Dark Matter Boss Doesn’t ‘Respect’ Marvel’s Use of Multiverse: ‘Literally the Antithesis’

Dark Matter’s creator had some sharp words for Marvel’s multiverse storytelling. Blake Crouch explained why he believes the MCU’s approach to parallel worlds stands as the complete opposite of his Apple TV series.

Blake Crouch says Marvel’s multiverse is the antitheses of Dark Matter

Dark Matter creator Blake Crouch criticized Marvel’s approach to multiverse storytelling in a recent interview with SlashFilm. Crouch expressed frustration that his Apple TV series gets lumped in with Marvel’s Multiverse Saga despite predating it.

“Marvel comes along, and they make [multiverses] the plot device of every single movie,” Crouch said. “I know why they do it, it’s because it’s easy, and it’s because… I’m sorry, I don’t have an extraordinary amount of respect for that kind of storytelling.”

Crouch drew a sharp contrast between the two approaches. He described Marvel’s use of parallel worlds as the opposite of his own. “This is literally the antithesis, what we’re doing, of that,” he stated. “We’re using it as a way to explore character, to explore what our characters are capable of.”

The author pointed to a key line from his 2016 novel. In the book, protagonist Jason Dessen realizes he is “not just one man” but “one facet of a multifaceted man.” Crouch explained that Dark Matter extends this idea beyond its lead character. “We’re not just showing you multifacets of Jason, we’re showing you multifacets of most of our main cast,” he added.

Crouch also pushed back on the idea that his show rides the multiverse trend. He acknowledged that shows like Sliders explored multiverses before his novel. However, he believes his book broke new ground in mainstream fiction. “I think it was one of the first times a story crossed mainstream with the multiverse,” he said.

The timing remains a sore point for the showrunner. “A lot of people were like, ‘Oh, just riding that multiverse trend, aren’t you?’” Crouch said. “And I’m like, ‘We were here before.’” The Season 2 finale of Dark Matter streams on Apple TV on October 30, 2026.