Marvel's upcoming Avengers: Doomsday may lean heavily on the mechanics of Jonathan Hickman's Secret Wars comics. Rumors suggest Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man could be an "anchor being" whose death triggers a total universal collapse.
The Connection Between TVA Anchor Beings and Comic Nexus Beings
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has introduced the concept of "anchor beings" via the Time Variance Authority (TVA), defining them as entities so vital that their death causes their entire world to wither. According to the report, this mirrors the "nexus beings" found in comic book lore—individuals integral to the existence of their specific timeline. When a nexus being is removed, the universe begins a process of "fraying," leading to eventual destruction.
This conceptual bridge was hinted at in 2024 when Kevin Feige suggested that the terminology used by the TVA and the comics might simply be different names for the same phenomenon. As the report notes, Feige acknowledged that there are "beings of great importance" across both mediums, leaving the door open for the MCU to adopt the more destructive comic book logic where the removal of a single person can erase a reality.
Why Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man Might Face the Fox X-Men
Speculation has mounted since January that Tobey Maguire's version of Spider-Man will be killed early in Avengers: Doomsday, potentially during a clash with the Fox X-Men. While a "versus match" between these legacy characters would be a cinematic draw, the "anchor being" theory provides a narrative reason for such a tragedy. If Maguire's Spider-Man is the anchor for his specific timeline, his death would be the most efficient way for an antagonist to destroy that entire universe.
The report suggests that the Time Variance Authority (TVA) has already utilized this mechanic, weakening timelines by removing specific individuals—such as Loki—before destroying them. This establishes a precedent where the MCU does not necessarily need to destroy a planet physically; it only needs to eliminate the person holding that reality together.
Jonathan Hickman's 2015 Secret Wars and the Battleworld Blueprint
The plot of Avengers: Doomsday is expected to draw inspiration from Jonathan Hickman's 2015-2016 Secret Wars series. in that storyline, the collision of the Marvel and Ultimate universes created "incursions," where the only way to save one Earth was to destroy another. This high-stakes scenario creates a horrific moral dilemma for the heroes: to save their own world,they must identify and kill the anchor being of a rival timeline.
This comic parallel suggests that Doctor Doom may be attempting to create a version of "Battleworld," a patchwork planet constructed from the surviving fragments of the multiverse. By targeting anchor beings, Doctor Doom could systematically dismantle universes to harvest their power or salvage specific pieces of reality to build his own empire.
Whether Doctor Doom is Saving or Destroying Multiversal Fragments
One critical uncertainty remains: is Doctor Doom acting as a destroyer or a curator? While the report outlines the possibility that Doom is killing nexus beings to steal their power, it also posits that he might be retrieving anchor beings to save the last vestiges of their realities. The source notes that the exact mechanism of Avengers: Doomsday remains unclear, and it is currently unknown if the film will follow the comic's "Battleworld" destination exactly.
Furthermore, the report relies heavily on comic parallels and rumors regarding Tobey Maguire's fate, but Marvel Studios has not officially confirmed the role of anchor beings in the upcoming film. It remains to be seen if the MCU will treat these beings as cosmic targets or as victims of a larger multiversal collapse .
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