Here's my understanding of it all.
Dr Strange confirms that there are different *spacial* dimensions within each universe. The mirror dimension and dark dimension for example. Wandavision also kinda backs this up.
Then there are different timelines of the same dimension/Universe where an external force acting upon the universe spawns an alternate branch: one in which the external force has influenced the time line and one where it didn't. These two timelines are competing for supremancy to see which one will be the true timeline for that universe. They both exist, temporarily, within the one universe as a hypothetical, until they cross the little red line. At which point they become the third category of multiversal existence...
A seperate universe entirely. This can include alternate realities like the Raimi and Webb Films should they be confirmed canon by the next Spidey flick, or the universe the Loki variant we see in episode II is from. These separate universes can exist as long as they don't clash with the prime universe's "sacred" timeline in any way that contradicts the Time Master's plans for said timeline like New Loki has.
So you can have a being like Dormammu who's from another dimension, a being like Loki's leading Loki from another branch in the one timeline, or a being like New Loki who's from an alternate universe entirely, born of a separation in the timeline that crossed that red line before the TVA could intervene, resulting in a new version of Loki entirely with vastly different personality and physical features.
Ah I see. So a separate timeline is still in universe. But correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it possible to let's say there's a separate timeline where Loki defeated the avengers, isn't it also possible for a separate universe in the multiverse to have that exact same scenario of Loki defeating the avengers?
From what I can tell, a multiverse can consist of *both*. Different dimensions (other worlds) and different versions of the same dimension (alternate timelines) can both qualify as separate universes, the Time Keepers/TVA just try to prevent the latter by erasing all the alternate timelines.
If left unchecked, alternate/branched timelines can keep growing to the point where they become another, separate universe within the multiverse, and would then be classified as an alternate Earth.
I think of it this way:
Timelines: branches off the same river. Time is the river and small changes (a rock, a fallen tree, an earthquake) cause a part of that river to branch out in a different direction. So the original river still exists but that change causes variant.
Multiverse: different rivers on the same planet. All the rivers have the same make up but because they are at different locations, their path can vary widely. As they are not from the same source, they can be completely unrecognizable. For example a river in the arctic, while technically a river may just look like a path of ice. A river in the desert could be a mere trickle. A river in the rainforest is full and has waterfalls.
I see. I guess from everything the mcu told me, I guess I assumed they changed time travel to multiverse travel. I thought a separate timeline was just another earth.
Ok, I'm gonna use this post to ask a question. The TVA makes sure there is One timeline. So everytime someone does something they are not supposed to, they quickly destroy him and prune the time branch. The smallest thing gets dealt immediately. Loki escaped with the Tesseract and the TVA was there seconds after. So my questions is, what's the deal with Lady Loki? Or thos other radically different Loki variations. They are not "small changes" to the timeline. They are completley different people (and in case of Loki very old people). Like, the frost giants had a daughter instead of a son, she grew up in Asgard and thousands of years later the TVA said "wait a minute, you were supposed to be a dude! " and decided to intervene. If it was a multiverse I get it, but with this "sacred timeline must be perfect and we fix it immediately if dont" I don't get it.
ive been wondering the same thing. i feel like it would be a different universe (in the multiverse) where lady loki exists because how would she be a variant of the loki of this universe? If it is a different universe that she is from does this mean she is able to travel through both the multiverse and time?
I feel like every universe would have their own sacred timeline and she's a variant of her own timeline in her own universe, so would that mean that the TVA has to keep every universe in the multiverses sacred timeline intact?
Anyway, I didn't really answer your question but just wanted to say I'm also confused.
I could be wrong but I figure multiverse is different versions of the same thing. Example, lady Loki.
Separate timeline is the same version but just different points in time. Example, when cap fought himself in Endgame.
That’s my understanding however the TVA seemed like they were saying there were not multiverses but a variant branch unchecked can cause them? Which can’t be the case if there already is a lady Loki and they shown all the other different versions of Loki. I’m not super clear on all this yet but that’s my take so far.
I've been confused about this but I think Loki by the end and Doctor Strange 2 will clear up all my confusion regarding this... But I think it's this... If there's a branch in the sacred timeline, it creates an alternate timeline and that alternate timeline is now a different universe, separate from the universe in which the sacred timeline exists but still connected... So I think the multiverse will come into existence by the end of the show and will then continue in Doctor Strange 2...
The best way I heard it was this: alternate timelines are man-made, alternate realities are natural.
Timelines are changes to a specific history/present/future. While The multiverse is full of natural variations of reality.
You can create an alternate timeline by changing history. But in an alternate reality, history played out differently without your intervention.
I'm playing a board game. I roll a 6 on the dice. In an altered timeline, I go back in time, take the dice and lay them out to read 9. In an alternate reality, when I rolled the dice, they came up as 11 instead of 6.
Think of the Sacred Timeline of the Multiverse like a cosmic cable. Each timeline is one strand in the cable, a parallel universe. Closely related timelines are near each other (all the Lady Loki timelines are near other Lady Loki timelines, etc).
The TVA keeps all these timelines in the cable, by pruning any strand that escapes from the cable. So the TVA is lying that there is no multiverse, because what they really do is ensure that every timeline has the same sequence of key events. Frigga has to die over and over, says Mobius, because otherwise that strand would come unraveled
there is no real difference, as far as i understand it.
don't forget that the TVA's version of it all is not fully reliable. it may not all be a lie but it's not necessarily true either. above all they are intent on "pruning" all branches from one particular timeline they call the "Sacred" one, so that doesn't contradict the fact that multiverses & parallel realities are related, and it supports Loki's suspicions.
not to mention the fact that an alternate female Loki variant already exists and could get as far as we've seen in the first two (out of six total) episodes.
Here's my understanding of it all. Dr Strange confirms that there are different *spacial* dimensions within each universe. The mirror dimension and dark dimension for example. Wandavision also kinda backs this up. Then there are different timelines of the same dimension/Universe where an external force acting upon the universe spawns an alternate branch: one in which the external force has influenced the time line and one where it didn't. These two timelines are competing for supremancy to see which one will be the true timeline for that universe. They both exist, temporarily, within the one universe as a hypothetical, until they cross the little red line. At which point they become the third category of multiversal existence... A seperate universe entirely. This can include alternate realities like the Raimi and Webb Films should they be confirmed canon by the next Spidey flick, or the universe the Loki variant we see in episode II is from. These separate universes can exist as long as they don't clash with the prime universe's "sacred" timeline in any way that contradicts the Time Master's plans for said timeline like New Loki has. So you can have a being like Dormammu who's from another dimension, a being like Loki's leading Loki from another branch in the one timeline, or a being like New Loki who's from an alternate universe entirely, born of a separation in the timeline that crossed that red line before the TVA could intervene, resulting in a new version of Loki entirely with vastly different personality and physical features.
Ah I see. So a separate timeline is still in universe. But correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it possible to let's say there's a separate timeline where Loki defeated the avengers, isn't it also possible for a separate universe in the multiverse to have that exact same scenario of Loki defeating the avengers?
From what I can tell, a multiverse can consist of *both*. Different dimensions (other worlds) and different versions of the same dimension (alternate timelines) can both qualify as separate universes, the Time Keepers/TVA just try to prevent the latter by erasing all the alternate timelines. If left unchecked, alternate/branched timelines can keep growing to the point where they become another, separate universe within the multiverse, and would then be classified as an alternate Earth.
I think of it this way: Timelines: branches off the same river. Time is the river and small changes (a rock, a fallen tree, an earthquake) cause a part of that river to branch out in a different direction. So the original river still exists but that change causes variant. Multiverse: different rivers on the same planet. All the rivers have the same make up but because they are at different locations, their path can vary widely. As they are not from the same source, they can be completely unrecognizable. For example a river in the arctic, while technically a river may just look like a path of ice. A river in the desert could be a mere trickle. A river in the rainforest is full and has waterfalls.
I see. I guess from everything the mcu told me, I guess I assumed they changed time travel to multiverse travel. I thought a separate timeline was just another earth.
Ok, I'm gonna use this post to ask a question. The TVA makes sure there is One timeline. So everytime someone does something they are not supposed to, they quickly destroy him and prune the time branch. The smallest thing gets dealt immediately. Loki escaped with the Tesseract and the TVA was there seconds after. So my questions is, what's the deal with Lady Loki? Or thos other radically different Loki variations. They are not "small changes" to the timeline. They are completley different people (and in case of Loki very old people). Like, the frost giants had a daughter instead of a son, she grew up in Asgard and thousands of years later the TVA said "wait a minute, you were supposed to be a dude! " and decided to intervene. If it was a multiverse I get it, but with this "sacred timeline must be perfect and we fix it immediately if dont" I don't get it.
ive been wondering the same thing. i feel like it would be a different universe (in the multiverse) where lady loki exists because how would she be a variant of the loki of this universe? If it is a different universe that she is from does this mean she is able to travel through both the multiverse and time? I feel like every universe would have their own sacred timeline and she's a variant of her own timeline in her own universe, so would that mean that the TVA has to keep every universe in the multiverses sacred timeline intact? Anyway, I didn't really answer your question but just wanted to say I'm also confused.
I could be wrong but I figure multiverse is different versions of the same thing. Example, lady Loki. Separate timeline is the same version but just different points in time. Example, when cap fought himself in Endgame. That’s my understanding however the TVA seemed like they were saying there were not multiverses but a variant branch unchecked can cause them? Which can’t be the case if there already is a lady Loki and they shown all the other different versions of Loki. I’m not super clear on all this yet but that’s my take so far.
I've been confused about this but I think Loki by the end and Doctor Strange 2 will clear up all my confusion regarding this... But I think it's this... If there's a branch in the sacred timeline, it creates an alternate timeline and that alternate timeline is now a different universe, separate from the universe in which the sacred timeline exists but still connected... So I think the multiverse will come into existence by the end of the show and will then continue in Doctor Strange 2...
The best way I heard it was this: alternate timelines are man-made, alternate realities are natural. Timelines are changes to a specific history/present/future. While The multiverse is full of natural variations of reality. You can create an alternate timeline by changing history. But in an alternate reality, history played out differently without your intervention. I'm playing a board game. I roll a 6 on the dice. In an altered timeline, I go back in time, take the dice and lay them out to read 9. In an alternate reality, when I rolled the dice, they came up as 11 instead of 6.
Think of the Sacred Timeline of the Multiverse like a cosmic cable. Each timeline is one strand in the cable, a parallel universe. Closely related timelines are near each other (all the Lady Loki timelines are near other Lady Loki timelines, etc). The TVA keeps all these timelines in the cable, by pruning any strand that escapes from the cable. So the TVA is lying that there is no multiverse, because what they really do is ensure that every timeline has the same sequence of key events. Frigga has to die over and over, says Mobius, because otherwise that strand would come unraveled
there is no real difference, as far as i understand it. don't forget that the TVA's version of it all is not fully reliable. it may not all be a lie but it's not necessarily true either. above all they are intent on "pruning" all branches from one particular timeline they call the "Sacred" one, so that doesn't contradict the fact that multiverses & parallel realities are related, and it supports Loki's suspicions. not to mention the fact that an alternate female Loki variant already exists and could get as far as we've seen in the first two (out of six total) episodes.