616, even though there are significant differences between the comics and films. However, Marvel Studios (through guidebooks) and Marvel Comics had previously designated the MCU as taking place in the parallel universe Earth-199999. The Spider-Man and Doctor Strange films, then, have retconned this idea, according to The Direct, and that is something Vellani takes issue with, as you can see in the video clip. That’s because having the MCU being 616 instead of 199999 has implications for many Marvel characters, particularly her own, and she wants that straightened out.
“I have this argument with Kevin [Feige] every single time I see him in person, Vellani told Deadline. “It’s not 616. The MCU is definitely 199999. It’s five nines. And all this happened because Kevin Feige made a joke in an interview about how long the MCU would stand for and he said, ‘199999 years.’ But we need a number and you can’t take it from the Marvel comics canon, because that was like the main comics canon where all the main events took place.” Vellani is exactly right here, even if Marvel Studios doesn’t want to admit it. Both the comics and the films cannot exist in the same parallel universe within the Multiverse, because of the obvious differences. However, it appears that Marvel Studios, eager to include as many comic references in its films to appease fans, opened up a major Marvel plot hole, painting themselves into a corner with it.
Vellani points out why having the MCU as Earth-616 is a problem. “In that canon, Kamala is an Inhuman, there’s Lockjaw, House of M took place with X-Men — where’s all that with MCU if it’s 616? I rest my case. Why was Mysterio in the MCU right about the 616 he mentioned? Why would he know anything? He’s an actor.” Vellani is correct here – Mysterio was actually Quentin Beck, although he was actually a scientist at Stark Industries, not an actor, and he couldn’t have known about Earth-616. Many fans aware of the Multiverse designations figured the 616 label was just made up by Beck (and a sly reference to the comics), but now that Doctor Strange made it official canon, it also made it a glaring Marvel plot hole.
So is the MCU Earth-616 as Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios now claim, or is the original Earth-199999 designation Vellani insists on? The answer to this question could have ramifications for her character. In the new Disney+ series Ms. Marvel, Vellani plays Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old from New Jersey who gets superpowers not unlike Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) after donning a bangle passed down in her family. If Khan is indeed on Earth-616, then she must also be an Inhuman, a group of genetically enhanced heroes already established in the MCU with the TV shows Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Inhumans, which flopped in its first season and was canceled. That would be a Marvel plot hole that won’t jive with upcoming stories, as Kamala Khan is appearing in The Marvels, an MCU film serving as the sequel to Captain Marvel and releasing next year with Brie Larson reprising her role, with Samuel L. Jackson also appearing as Nick Fury. Now, Marvel Studios could explain this all away in future films, by saying the Earth-616 designation was incorrect, but that would be a major revelation with far-reaching consequences. Considering Vellani is talking publicly about it – and contradicting her boss – tells us Marvel Studios has no plans to correct this, which will likely freak out hardcore fans who insist on getting the cannon right.
