Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame set the standard for multiversal shenanigans in modern media, bringing its full catalog of cinematic characters together for a spectacle of cinema. Since, many have followed suit, bringing fan fantasies to life across franchises. One brand you may not have expected to dip into the multiverse, however, is Nike, which has gone all out for its World Cup campaign.
Whether we knew it or not, we were all tapped into the multiverse growing up. Grabbing your favorite action figures from wildly different universes to battle it out - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vs. Superman, Goku vs. Action Man, the possibilities were endless.
The same goes for sports; we’re always wondering who would win in a fight between Mike Tyson and Tyson Fury, what LeBron James going head to head with Michael Jordan would look like, or who the greatest striker of all time is. We just can’t help ourselves, and that way of thinking is exactly what Nike has tapped into ahead of the World Cup.
Welcoming us to the “Footballverse,” Nike is asking the questions that we’ve all been thinking about. Is Mbappé better than 2006 Ronaldhinio? What would happen if old CR7 linked up with new CR7; more importantly, who is the best Ronaldo?
Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Folden, Leah Williamson, Carli Lloyd, Sam Kerr, Shane Kluivert, Edgar Davids, Alex Morgan, and Virgil Van Djik all feature in the playful video which sees Nike become the real-world equivalent of Space Jam.
While it provides no answers, it’s certainly good fun and strikes a more competitive take than adidas’ family-first World Cup campaign.
