Over the years it's become commonplace for different realities in the Marvel Universe to receive numerical designations. For example, the main comic book reality we see in the vast majority of Marvel Comics titles each month is known as Earth-616.
When Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was released, though, there was some confusion surrounding the revelation the Marvel Cinematic Universe is also "Earth-616." The obvious explanation is that what happens on the page is completely separate from the movies and Marvel Studios wanted to pay homage to those by choosing the 616 designation.
However, when Spider-Man 2099 mentioned the MCU in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, he called it "Earth-199999."
It was likely a reference to an Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Vol. 5 released in 2008 which designated the MCU as Earth-19999 (no, that's not a typo; Miguel O'Hara added an extra 9). It's a decision we'd bet wasn't made by Marvel Studios and, instead, was probably a Marvel Entertainment/Creative Committee call.
Earlier this month, Marvel Studios released The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline, a book which sets out to make sense of the MCU's timeline. With that comes confirmation it is indeed Earth-616, something Miss Minutes herself confirms.
"I'm Miss Minutes," she says in the book's opening, "and welcome to the guidebook on the beings and events that make up the universe known as 616, also known as the Sacred Timeline."
Marvel Studios may have first made this official in the Doctor Strange sequel, but it was Thor character Erik Selvig who first teased 616 back in Phase 1 when the words "616 Universe" were spotted written and underlined on his chalkboard. Remember, Mysterio also called it Earth-616 in Spider-Man: No Way Home, a moment which raises some big questions.
As he wasn't really from another reality (unless he was and just pretended to have a grudge against Tony Stark to manipulate his ex-employees), we're still not sure how Quentin Beck knew that. It may have been a lucky guess or a hint he'll return to target Spidey again in the not-too-distant future.
So, there you have it, the MCU is officially Earth-616. You can pick holes in the decision, but it's what Marvel Studios has gone for and will likely stick until this franchise is rebooted post-Avengers: Secret Wars.
How do you feel about this decision? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.