5 Marvel Characters Who Could Be The Sacred Timeline's Anchor Being

Contains spoilers for "Deadpool & Wolverine"

It can feel like a second job having to keep up with all of the lore and terminology the Marvel Cinematic Universe constantly throws out there, especially in the wake of the Multiverse Saga. With so many timelines and variants, it can be difficult to make heads or tails of what's going on, and "Deadpool & Wolverine" dove head-first into this arena, even introducing the concept of an "Anchor being." 

As described in the film, an anchor being is an entity that keeps their respective universe stable. They're the foundation for everything built on top of that specific reality, and in Earth-10005 where Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and the X-Men hang out, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) was that anchor. His death in "Logan" has caused Deadpool's timeline to begin to slowly decay, although granted, Paradox (Matthew Macfayden) states the process can take a long time, which is why he wants to expedite it via the Time Ripper. 

By the end of "Deadpool & Wolverine," Wade Wilson's reality has begun to heal itself, allowing him to spend time with his loved ones until his inevitable team-up with the proper MCU. But this adventure begs the question: Who is the anchor being within the Sacred Timeline — meaning Earth-616 where most of the MCU occurs? We'd like to posit a few suggestions with whatever evidence we can find, but this will mostly be pure speculation.

Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is definitely one of the most powerful Avengers, and one might easily assume his death could cause the fabric of Earth-616 to fall apart. He's mastered sorcery and has traversed various realities in 2022's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." However, the idea of him as the anchor being hasn't necessarily come from the movies themselves. There's a good chance Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige gave him that title back in 2022 when Cumberbatch received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Feige spoke highly of Cumberbatch's career at large, but he also provided a jaw-dropping remark that could have major MCU implications. "You've always seen the tremendous potential in this character," Feige stated. "Because of that, you've become the anchor of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the only actor capable of guiding us through the madness of the Multiverse." Feige literally called Cumberbatch the "anchor" of the MCU, several years before "Deadpool & Wolverine" would utilize the term "anchor being." As the overseer of Marvel Studios, Feige undoubtedly knows what the road map is, so there's a good chance he planted that breadcrumb for people to catch onto right now.

Spider-Man is arguably the most popular superhero ever, so it wouldn't be out of the question for the MCU to make Tom Holland's Peter Parker its anchor being. Despite not yet being old enough to drink, Peter Parker has already done quite a bit during his short tenure among superheroes. He's had his own trilogy and has popped up in the likes of "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Avengers: Endgame." He's even been directly linked to other realities, most notably in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" when a spell cast by Doctor Strange ended up putting him in contact with different Spider-Men and their villains. 

He's clearly an important figure who isn't going away anytime soon. Even though there have been rumors of Marvel Studios and Sony fighting about future "Spider-Man" movies, it's safe to say more solo Spidey flicks are imminent, and Peter will definitely play a part in the next "Avengers" movies. 

There's even a precedent for Spidey holding this status in the comics. In 2022's "Spider-Man" #1 from writer Dan Slott and artist Mark Bagley, Peter Parker receives the designation of "Chosen One," signifying his importance within the whole of Marvel. It's possible this could carry over into the films, with Tom Holland's iteration being crucial to the survival of his universe. It would certainly make for a heavy burden for a guy who'd probably like to just go to his college classes once in a while. 

Spider-Man may be the all-around favorite superhero for many, but Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) was the face of the MCU for a decade. 2008's "Iron Man" is what kickstarted the cinematic universe experiment in the first place, and he ultimately helped save the world and universe, even though he's just a man in a fancy suit of armor. 

Now, Tony Stark is obviously very much dead due to his heroic sacrifice in "Avengers: Endgame," but that may actually lend credence to the idea he's the anchor being. It's not a shock to Marvel fans that the franchise's output has been a little hit-and-miss over the last few years. This fact isn't even lost on Deadpool in "Deadpool & Wolverine," as he even says how the MCU is at a low point right now. What if this shift in quality as well as all of the disparate storylines within the franchise are a result of Iron Man's death? It's been a few years at this point, so Earth-616 may have already begun to decay to an extent, possibly leading to an incursion that'll need to be dealt with in the upcoming "Avengers" films. 

This also lends itself to the rumor that "Avengers: Secret Wars" will function as somewhat of a soft reboot for the MCU. Earth-10005 was able to repair itself by the end of "Deadpool & Wolverine," so there may be hope for Earth-616. Maybe a new Iron Man, not played by Robert Downey Jr., will enter the picture, restoring balance to the universe while also cleaning up the scattered plot threads from so many other Marvel projects.

Given her sheer power, Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) also feels like a prime candidate to be Earth-616's anchor being. The "Agatha All Along" trailer seemingly confirmed what we assumed all along, in that Wanda Maximoff died during the events of "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Her death could've also thrown that universe out of whack, but there remains the question of whether an individual can be both an anchor and a nexus being or if there's any differentiation to begin with. 

Nexus beings have popped up throughout Marvel Comics. These are powerful entities with a firm grasp on that universe's reality, with the power to even alter time. Scarlet Witch could be seen as a nexus being within Earth-616, but is that different from an anchor being? Kevin Feige kept things nebulous while speaking with Inverse on the concept. "There are nexus beings that have been discussed ... The TVA uses the terminology of 'anchor beings' and 'a being of great importance.' Is that different than those other beings I've mentioned, or is it just a different terminology for the same thing? Remains to be seen," he said.

It's frustratingly vague for the time being, but even if she's not an anchor, Scarlet Witch ultimately seems too powerful and popular to keep dead for long. Perhaps "Agatha All Along" will present some kind of path forward for her to return and wreak further havoc on reality.

We're getting into the weeds with this last one, but stick with us. Molecule Man is one of many villains the MCU has failed to take advantage of, likely because he's so overpowered. As the name suggests, he can manipulate matter and reality. In Marvel Comics, Molecule Man takes his reality with him if he dies. That sure sounds like an anchor being to us, and it's very much possible the character could get his day on the big screen in 2025's "Fantastic Four."

Kevin Feige has seemingly confirmed "Fantastic Four" could take place in a different reality from Earth-616, so there would need to be a different anchor from the Sacred Timeline. We know Galactus (Ralph Ineson) will be an antagonist in the film, but there could always be room for more than one foe. In fact, what if Molecule Man is that other reality's anchor being? His death could make it collapse, and this could cause the Fantastic Four to have to jump ship to another universe, likely Earth-616. The foursome could inform the Avengers about incursions and anchor beings, and they may have a lead in wanting to track down Earth-616's anchor, which could very well be a different Molecule Man. 

In the comics, Molecule Man has factored heavily into "Secret Wars" and incursions, and the movies may choose to adapt him before "Avengers: Secret Wars" makes it to the big screen. To be honest, John Malkovich, who's been cast in 2025's "Fantastic Four," would make a pretty compelling Molecule Man. This is a pretty big leap, and even if the Sacred Timeline's anchor being isn't Molecule Man or any of the characters on this list, we'll likely find out soon enough as the Multiverse Saga barrels toward its conclusion.