Siblings Craft Grounded Sci-Fi Multiverse Tale in 'Redux Redux'

Kevin and Matthew McManus aim to reframe the conversation around parallel worlds with their new film.

Published on Mar. 1, 2026

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As Marvel's cinematic multiverse nears criticality, sibling filmmakers Kevin and Matthew McManus are looking to reframe the conversation around parallel realities with their new film 'Redux Redux.' The movie follows Irene, a woman traveling the multiverse in search of a reality where her murdered daughter is still alive, and the unexpected passenger she picks up named Mia. Unlike recent multiverse depictions, the worlds in 'Redux Redux' are relatively identical, allowing Irene to utilize certain items across multiple jumps in her quest for revenge. The McManus brothers drew inspiration from classic sci-fi like 'The Terminator' and indie films like 'Blue Ruin' to craft a grounded, personal take on the multiverse concept.

Why it matters

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to explore the multiverse, 'Redux Redux' offers a creative, refreshing, and more grounded alternative that focuses on the personal stakes and emotional journeys of its characters rather than the spectacle of infinite Earths. The film serves as a rebuttal to the 'gross inflation of infinite Earths' seen in recent blockbusters, prioritizing character-driven storytelling over complex sci-fi world-building.

The details

In 'Redux Redux,' Michaela McManus stars as Irene, a woman traveling the multiverse in search of a reality where her murdered daughter is still alive. While unsuccessful across countless jumps, she does manage to fill the yawning void of grief and fury through a 'Groundhog Day-like routine of exacting revenge on the girl's killer (Jeremy Holm) in every reality she visits. The monotony of the mission is shattered when Irene picks up an unexpected passenger, a young woman named Mia (Stella Marcus). Unlike recent multiverse depictions, the worlds in 'Redux Redux' are relatively identical, allowing Irene to utilize certain items like car keys multiple times in her quest for revenge.

  • The McManus brothers started writing the screenplay for 'Redux Redux' a decade ago, long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe began playing around with variants and pruned timelines.

The players

Kevin McManus

One of the sibling filmmakers behind 'Redux Redux' who, along with his brother Matthew, aimed to craft a grounded, personal take on the multiverse concept.

Matthew McManus

One of the sibling filmmakers behind 'Redux Redux' who, along with his brother Kevin, aimed to craft a grounded, personal take on the multiverse concept.

Michaela McManus

The sister of Kevin and Matthew McManus, who stars as the lead character Irene in 'Redux Redux.'

Irene

The lead character in 'Redux Redux,' a woman traveling the multiverse in search of a reality where her murdered daughter is still alive.

Mia

The unexpected passenger Irene picks up during her multiverse travels in 'Redux Redux.'

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What they’re saying

“We love how so little is said in the first act of that movie. They accomplished so much with visual storytelling. So, it was a desire to combine those two vibes, those two concepts, into one movie.”

— Kevin McManus, Filmmaker (Forbes)

“The lovely thing about the multiverse is that it doesn't have to be overly complicated.”

— Matthew McManus, Filmmaker (Forbes)

What’s next

The McManus brothers are open to exploring more stories within the 'Redux' multiverse, stating that the world they've created has 'so much opportunity [in which] to tell really personal stories' about the small changes one could make in their lives by traveling to parallel worlds.

The takeaway

By crafting a grounded, character-driven take on the multiverse concept, 'Redux Redux' offers a refreshing alternative to the spectacle of infinite Earths seen in recent blockbusters. The film's focus on the emotional journeys of its protagonists rather than complex sci-fi world-building serves as a rebuttal to the 'gross inflation' of the multiverse trend, demonstrating how the concept can be used to tell intimate, personal stories.