Benedict Cumerbatch's Doctor Strange has hardly been a stranger throughout the third and fourth phase of the MCU—playing a key role in movies like Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, and Spider-Man: No Way Home—but the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is only his second title outing since 2016's Doctor Strange.
If the hype is to be believed, you're going to want to see Multiverse of Madness as soon as it hits theaters, lest you be spoiled about any of the secrets unlocked within Marvel's multiverse. But in the meantime, here is everything you need to know about the Doctor Strange sequel.
What is 'Multiverse of Madness' about?
The MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
As is expected when it comes to Marvel, the official synopsis is scarce on specifics. But we know the movie will deal with the fallout of Strange's magical meddling in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which could have repercussions across any number of universes. As for the "new adversary," we don't know exactly who that is referring to or what he or she wants. Is the big bad Wanda? Or Strange himself? Or a new character who has yet to be revealed?
Which MCU characters are in this?
Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange: The good doc has certainly come into his powers since his first movie. His most recent MCU appearance in No Way Home saw him casting a precariously advanced spell for Peter Park that backfired and broke open the very fabric of space and time. Though he ultimately closed that portal before more Spidey foes could come through, his adventures in the multiverse are only just beginning.
Benedict Wong as Wong: Strange's right-hand man-turned-the current Sorcerer Supreme recently popped up in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, first taking on Abomination in an underground fight club and then again to handle Avengers-level business with Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner.
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo: Last we saw him at the end of Doctor Strange, Karl Mordo had turned on his fellow Masters of the Mystic Arts because of their misuse of powers and set out to steal back magic from sorcerers he deemed unfit. The Mordo we'll see in Multiverse of Madness is called "Master Mordo," which perhaps implies he will be an alt version of the one we knew.
Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer: Strange's former love and a skileld surgeon in her own right, who he brought into the mystical fold in the first film. McAdams also voiced the character in an episode of What If...? that saw Christine die in the car wreck and Strange destroy the entire universe trying to bring her back to life.
Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West: A fellow neurosurgeon and workplace rival for Strange, West is the doctor who operated on Strange's hands following his car accent. In the comics, West also eventually ventures to Kamar-Taj in search of magic. Whether Stuhlbarg will have an expanded role here or is briefly reprising his role from the first film remains to be seen.
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff: The newly anointed Scarlet Witch left Westview behind in search of solace and an understanding of her powers. We last saw Wanda sipping tea in a remote cabin, while an astral projection of the Scarlet Witch studied the mythical Darkhold.
Will Wanda be a hero or villain this time?
That is the question—and the answer is, i's hard to say. In the finale of WandaVision, she discovered that the Scarlet Witch's destiny is to destroy the world. At least, according to the Darkhold aka the Book of the Damned, which also says her power exceeds even that of the Sorcerer Supreme.
The end-credits sequence of that series saw Wanda's twins, Billy and Tommy, reaching out to their mom from somewhere in the multiverse. We know what lengths she'll go for her children, chaos magicked or not, so might Multiverse of Madness find her and Strange on opposing sides? "You break the rules and become a hero," she tells Strange in the movie's trailer. "I do it and I become the enemy. That doesn't seem fair."
Which new characters will be introduced?
Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez: A relatively new addition to Marvel's comics, America Chavez is an interdimensional hero with the ability to punch open star-shaped portals which allow her to travel through the multiverse to different realities. Which makes her an especially convenient ally for a certain doctor to have. This marks the MCU debut of The Baby-Sitters Club actress.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Defender Strange, Supreme Strange and Sinister Strange: Within the multiverse, Strange is set to encounter any number of versions of himself—these are the three we know about thus far. Sinister Strange's allegiance seems evident in the name, but the rest of their loyalty remains unclear. Which brings us to...
A multiverse of Marvel cameos
As we saw in Loki, What If...? and Spider-Man: No Way Home, the multiverse holds unlimited potential for Marvel-ous cameos, whether that be in the form of familiar faces in new roles or Marvel heroes from other universes crossing over into the MCU (à la Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as their respective Spider-Man).
**If you want to remain completely unspoiled, keep scrolling to the next section.**
A few cameos have seemingly been teased in the marketing materials, with the trailer all but confirming Patrick Stewart will reprise his role as Professor X, while Lashana Lynch appears to be playing another Captain Marvel. The poster also hints that Hayley Atwell's Captain Carter, introduced via animation in What If...?, may make her live-action debut.
Who's behind the scenes on 'Multiverse of Madness'?
When Doctor Strange helmer Scott Derrickson departed the sequel due to "creative differences," Marvel reached out to a maestro of horror and heroes: Sam Raimi, who directed Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man trilogy and The Evil Dead.
Raimi directs from a screenplay by Loki head writer Michael Waldron, with cinematography by X-Men: First Class and Logan's John Mathieson. To provide the score, Raimi enlisted his frequent collaborator and four-time Oscar-nominated composer, Danny Elfman.
Is there a trailer?
Yes, and you can watch it right here:
And if you're looking for even more footage, check out this teaser and additional spots:
When and where will we be able to watch it?
Marvel Studios will release Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in theaters on May 6.
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