Over a week ago, Marvel Studios debuted the teaser trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as the post-credit scene for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Since then, fans have analyzed the trailer frame by frame, looking for clues as to what the highly anticipated Doctor Strange sequel may reveal regarding its plot, including this site.
While theories and speculation relating to the film have run as rampant as the rumors regarding its plot, Marvel Studios seems keen on keeping fans in the dark as to what this film may exactly be about. After all, if any of the rumors regarding the film are even remotely true, then the film could go on to exceed the expectations set for the Avengers films and, more notably, Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Well, now, it appears we may have some background information as to what Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange has been up to, a general idea of the story Marvel wants us to keep in mind for the film, and a tease of what fans can expect from the director of the film, Sam Raimi.
In Japan, the Marvel Studios branch recently updated their upcoming film release slate, starting with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In several statements and articles, they were far more generous in providing audiences with a description of what exactly we can expect from Stephen Strange in his latest adventure. The translation reads as follows:
“The door of the multiverse, full of mystery and madness, opens.”
“Now that Iron Man and Captain America have left after a fierce battle in Avengers: Endgame, former genius surgeon and the strongest magician of them all, Doctor Strange, is expected to play an active role as a central figure in the Avengers. However, using his magic to manipulate time and space at will with a forbidden spell that is considered the most dangerous has opened the door to a mysterious madness called “the Multiverse.” To restore a world where everything is changing, Strange seeks help from his ally Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme, and the Avengers’ most powerful Scarlet Witch, Wanda. But a terrible threat looms over humanity and the entire universe that no longer can be done by their power alone. Even more surprising, the greatest threat in the universe looks exactly like Doctor Strange …”
“Director Sam Raimi, who has expressed a unique world view, will captivate the whole world with overwhelming scale and unprecedented visual experience that will transcend time and space!”
These descriptions entailed several details. First, it confirmed Doctor Strange is part of the Avengers alongside Wong, Captain Marvel, and Bruce Banner (see the Shang-Chi post-credit scene). It also affirms that Stephen Strange’s spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home was the final catalyst that essentially broke the multiverse.
We’ve already seen teases of reality being altered and bent in WandaVision, Loki, and What If…?, and it seems that all of those events combined together with the spell from Spider-Man: No Way Home will ultimately result in the Multiverse of Madness.
The synopsis continues with Strange seeking Wong and Wanda out for help in dealing with this threat, but it mentions that their power alone will not be enough to stop this threat. This begs the question of who else could aid this trio of sorcerors during the film’s events?
We can already expect America Chavez to play a critical role in this film, as the synopsis details her role further by stating that Chavez “holds the big key to this production.” We can also expect to see Dr. Christine Palmer (or perhaps her variant) aid Strange in the film, as shown in the trailer. And of course, there’s the possibility of several cameos appearing in this film that could also aid Strange as the film progresses.
Lastly, the site praises Sam Raimi’s work in this film, calling what he did for the Doctor Strange sequel “unique…on an overwhelming scale…and [an] unprecedented visual experience”. The idea that we’ll be delving into something we’ve never seen before in Marvel Studios’ history should be exciting to MCU fans.
Raimi’s talents and prowess in his history of directing and producing both horror films and comic book films will definitely come into play for the film’s production. We’re certainly excited to see what Sam Raimi comes up with when this film releases on May 6, 2022.
Sources: Marvel Disney Japan about and news page
