Dormammu may have been defeated by the end of Doctor Strange, but his presence is still looming large over the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The feared ruler of the Dark Dimension did not appear in this year’s magic sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but the film’s mid-credits scene included the surprise reveal that his niece, Charlize Theron‘s Clea, would play a big role in the future of the franchise. Not to be outdone by the many wacky elements in the film, Clea makes her grand debut memorable by popping up out of nowhere in quite the extravagant ensemble.
During a recent interview with Comic Book’s Phase Zero podcast, Marvel Studios costume designer Graham Churchyard explained that, despite his absence from the movie, Clea’s dread uncle was actually a huge inspiration behind her over-the-top look. After all, the two are related, and if her backstory is anything like the comics, most of her fashion sense comes from a lifetime in the murky depths of the multiverse’s spookiest dimension. Yet, according to Churchyard, the original designs for Clea had her fitted in less aggressive attire:
Well, that was Ian Joyner and John Staub and all those amazing guys at Vis Dev, with all those illustrations. And we made that whole costume in London, but we never met her, so that was quite traumatic in itself. And then I sent that out to LA and did a couple of Zoom fittings with her and then resolved a few things with the whole amazing costume team at the Marvel warehouse, and then two or three fittings later, that was it. She was on set. But the inspiration, oh my God, that would take another whole interview by itself because that went from someone who was sort of a gardener in the dream scape in the multiverse, to then this sort of warrior, a warrior from another dimension. And she is Dormammu’s kind of daughter, niece from the Dark Dimension. So all of those things were immensely inspiring to her costume.
Graham Churchyard
It’s interesting to hear Churchyard mention the word “gardener”. Clea has always been more of a warrior than anything, but the fact Marvel toyed with giving her a more pacifist design could be an indicator of the plans they have for her in future projects. Either way, it’s good to hear that the studio kept her classic familial relations in mind when coming up with her vibe. It’s probably a good sign fans will get to see Theron face down the Sorcerer Supreme’s greatest foe somewhere down the line.
Source: Comic Book
