Dr Strange Multiverse of Madness

The multiverse is a tricky and confusing place. These books will help you get your bearings.

As it happens, there’s more than a small amount of thematic crossover between this run by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie and the second Doctor Strange movie, including magical threats to reality, the cosmic consequences of selfish actions, and, oh yeah, Wanda’s two kids being in the middle of everything. As the Darkhold corrupts heroes across the world, only Wanda has the knowledge and the strength to take care of business … but even she might not be enough in the end. For one of the greatest Marvel multiverse stories, look to writer Jonathan Hickman’s celebrated run on Fantastic Four, in which Reed Richards joins the ultimate think tank: a council made up entirely of versions of himself from alternate realities.

Walt Disney is reporting that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has earned $27.2 million in its initial overseas debut (along with around $12 ...

That’s the “big question,” sans whatever it might have earned in China (over/under $125 million seems about right) in conventional times, and arguably the difference between a $145 million domestic launch and a $180 million debut. Oh, and it earned $8.8 million on Thursday in Korea, giving it a $14.5 million two-day cume and bumping that overall cume to around $48.2 million. With solid reviews, decent buzz and the usual prestige/anticipation granted to an MCU summer opener going way back to Iron Man in 2008, the Benedict Cumberbatch/Elizabeth Olsen/Xochitl Gomez sci-fi horror fantasy looks set for a domestic debut somewhere between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($146 million) and The Last Jedi ($220 million). However, even a jump from Winter Soldier ($95 million) to Civil War ($179 million) would “only” be $165 million. Walt Disney is reporting that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has earned $27.2 million in its initial overseas debut. Of course, if Universal’s Jurassic World: Dominion (which has been cleared for release) doesn’t get anywhere near the $225-$265 million grosses of its predecessors and Avatar: The Way of Water doesn’t soar to infinity and beyond (Avatar earned $205 million in 2010 and a reissue brought in another $55 million in 2021), then it may become irrelevant as to whether Hollywood films play in China anyway. It scored the second-biggest opening day ever in Malaysia behind Avengers: Endgame and scored the biggest Covid-era opening days in several territories (Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore) while scoring the biggest opening day since The Rise of Skywalker in Belgium. It’ll essentially be opening worldwide, save for China, Russia, Ukraine and parts of the Middle East over this week.

Marvel released a new clip from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

As Marvel has seemingly put more wild plot points into this movie than in any solo movie from the past, fans will be itching to see just how much is jam-packed into just over two hours of screentime. This clip is most likely one of the movie's earliest moments, especially since it's one that's partially been utilized in both full trailers and multiple TV spots leading up to the film's debut. Even considering how logical it is to bring someone like Wanda into a story this big, hearing Strange joke about heroes like Hawkeye and Ant-Man isn't something that fans will want less of with the MCU's next story. At this time, the best look into the film has been from a fight sequence between Strange and Gargantos in which he does his best to keep Xochitl Gomez's America Chavez safe from harm. There's also Clint's close relationship with Wanda to remember, which could be something the Scarlet Witch thinks about with this comment. Over the last few weeks, Doctor Strange 2's promotional tour has given fans an unexpectedly in-depth look at just how wild this movie will be, teasing some of the film's biggest surprises.

A guide to movies and TV shows you should see before the latest Marvel film opens May 6.

The latest edition of " The Frame" features a matte, anti-reflection display. The trippy 2020 movie "Palm Springs" stars Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg as a maid of honor and wedding guest, respectively, who hook up, only to get trapped in a time loop. "Rick and Morty" has danger, plenty of humor and a surprising amount of heart. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" is showing exclusively right now in theaters. That's more reason to check out "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" now. In late April, a new TV commercial for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" featured an apparent flash of Peggy Carter's Union Jack shield from the comics (and a certain episode of "What If..."). The ad fueled speculation that the Carter character will play a role in the new film. A sequel, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," is due out in 2023. Turns out "Spider-Man: No Way Home" wasn't Spidey's first time at the multiverse rodeo. The first episode is called "What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?" So, um, yeah, you might want to start with that one. " Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" hits theaters Friday, May 6, 2022, and, judging by the previews, it looks you're in for a maddening ride. In preparation for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," you're definitely going to want to see the first film to fully explore the MCU multiverse. What better movie to watch before the sequel than the first "Doctor Strange" film?

Disney+'s WandaVision first feinted at the notion of a multiversal cameo, recruiting Evan Peters (a.k.a the Fox X-Men films' former Quicksilver, a character ...

Who’s most likely to show up? Who’s least likely to show up? Finally, and unfortunately, we would be remiss to forget Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool. The snarky mutant has apparently survived the Disney-Fox merger — his third film is on its way — and some fans swear they see a red smudge vaguely resembling Deadpool’s mug on another piece of fractured glass in that same, aforementioned Doctor Strange poster. Let’s start with the least gratuitous possibility of the bunch, Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Pietro. The return of Wanda’s brother would strike a bittersweet note, especially after she finally got a moment to process his death in WandaVision. Maybe Wanda’s chaos magic conjures an illusion of him in Multiverse of Madness, or he turns up as a variant from a different universe. If any of these guys show up, minus Taylor-Johnson’s Pietro, I will have to laugh. Who’s most likely to show up? In the episode (spoiler alert), Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) murders T’Challa and becomes Wakanda’s new Black Panther. MoM could show us a Killmonger variant of Black Panther, and the switch-up wouldn’t even have to be permanent — this is the multiverse, after all. Black Panther was once an Illuminati member in the comics — and while Marvel has promised not to recast the role after original star Chadwick Boseman’s passing, episode six of What If …? points to a potential way around that. Since Marvel is planning to introduce audiences to the Illuminati, they’re going to need to fill out the rest of the roster beyond Professor X and Captain Carter. The trailer indicates the group will occupy five to six seats, with one for Mordo, presumably, since he introduces them all. And the person seen to Strange’s right in this trailer does look like it could be Captain Carter in live action. But without the proper build-up to such a dramatic turn, it’d be an odd move. The plots of WandaVision, Loki, What If?, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and now Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness all rely heavily on the idea of infinite selves and possibilities, with the latter film (in theaters Friday) introducing the inevitable: a way to hop between those universes at will.

Thinking back on Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga—the 23-film cycle that makes up the first big overarching story in the MCU—it's amazing how well producer ...

Watching him come to grips with the fact that he can't be with the love of his life, Christine (Rachel McAdams), in any reality, while also learning that sometimes it makes sense to value the individual over what should be done for the greater good, is genuinely moving. Sure, you'd get more out of this movie if you revisited the original Doctor Strange and WandaVision before watching. Maybe Covid is partially to blame, as the pandemic has forced Marvel to reshuffle their schedule and then reshuffle it again. And then Raimi and the film's writers have Wanda brutally and hilariously murder all of them. During the Infinity Saga, these extra scenes were often made up of small breadcrumbs that almost subtly hinted at where the films would go next. Now they're just a giant movie star showing up to play a character general audiences probably don't know who might become an Avenger six years down the road. Yes, I said "hilariously." (Did you see Black Bolt's head explode?!) It's such a subversion of what the MCU movies typically do, and, quite frankly, it works like gangbusters in the movie, especially considering that it refocuses the narrative on Strange's seemingly impossible odds. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, a spell from Strange gone awry rips large holes in the Multiverse. But even though the Doctor Strange sequel is a movie about multiverses, it barely connects to No Way Home at all, with the events of Spider-Man only given a brief throwaway mention. The most prominent is Earth-838, a world where green means stop instead of go and Bruce Campbell sells something called a pizza ball from a sidewalk food cart. But if you do have an eye on the bigger story at play, you may find yourself starting to wonder if Marvel has any kind of grand plan right now at all. After a brief sequence where the pair tears through a bunch of different universes in a row (a universe where they are cartoons, a universe where they are paint, etc.), the movie largely plays out across the primary MCU universe plus two others. Well, the next step in the MCU has been the Multiverse—a loosely connected batch of stories that are built around the theme of infinite possible realities.

Every cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness explained · Benedict Cumberbatch plays multiple Doctor Strange variants in Multiverse of Madness.

In this brief cameo, Clea tells Doctor Strange they need to fix the “incursion” he caused. Sir Patrick Stewart’s X-Men leader and mutant civil rights activist Charles Xavier was one of the most rumored cameos in the Doctor Strange sequel. Doctor Strange and Christine Palmer achieved closure and agreed that remaining friends is the best route for them, but Strange may finally get his chance at happiness with a new romantic interest. In the first Doctor Strange installment, Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) was at odds with Doctor Strange and eventually became a villain. This variant of Captain Marvel is played by Lashana Lynch, who played Carol Danvers’ best friend Maria Rambeau in the Captain Marvel movie. In Doctor Strange 2 Krasinski is part of the Illuminati, but it’s unclear if he’ll play the role again in the upcoming Fantastic Four film, since things don’t end well for him here. The ancient demon Shuma-Gorath was prominent in the Doctor Strange 2 trailers. That warmth doesn’t last for long, and Mordo holds Doctor Strange and America hostage at the Illuminati's headquarters. The first Doctor Strange variant we meet is Defender Strange, who rounds up a rotating gang of “individualistic” superheroes known as the Defenders to battle threats. This Christine Palmer is a redhead, and she’s an expert on the multiverse who knows how MCU magic and artifacts work. Scarlet Witch, possessed by The Darkhold introduced in WandaVision, goes on a bloody warpath to tap into America’s powers and find a multiverse where she lives happily with her sons, Billy and Tommy Maximoff. Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Wong (Benedict Wong) find themselves harboring MCU newcomer America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a mysterious teenager with the uncontrollable power to travel through the multiverse who’s on the run from a grieving Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and her demonic minions.

First, and perhaps most obviously, there is the so-called Sinister Strange that our regular Doctor Strange meets in an alternate universe earlier in the movie, ...

But for the purposes of the Multiverse of Madness, all you really need to know is that, in WandaVision, Wanda created them, using her magic, as part of a mass delusion she perpetrated as a way to escape her grief over Vision’s death. But her first appearance in the Marvel comics was back in 2011, when she appeared as a member of superhero troupe the Teen Brigade in a limited comic book series. It’s OK if you don’t know America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) already—she is, indeed, from the comics, and this is her first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. America is the star of her own series of comics, appropriately called America, which started in 2017. In the first movie, the ability to manipulate time plays a major role in the defeat of the dread Dormammu (and later is awfully helpful in taking down Thanos). In the second, it’s mostly just a token of their multiverse-spanning affection, and an opportunity for a luxury timepiece company to get a few seconds of screen time. Either way, the movie reminds us that there are an infinite number of Wandas scattered throughout the multiverse, some of whom probably aren’t even homicidal maniacs, which gives Marvel license to bring her back whenever it wants. There’s speculation that the introduction of younger heroes like America, Hawkeye’s Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), and the forthcoming Ms. Marvel’s Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) into the MCU will lead to the on-screen debut of the Young Avengers. That would be a great reason to keep America around: She’s a hero whose true powers only really become apparent toward the end of the movie, after all. Before that it made several appearances in the Marvel TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Still, yeah, it’s basically the Necronomicon. Finally, the third eye also evokes the Eye of Agamotto, the magical pendant Strange wears around his neck, which, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, once contained the Time Stone. In the comics, the Eye of Agamotto is a little different: Instead of holding the Time Stone, it gives Strange a sort of third sight, allowing him to see into the true nature of things—and when he uses it, a third eye appears on his forehead. Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell). Last seen in the animated What If … ? Peggy Carter’s super-soldiered alter ego makes her live-action debut here, with her own Union Jacked-up version of Captain America’s shield and a frickin’ jet pack. The Earth with the Illuminati, etc. In other words, there are a few possibilities of what the eye could mean, but together they suggest that Strange’s experiments with necromancy might have some lingering side effects. Naturally he turns up here as well, in the pivotal role of Pizza Poppa.

In its last moments, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may have changed the MCU forever. Here's what it means for the Marvel Cinematic Universe ...

Even worse, Multiverse of Madness shows that Strange will willingly sacrifice his soul and his morals to combat incursions, potentially opening the door for much worse. However, it can also be read as an extension of the dark ending suggested by the last shot of the movie proper. New Avengers eventually reveals incursions to be the work of Doctor Doom, part of his plan to achieve godhood. Is it possible that he’s unwillingly witnessing the incursion in the Dark Dimension that Clea later comes to request his help with? But when that fails, Doctor Strange calls upon a dark spell he learned from the cursed Blood Bible. His third eye opening (sound familiar?) in demonic form, Strange unleashes an Eldritch horror on the Great Society, effectively murdering the Justice League analogs of this alternate universe. If one of the Earths is destroyed, then its universe also dies, but the other universe survives. All that remains in that universe is the ruins of the Sanctum Santorum, home to an evil and broken Doctor Strange. Moreover, the Wanda of 838 shows unbridled heroism, the best of who Wanda Maximoff is as a mother and an Avenger. She destroyed the Darkhold to prevent anyone else from following her footsteps, dream-walking to take control of variants of themselves. It appears that the Wanda Maximoff of Earth 616 (aka the main MCU) died on Mount Wundagore after destroying the Darkhold in all dimensions. Later in the movie, Wanda uses America Chavez’s powers to exile Strange into a universe made desolate by an incursion. The MCU multiverse came to be when Loki and Sylvie dethroned He Who Remains in the Loki season finale. But if the Marvel Comics references in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are to be believed, it may be ending soon, too.

After unleashing all kinds of trouble in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel's Doctor Strange will try to clean up the mess in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse ...

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ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Believe it or not, we've gone more than a month without the release of a Marvel movie. "Morbius" opened the 1 of April, and "Thor: Love ...

And the script for "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness," which is absolutely the most entertaining multiverse movie to come out so far in May, is no exception. I do it, I become the enemy. OLSEN: (As Wanda Maximoff) You break the rules and become the hero. MONDELLO: A multiverse traveler who's being chased by a demon, the girl's name is America Chavez, which means people will spend the rest of the movie saying things like, we have to save America, and is America OK? - but never mind. Then, somewhat to his relief, I suspect, bravery of a more conventional Marvel sort is needed out in the streets of Lower Manhattan. A one-eyed octopus that could have escaped from Pixar's "Monsters, Inc." - except that it's the size of a small apartment building - seems intent on eating a bus. Believe it or not, we've gone more than a month without the release of a Marvel movie.

Marvel's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness gives us a couple of unique post-credits scenes, but how will they affect the rest of the MCU?

An even more intriguing possibility would be that Clea eventually takes over for Doctor Strange, much like Sam Wilson has picked up the Captain America mantle from Steve Rogers. Marvel tends to sign its actors to six-picture deals, which Cumberbatch has fulfilled with Multiverse of Madness. He can certainly sign on for more movies, as Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow did after their contract completed. If it follows the comic book arcs, the third movie would involve Clea and Strange teaming up against Dormammu (last seen in the first Doctor Strange), possibly needing to battle Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mordo. As she studied in the Sanctum Santorum and joined Strange on his adventures, the two became increasingly close. But even as her love for Strange grew, she eventually needed to return to the Dark Dimension to overthrow its new ruler Umar, Dormammu’s sister and Clea’s mother. On a narrative level, this scene pays off a joke from earlier in the movie, in which Strange curses a man who hassles him and Chavez . As the two heroes walk away, the pizza guy starts slapping and punching his own face, a condition that, Strange informs America, will continue for a while! There, we not only saw the return of Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier, making this the first official appearance of an X-Men character in the MCU, but also John Krasinski as Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, Marvel’s first superhero team.

Yes, and here's everything you need to know if you haven't kept up with your Marvel Studios studies.

(Spoilers ahead—not for Doctor Strange 2, but for the other movies and shows that factor into it.) It's not just that director Sam Raimi's new movie is a richer experience with a few bonus reference points—it's that the film is probably inscrutable without them. But can you really get the full effect of Avengers: Endgame without seeing most of the 22 movies that came before?

How the "Doctor Strange" sequel brings some important elements of the comics into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

None of this explains, however, how the Eye of Agamotto is around 616 Strange’s neck years after Thanos crushed it in “Avengers: Infinity War.” Is there, like, a magical item repair shop in Greenwich Village? Maybe Etsy to the rescue? The other Kamar-Taj wizard of note is Sara, played by Sheila Atim (who appeared notably in Halle Berry’s directorial debut, “ Bruised”). Considering the moment she gets onscreen with Wong, this may be Sara Wolfe, Wong’s love interest in the comics. But worry not; he seems cool with being a triclops when he returns mid-credits, implying this third eye is more like the comics version — simply a gateway to greater perception with a few extra abilities thrown in for kicks. In the comics, however, she’s of Cheyenne descent and not a wizard, but Strange’s secretary. It may or may not pop up in the MCU’s “Fantastic” movie currently in development; either way, the Baxter Building serves as the Fantastic Four’s headquarters. Why is it in the movie? No. This isn’t in the comics. Much of “Multiverse of Madness,” as again mentioned by Dr. Palmer, takes place on Earth-838. As my 14-year-old son said before watching the film, “The Illuminati are incompetent fools. If you’re looking for less spoiler-y “Strange” stories, check out our review and report from the world premiere on the movie’s connections to “WandaVision.” Here’s a handy-dandy A-Z (or A-W) guide to the most important and their comics origins. That’s about it, comparison-wise, but that’s a pretty big “It.”

Benedict Cumberbatch is returning to star in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – the second solo Doctor Strange movie in the MCU.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will have a runtime of two hours, six minutes. I do it, I become the enemy. Who will be in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness latest trailer breakdown Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailers Here’s when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will come out in the UK and what the trailer tells us about the upcoming release.

The latest MCU film is at its best when director Sam Raimi leans into its horror elements, and at its weakest when it coasts on cameos and callbacks from a ...

If these sound like quibbles, consider how important it is for this particular film to sweep you up into its world — into its worlds — and dazzle you with the spectacle of limitless possibility. So, yes, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a mess. In that film, Raimi listened to his bosses as he does here, and dutifully loaded up the overcomplicated plot with a surfeit of studio-required villains — but he did so while indulging his goofier side by turning Peter Parker into a pompous tool, grooving down a Manhattan sidewalk. All of this is depicted with pleasantly disorienting spectacle and grandeur. Marvel fans loved the villains and hated Dancin' Peter, while we Raimi fans ate up Dancin' Peter with a big ol' spoon and rolled our eyes at the need to shoehorn in so many bad guys. The various universes we visit in our whistle-stop interdimensional tour pulsate with vivid color and swirling, psychedelic patterns. The callbacks that work best aren't Marvel callbacks, they're Raimi callbacks: zombies, ghouls, a brief tracking shot from the baddie's perspective. What they see and experience along the way draws on characters and situations established in past Marvel films and broadcast television shows, in recent and current Disney+ streaming series, and in the fervent speculation of Marvel fans. Makes sense: The plot sends the good Doctor (Benedict Cumberbatch), the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and newcomer America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) tumbling through a kaleidoscopic series of alternate universes. But back then, Marvel was still just a studio, and not yet a genre. So when that moment finally arrived, it proceeded to target and overwhelm their brains' pleasure centers with the ruthlessness of sheer, satisfying inevitability. For the record: "WOOOO!" is an emotional, purely reflexive reaction.