"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is almost in theaters, but what should fans
expect from a Sam Raimi/MCU collab?
And who is "America Chavez"?
These questions and more, answered, straight ahead.
"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" premieres in theaters on May 6, 2022.
Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige had initially announced that the sequel was set to release
a year earlier, but it ended up getting delayed due to reshoots and other production issues,
in addition to COVID-19 interruptions.
"Thor: Love and Thunder" and other upcoming Phase Four titles were also pushed back due
to the COVID pandemic, but "Multiverse of Madness" had other setbacks, including a change
in filmmakers.
In fact, one source told the Hollywood Reporter that new director Sam Raimi and new writer
Michael Waldron were brought on to essentially "create a whole new movie."
While MCU fans have been getting impatient for the new Doctor Strange vehicle, those
who enjoy the darker side of cinema will likely be happier with the end result, as Raimi and
Waldron reportedly used their delayed timetable to make the movie just a little bit more scary.
Sam Raimi is no stranger to either superheroes or horror — his previous work includes the
original "Spider-Man" trilogy, the "Evil Dead" trilogy, and many other horror films and comic-inspired
projects.
In a 2022 Empire interview, Kevin Feige explained that when searching for a director, their
team thought scoring Raimi would be "incredible," but didn't think there was any chance of it
happening.
However, Raimi ultimately agreed to set up a meeting and the enthusiasm he had for the
project made the choice a no-brainer on both sides.
Horror filmmaker Scott Derrickson, who directed the first "Doctor Strange" film, was originally
going to return for the sequel before leaving in January 2020.
Feige told Empire,
"We love Scott and I think Scott feels the same.
Nobody believes it, but it was just creative differences."
Neither Marvel nor Derrickson himself seem to harbor any ill will around this decision,
and both appear excited to see the project come together with Raimi in the director's
chair.
There are many theories as to what might be behind the problems with the multiverse in
the new "Doctor Strange" film.
The ending of Marvel's first Disney+ series, "WandaVision," which sees Wanda Maximoff use
chaos magic to inadvertently rewrite reality, revealed that Wanda's powers surpass those
of the Sorcerer Supreme, and that it is her destiny to destroy the world.
Kevin Feige confirmed at the 2019 Comic-Con panel that the events of "WandaVision" would
tie directly into the new "Doctor Strange" project, and the trailers confirm it.
"I made mistakes, and people were hurt."
"I'm not here to talk about Westview."
But then there's "Loki," another Disney+ show in which the protagonists' climactic confrontation
with "He Who Remains," aka Kang, results in new branches of reality splitting from the
primary timeline, potentially allowing the multiverse to take shape.
And of course, there's Doctor Strange himself, who makes several ill-advised decisions in
"Spider-Man: No Way Home," beginning with a spell that accidentally summons both interdimensional
villains and various Peter Parkers.
The movie ends with another spell that makes everyone forget Spider-Man's secret identity.
Strange mind-wiping the entire human race seems likely to have a dangerous outcome,
and the trailers for "Multiverse of Madness" certainly seem to indicate that he's directly
responsible for, at the very least, opening the doorway between universes.
"Things just got out of hand."
With Wanda Maximoff having officially gained the moniker of the Scarlet Witch, fans have
been eagerly awaiting the return of Elizabeth Olsen to Marvel's big screen.
Olsen was among a small group of stars that were the first to confirm their involvement
in the "Doctor Strange" sequel, leading to heaps of speculation as to what her part in
this story would be.
Most importantly, would Wanda be among the film's heroes ... or its villain?
The Scarlet Witch wields immense power, but has been given very little knowledge on how
to apply it — though by the end of "WandaVision," she certainly seems to be learning.
She has also suffered immense loss, both before and during the mental breakdown that culminated
in the creation of the Hex, and her puppeting of the people of Westview wasn't exactly the
most morally upstanding of actions.
Wanda's chaos magic is the stuff of myth and legend, a degree of power that could potentially
destroy her own reality, and possibly others.
She certainly appears to be on the side of the angels in the "Multiverse of Madness"
trailer, but there are also numerous hints that she might not stay there.
Hopefully this won't be Wanda's final descent into darkness, but if it is, at least we get
to see Olsen go full evil.
Xochitl Gomez makes her Marvel debut as America Chavez in "Multiverse of Madness," and while
we might not know much about her exact role in the MCU, we do have some significant background
information on her character from the comics.
America boasts superhuman strength, speed, and durability, as well as flight, but her
signature power is the ability to open star-shaped portals that allow her to travel instantly
across the multiverse, which makes sense considering the movie in which she's being introduced.
She's been a member of various incarnations of the Avengers as well as other teams like
the Ultimates.
America originally believed herself to have been born in an extradimensional paradise
called the Utopian Parallel, which was responsible for giving her superpowers and which her mothers
sacrificed themselves to save.
Recently, however, this story has been called into question with the appearance of America's
previously unknown sister, who told America that the Utopian Parallel was actually a private
island research facility on Earth, and America's powers are actually the result of genetic
experimentation.
"Multiverse of Madness" will likely go with the better-known version of the backstory,
but you never know.
Regardless, America brings some much-needed LGBTQ+ representation to the MCU, as she is
a lesbian and appears to be sporting a gay pride pin on her costume in the trailers.
In the "Official Trailer" for "Multiverse of Madness," fans were quick to recognize
a familiar voice: that of Patrick Stewart, who played Professor Charles Xavier in 20th
Century Fox's "X-Men" film franchise.
"We should tell him the truth."
As the founder of the X-Men, a comic book property recently reclaimed by Marvel Studios,
Xavier's presence would be explicit confirmation that mutants have finally made their way to
the MCU, and what better way to explain their arrival than with multiversal shenanigans?
Stewart himself has been careful with his words when asked about the upcoming Marvel
project.
He told Rolling Stone,
"All I can say to you is we'll have to see.
But bear in mind that Professor Xavier has already died twice."
Of course, it seems likely that Stewart would be playing an alternate universe version of
the character, rendering those other deaths moot.
In a recent interview with Jake Hamilton, however, Stewart seemed to confirm his involvement
in the upcoming movie.
Discussing the trailer, Stewart said,
"I actually didn't recognize my own voice.
It sounded different.
Whether I had a cold or something at the time, I don't know."
He also recalled being "astonished" that fans would realize it was him.
That certainly makes it sound like Stewart is in the movie, for sure — whether he's
actually reprising his role as the mutant master of telepathy remains to be seen.
In March 2019, after Disney acquired 21st Century Fox, Marvel Studios obtained the film
rights to the X-Men as well as the Fantastic Four.
Neither have yet been integrated into the MCU, but if Patrick Stewart really is returning
as Charles Xavier, the door for the mutants' arrival has potentially been kicked wide open,
leading to all sorts of possibilities.
Eagle-eyed fans were also quick to point out a possible Easter egg related to Ryan Reynolds'
Deadpool in the newest promotional poster for "Multiverse of Madness."
Among the shards of glass surrounding Doctor Strange, there is one that contains what looks
like Deadpool doing his iconic "shush" pose.
While this might just be the Marvel team's way of having some fun with the idea of the
multiverse, this theory actually holds some weight.
In 2021, Kevin Feige made headlines when he confirmed that the next Deadpool film will
be part of the MCU.
"Wade, you are better than this.
Join us.
Use your powers for good."
"Heads up."
"Be a superhero."
In a brief shot during the "Multiverse of Madness" trailer, Doctor Strange is handcuffed
and escorted to a room by Ultron-style robots.
Once he reaches this room, there's a council of six individuals seated before him.
This is when viewers heard the voice of Patrick Stewart and instantly connected the dots on
what this group likely is: the Illuminati.
In the comics, the Illuminati is a secret organization made up of some of the most intelligent
and powerful individuals in the Marvel Universe.
The original group was comprised of Tony Stark, Charles Xavier, Reed Richards, Stephen Strange,
Black Bolt, and Namor, but the roster has changed occasionally over the years.
Regardless, the members of the Illuminati act as unelected overseers of the superhuman
world, sharing ideas and strategy on how to govern super-powered people, despite their
conflicting aspirations.
If, as punishment for his "desecration of reality," Doctor Strange really is being brought
before the Illuminati, it opens up vast new worlds of possibility.
Who else will be a part of this organization?
Could we finally be getting an introduction to the MCU's Reed Richards?
Could we be getting Namor, or another version of Tony Stark who's still alive?
What role will the Illuminati play in the future of the MCU — the second season of
"Loki," for example?
And most importantly, would even "Multiverse of Madness" dare to reference the ill-fated
"Inhumans" show?
If we've learned anything from "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Loki," it's that it can
be quite disorienting to come face-to-face with another version of yourself.
The newest trailer for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," seem to confirm
the inclusion of many variants of our lead protagonist.
Sinister Strange will most likely prove to be an adversary to our prime Strange, and
looks somewhat reminiscent of the Strange Supreme of "What If…?"
episode 4.
Defender Strange is seen with striped hair pulled back into a ponytail and appears to
be working alongside America Chavez as a protector.
Finally, Zombie Strange appears as an undead version of the superhero, strikingly similar
to the same character from Disney+ series, "What If...?"
There's also at least one alternate version of Wanda, shown confronting her other self
in what appears to be their wrecked Westview home.
This could be a sign of Wanda's consciousness breaking into two following the traumatic
events of "WandaVision," but a variant is probably more likely.
The fact that there's a version of Wanda in street clothes confronting the fully-costumed
Scarlet Witch suggests the possibility of there being an evil version of our Wanda,
possibly one that was corrupted by the Darkhold.
The end of "WandaVision" saw Wanda Maximoff finally take her place as the Scarlet Witch,
complete with iconic red suit and magic powers.
However, throughout the "Multiverse of Madness" trailer, there are several changes made to
her costume that are hard to miss.
Her red suit appears to be growing darker, bordering on black.
Her sleeves have now completely covered her arms and there seems to be black at the tips
of her fingers, similar to Agatha Harkness when she used dark magic in "WandaVision."
Are these changes merely aesthetic, or could they symbolize her upcoming descent into darkness?
It should also be noted that in the comics, Wanda is a "Nexus being" — individuals described
as "keystones of the Multiverse," with the ability to affect probability and the future.
This concept hasn't yet been fully introduced to the MCU, but there have been some important
hints:
"Nexus: Because the world doesn't revolve around you.
Or does it?"
There's a lot we don't know, but it's clear that the Scarlet Witch is, at the very least,
going to be an important player in the "Multiverse of Madness."
It's the overarching question hanging above "Multiverse of Madness": Who is the ultimate
villain of the story?
Wanda Maximoff herself, or a variant of her, is the obvious answer, but there definitely
seems to be at least one evil Doctor Strange in the trailer.
There's also Kang the Conqueror, of course, who invented the Time Variance Authority in
order to maintain the "proper" flow of the Sacred Timeline, and who promised that other
versions of himself would invade the multiverse after his death.
Another possibility is Chthon, the original author of the Darkhold in the comics, who
also has a comic book connection to the Scarlet Witch.
And then there's Nightmare, the original Doctor Strange villain, who rules the Nightmare Realm
and feeds off the fear of mortal sleepers.
In the trailer, Doctor Strange says that he is having the same dream every night, and
original director Scott Derrickson was very interested in including Nightmare in the story
going forward.
Despite rewrites and reshoots, it's possible that Sam Raimi kept Nightmare as the central
villain when he took over on "Multiverse of Madness."
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