Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: doctor strange in the multiverse of madness

  • ‘Marvel Studios Legends’ Episodes on Doctor Strange, Wong, and Scarlet to Release This Week

    ‘Marvel Studios Legends’ Episodes on Doctor Strange, Wong, and Scarlet to Release This Week

    Marvel Studios’ expansion to Disney+ has not only brought us some memorable live-action and even animated projects, but it also gave the team an opportunity to quickly catch up with viewers that may not be fully invested in every entry of the MCU. For those that are looking for the cliff notes, Marvel Studios Legends is the perfect way to get ready without having to invest hours of content. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ release is on the horizon and luckily, Disney+ Italy account.

    They reveal that three episodes will release on April 29th, which includes one for Doctor Strange, Wong, and Scarlet Witch. Of course, it doesn’t include any details regarding what they will cover, but it’s likely going to follow every appearance throughout the MCU to help those that may have missed out on a few appearances, or simply haven’t had the time. What’s interesting is that Wanda already got an episode ahead of WandaVision‘s release and is purposefully called the Scarlet Witch this time around.

    It’s become somewhat of a tradition that each new entry also includes these teases, especially if it includes characters that have been part of the franchise for quite some time. Plus, it’s a great way to add some accessibility for those that never had a chance to check out the franchise, or only watched a select few. Disney+ is the new home for Marvel, especially how it marketed itself with the Netflix series addition, and will help those that want an easy way to watch the films and series they may otherwise have missed out on.

    Source: Instagram

  • Illuminati Namedropped in New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo

    Illuminati Namedropped in New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo

    One more promo has dropped for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which mostly included familiar footage. Yet, the biggest surprise came in the form of the official name drop that the council Strange faces off against is indeed the Illuminati. Marvel Studios has always taken some liberties with how they showcase the secret society of heroes that try to make decisions on the future of their world. In the comics, they were formed after the Kree-Skrull War but will probably get a new origin in the film.

    We don’t know exactly how this team formed as part of the multiverse and what it might mean for the future of the MCU. The trailers seemingly tease that the team of multiversal heroes will face off against the Scarlet Witch. Who knows if the team will even remain afterward, or if we might expect a new one to form within the Sacred Timeline. Perhaps the multiverse will continue to grow, and we get a future project to see the aftermath of these events.

    There have been many teases of what Doctor Strange’s adventure through a multiverse of madness might entail, but it feels like they are still hiding quite a bit. Who knows how much screentime the Illuminati actually gets, as it could be nothing more than a brief pitstop for Strange in his travels through the multiverse. No matter what, it’s great to finally have the confirmation that they are indeed who we expected them to be and we can’t wait to see the first incarnation of them in live-action next week.

    Source: Twitter

  • Saudi Arabia Denies Ban of ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel But Still Wants LGBTQ Sequence Cut

    Saudi Arabia Denies Ban of ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel But Still Wants LGBTQ Sequence Cut

    With the inclusion of America Chavez, there was some expectation that her LGBTQ background could lead to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may end up getting banned in various countries. The first announcement came from Saudi Arabia and was then followed by Egypt making an announcement. Now, a new article from The Guardian shared a statement from Saudi Arabia on the situation in which they deny any reports that the film has been banned in the country.

    Disney seemingly denies any comment on the matter, but it seems that the cut scene they are inquiring about involves America Chavez mentioning her mothers. Nawaf Alsabhan, Saudi Arabia’s general supervisor of cinema classification, shared a statement on the matter. It was highlighted that what they are trying to cut is “barely 12 seconds” which is part of the film’s release.

    It’s just her talking about her moms, because she has two moms. And being in the Middle East, it’s very tough to pass something like this. We sent it to the distributor, and the distributor sent it to Disney, and Disney has told us they are not willing. It will never be banned. There’s no reason to ban the film. It’s a simple edit … So far they have refused. But we haven’t closed the door. We’re still trying.

    Nawaf Alsabhan

    It seems the current statement is more that the film has been “withdrawn” rather than banned. There was a similar situation with this kind of inquiry regarding the Eternals, which heavily involved a gay couple as part of the film’s main cast. While there are strong cultural differences, describing the inclusion of LGBTQ representation as “a simple edit” is a curious showcase of how different the topic is handled across the world. For now, it seems unlikely that Disney or Marvel Studios will budge on the matter.

    Source: The Guardian

  • Latest ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo May Offer the First Look at the MCU’s Living Tribunal

    Latest ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo May Offer the First Look at the MCU’s Living Tribunal

    A new promo has just dropped for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. We’ve gotten a fair bit that continue to tease what the upcoming film has to offer. So far, most of the trailers included small teasers of new footage but nothing truly internet-breaking. Well, that may be until now as we get a new segment of America Chavez and Doctor Strange falling through the multiverse which includes a deep cut from the comics.

    If you look closely, you can see the Living Tribunal in the background. While it is only his head, it’s a surprising inclusion. As we’ve seen this segment in previous trailers, they might be falling through multiple multiverses and they are just a few seconds in the same realm as the Tribunal, but his inclusion highlights that the MCU is embracing the comic elements more and more.

    Surprisingly, this isn’t our first time getting a tease of the Living Tribunal, as the last time it was in the form of an Easter egg during Loki’s iconic fifth episode. The only difference was that it was a stone statue of the Tribunal’s head and the face was covered. So, it seems that Marvel Studios is busy setting up the grander mythology of their universe with the Celestials in Eternals and now the addition of the most powerful beings in the known multiverse.

    You can watch the full promo that was shared on Twitter here:

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Rating Teases Horror Elements

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Rating Teases Horror Elements

    The British Board of Film Classification has become an essential part of evaluating productions in the U.K. market. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has now seemingly received a 12A rating, but what stood out is that they also included some descriptions on which they base their rating. Even with this rating, it seems that Sam Raimi’s upcoming film will include quite a few horrific horror sequences as revealed by their description of why it got the rating that it did. It offers our first look at just how far the film will push the envelope for its horror elements.

    If you want to avoid any potential spoilers for the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel, then only continue at your own risk. You have been warned.

    There is one section that highlights injury details such as that one “dead body show some stages of decomposition” which is very likely the zombified Doctor Strange we saw in one of the trailers. That is not all, as one section titled “threat and horror” highlights even more aspects of what we can expect from the upcoming film, which offers some promising horror elements.

    Scenes of horror include demonic beings attacking people; a decomposing corpse being reanimated; people being burned by magical powers, leaving charred remains; and multiple ‘jump scares’. There are also frequent scenes of threat, in which people are pursued by demonic entities and monsters, or threatened with magical torture.

    It sounds very promising that Raimi was given full reign to embrace as many horror elements as he could in the upcoming film. Plus, a concept like a multiverse gives them some creative ways of creating some iconic horror moments. The inclusion of jump scares also highlights that they will dabble in some clichés from the genre and hopefully also set up Marvel Studios to further explore horror stories moving forward.

    Source: BBFC

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ No Longer Releasing in Egypt

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ No Longer Releasing in Egypt

    Once Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was banned to release in Saudi Arabia, it was only a question of time before other countries would follow suit. IMAX Egypt took to its official Twitter account to announce that the screenings for the Doctor Strange sequel have been canceled in the country. While no explicit reason is stated, it’s very likely due to the fact that Marvel Studios refuses to remove LGBTQ elements. Xochitl Gomez will play the character of America Chavez, who has been openly gay in the comics.

    Currently, the film is banned in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar but the United Arab Emirates is still seemingly open to showcasing the film. Even Eteranls, which also included an openly LGBTQ character, was released on the market. These two films refused to adapt their offerings and are some of the few films moving away from this trend. Warner Bros. still removed LGBTQ scenes for the Chinese release of Fantastic Beast: the Secrets of Dumbledore. claiming it won’t change the film’s score, which adds some questionable aspects about how these story elements are so easily removed.

    It’s not been easy for LGBTQ representation worldwide, and there are still markets where these discussions aren’t at a stage that one might expect. As Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently sticking to its guns, we will also very unlikely see the film release in China, which hasn’t let in any of the last few Marvel films. It’s great to see the film stick to its guns and not adapt its film to just add to its box office worldwide. We’ll see just how big the film might end up being though, as it currently is doing quite well in its presales.

    Source: Twitter

  • Saudi Arabia Bans ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ 

    Saudi Arabia Bans ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ 

    Once again, Saudi Arabia is refusing to show a major Marvel blockbuster. The Hollywood Reporter has officially confirmed the rumors that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been banned from playing in the Middle Eastern country, reportedly due to the inclusion of an openly LGBTQ character. This is the third time in recent memory that something like this has happened, with Marvel’s Eternals and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story also receiving bans for endorsing the LGBTQ community. With Eternals, it was said that Marvel had been told the film could play in Saudi Arabian theaters if the studio cut a certain amount of unapproved footage, but Marvel and Disney declined and pulled the project from release instead.

    The LGBTQ character in Doctor Strange will be Xochitl Gomez‘s dimension-hopping America Chavez. Making her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut with this movie, Chavez originally appeared in the pages of Vengeance #1, created by Joe Casey and Nick Dragotta, in 2011. The character is known to be gay in the comics and is expected to be portrayed as such in the film, too.

    While tickets are no longer available for purchase for cinemas in Saudi Atabia, Kuwait and Qatar, they are still available in the United Arab Emirates, suggesting that an edited version of the film could be shown there as was the case with Eternals.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will hit theaters on May 6th.

    Source: THR.

  • ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Michael Waldron on the Challenges of the Multiverse and Keeping the Focus on Doctor Strange

    ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Michael Waldron on the Challenges of the Multiverse and Keeping the Focus on Doctor Strange

    Michael Waldron is the mastermind not only behind Loki but also the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel, Multiverse of Madness. He’ll explore the multiverse that he unleashed, but is very aware of the true dangers of exploring this kind of storyline. It offers the endless possibility, especially if you lose focus along the way on why exactly you’re telling the story. Yet, the unique scenario also lends itself to create a unique character study.

    The danger is you can expand your scope too wide, and you can actually reduce the stakes if you don’t make it personal as you go bigger and wider. But the opportunity in the multiverse is to have characters confront literal ‘What ifs?’ and alternate versions of themselves and perhaps others in their lives. It’s an interesting way to hold up a mirror to characters

    Michael Waldron

    He highlights that this is definitely a “Doctor Strange’s story above all else,” which may help some that were getting worried after the recent statement by Bruce Campbell, where he jokingly referenced that Benedict Cumberbatch may not know if he’s even in the film, as director Sam Raimi had to adapt some elements due to story consistency.

    In every way, it shapes the emotional heart of the story. It has to. The multiverse isn’t just a MacGuffin where we’re like, ‘Okay, this is just a kitschy thing that we’re playing with in this movie.’ If you’re faced with alternate realities and with alternate versions of yourself that has to become the emotional heart, exploring who you might be if you were a different version of yourself, if you made other choices, the right choices or the wrong choices. It’s complex stuff, emotionally, and that’s exactly why it’s so thrilling and so great for a cast as dramatically talented as this one.

    Michael Waldron

    He also highlighted that he rewatched the first film multiple times to ensure that this is definitely his story even with all the multiverse shenanigans going on. It’s certainly promising to see how Strange faces the What Ifs of his Variants and how that might affect his future.

    Source: SFX

  • Paul Bettany Expects to Put on Vision’s “Tights and Cloak” Again

    Paul Bettany Expects to Put on Vision’s “Tights and Cloak” Again

    There have been many theories that the inclusion of Wanda Maximoff in Doctor Strange in the Multiverseof Madness might also see the potential appearance of Paul Bettany‘s Vision. While we saw a white version of the character fly off in WandaVision, we haven’t heard much about what the future has in store for him. Luckily, Entertainment Weekly got a chance to talk to him and he hinted that he expects to return as Vision in the near future.

    No, the honest answer to that is — well maybe it’s not the honest answer, but it’s the answer I’m going to give you and you’ll just have to cope with it — at the end of WandaVision, you see Vision fly off and that’s a loose end. And Kevin Feige is a man who doesn’t really allow loose ends. So I assume at some point I will be putting on my tights and cloak for another outing, but I don’t know when that might be.

    Paul Bettany

    Of course, it’s quite vague and no one knows exactly when we might expect him. The actor has been busy with A Very British Scandal but a potential return in the near future certainly seems to be on the table. perhaps he already got whispers on what to expect and is playing coy, especially when he highlighted that Feige doesn’t like to keep loose ends. So, we’ll see what they might have in store for us and the Vision’s new path to self-discovery.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Bruce Campbell Talks Marvel Studios Influence on ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Reshoots

    Bruce Campbell Talks Marvel Studios Influence on ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Reshoots


    We’ve heard a lot about the work that’s been done on the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel. Multiverse of Madness will be filmed to the brim, as is expected with a project that explores the multiverse. We’ve heard that Spider-man: No Way Home was forced to change directions due to the pandemic and Marvel Studios had to reshuffle their schedules, but it looks like something similar happened to the upcoming Doctor Strange film.

    In an interview with Game Informer, Bruce Campbell was asked a few questions which included the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There were many rumors about various reshoots being underway as they were building up to its release in a few weeks. While it’s not uncommon, he did offer some insight into what led to some of the changes, such as some story aspects needing to be adapted by Sam Raimi.

    The Marvel guys, they make eight of these movies at the same time, so they’re always updating storylines. So, my buddy Sam [Raimi] has had to add scenes that [Marvel] told him he had to shoot, and he’s removed scenes that no longer apply. So until May rolls around I don’t think Benedict Cumberbatch even knows if he’s in this movie or not.

    Bruce Campbell

    It’s not uncommon that executives have some influence on how productions follow, but Marvel Studios has the challenge of also keeping somewhat of continuity between their overarching storylines and connections from one project to another.

    The pandemic, as mentioned previously, left them with quite the blow as more things ended up getting shuffled around and it seems Doctor Strange was affected as well. Of course, his reference to Benedict Cumberbatch not knowing if he’s in the film is more of a joke on how much work goes into these films and their many moving parts.

    Source: YouTube via The Direct