A Fascination with the Multiverse and What Might Have Been Captivates Popular Culture

Alternate realities and parallel universes are common themes in movies, TV shows, books, and comics.
The idea of exploring how lives could unfold differently has existed for decades but continues to capture imagination.
Fictional works frequently transport characters into alternate versions of their lives or worlds.
The multiverse and "what if" scenarios are proven moneymakers, with entire franchises devoted to exploring possibilities.
The possibility of better selves and fixable problems draws people to stories of lives lived differently.