What Is a Canon Event? The Marvel Film Concept Is Now a Meme

Movies and TV shows about time travel often warn us that trying to interfere with our past selves can have some serious ramifications. Most of us would jump at the chance to travel back to stop us from an embarrassing past memory or avoid a romantic partner who will eventually become a bitter ex. Unfortunately, most unspoken time travel laws tell us that doing so could wreak untold havoc on the universe. In one of the latest TikTok trends, this idea applies not just to time but also to space thanks to canon events.

TikTokers are essentially putting themselves on blast by describing their own canon events. The unique multiversal concept has been making the rounds as people point out some of their darkest memories or hottest takes on themselves and frame them as canon events, which reportedly cannot be interfered with. But what exactly are canon events? Luckily, you don’t need to be an expert on metaphysics to understand them. You just have like Spider-Man a lot.

Though genuine multiverse theory exists, the concept has become wildly popular in film and television lately. Plus, it’s important to know to understand canon events.

Put simply, multiverse theory suggests that there are an infinite amount of parallel universes throughout unseen dimensions that are basically similar to our own, but often have massive existential differences. One aspect of multiverse theory is that in each one, there is a version of ourselves that exists there.

The concept of canon events is essentially a play on those alternate versions of us. In every dimension of the multiverse, that version of you will undergo a similar life path in order to become, well… you! Canon events are the major occurrences in one person’s life that each of your alternate selves will eventually follow as part of their unifying life story. What’s more, interfering with canon events can theoretically disrupt the multiverse at large.

TikTokers are playing with the concept in some hilarious ways.