Who Is the Beyonder In Marvel Canon?

The online rumor mill is convinced the Beyonder will soon join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, who is the Beyonder in Marvel‘s comics canon, and is he really coming to the MCU?

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The Beyonder’s Role in Marvel Continuity, Explained

Created by writer Jim Shooter and artist Mike Zeck, the Beyonder first appeared in the 1984 limited series Secret Wars. Here, he’s depicted as a god-like being from outside – or rather, “beyond” – the multiverse. Fascinated by the battle between good and evil he encounters upon entering the multiverse, the Beyonder uses his near-limitless power to force many heroes and villains to fight on a patchwork planet called Battleworld.

Later, in the follow-up series Secret Wars II, the Beyonder gives life among humans a whirl. The experience proves a bit much for him, and he eventually decides to destroy the multiverse, which seems a bit… extreme. Fortunately, an all-star line-up of superheroes – plus the supervillain Molecule Man – stop him. Killed in his earthly form, the Beyonder’s essence exits the multiverse and is reborn as a new universe (him and his “Beyond-realm” being one and the same).

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This is where things get interesting – or insanely confusing (take your pick). In the years after Secret Wars II‘s release, various Marvel creative teams retconned the Beyonder’s backstory. First, the Beyonder was downgraded from a quasi-omnipotent cosmic being into a self-aware Cosmic Cube in 1988’s Secret Wars III. Then, this was scrapped in favor of making him both a mutant and an Inhuman in 2007’s New Avengers: Illuminati series. However, the canonicity of this change was left intentionally ambiguous.

The Beyonder underwent one last overhaul in 2015’s New Avengers #30. Here, Hank Pym/Ant-Man learns that the Beyonder is actually a member of an alien race known as (wait for it) the Beyonders. What’s more, it turns out that the Beyonder we know is still just a child. As Hank puts it, while the Beyonder “crunched a universe” in Secret Wars, his elder peers “crunch universes.” The Beyonders subsequently played a key role in Marvel’s big 2015 crossover event, also titled Secret Wars.

Is The Beyonder About to Make His MCU Debut?

That’s the Beyonder’s history and powers covered – what about his rumored MCU arrival? Well, for now, that’s exactly what it is: a rumor. While the sixth Avengers installment is titled Secret Wars, there’s no official word that the Beyonder will factor into its story. Even so, many fans believe that the Beyonder will replace Jonathan Majors’ Kang as the Secret Wars movie’s villain.

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Should this pan out, who will play the part? The names of several supposed candidates are currently floating around online, including Keanu Reeves, Ryan Gosling, and Henry Cavill. None of these stars is currently attached to Avengers: Secret Wars, though, nor are they officially signed on for any other MCU projects. So no, the Beyonder isn’t joining the MCU – yet.

The Beyonder’s exploits (including the original Secret Wars limited series) are available to read on Marvel Unlimited.