Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Doctor Strange

  • Marvel Studios Already Teased the End of the Multiverse Arc

    Marvel Studios Already Teased the End of the Multiverse Arc

    Avengers: Endgame Director Joe Russo made a great statement earlier today that “too much of one thing is a bad thing.” It was about the current trend of superhero films embracing the multiverse in their storytelling. To be fair, we’ve been quite spoiled with Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s way of handling its multiversal guests from Spider-Man’s cinematic past but not every project will manage that balance. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is just around the corner and has already teased the return of another legacy actor from Marvel. Yet, doesn’t it seem like we’re rushing through it?

    The next entry in the MCU’s Multiverse Arc could’ve been dragged out quite a bit with multiple storylines exploring various multiversal scenarios. Even No Way Home could’ve split up its cameos and had one film introduce Andrew Garfield before building up to Tobey Maguire. Even Strange’s next adventure is introducing multiple cameos from across the multiverse in one neat package that is very likely the film’s version of the Illuminati.

    They could’ve dragged this out quite a bit more, especially if you consider Loki, the series that kickstarted the multiverse, technically focused primarily on a single character’s “variety.” It eased us into the concept with the TVA, the rules of the concept, and opens the gateways to the fact that the same actor doesn’t have to play every version of the character. It’s strange to think how it eased us into the project before No Way Home just went: “Here are five classic villains, two former Spider-Man actors, and if Strange didn’t do his job there would’ve been millions more!”

    It almost seems like the speed-up was on purpose. Yet, not to bank purely on the fact that the nostalgia will be strong with viewers, but to use the concept before it overstays its welcome. Revisiting the series that started it all, you start to realize why they are taking this route. They know exactly where it is heading and are spacing out the project in a way to build up to a film that may even surpass Avengers: Endgame in its size. Even if was indirectly teased, there’s no way it won’t end with a film based on Secret Wars.

    The multiverses will collide and Kang the Conqueror is at the center of it all. So, it wouldn’t be too surprising to think that his storyline will end in a Secret War crossover. If we look at time as a flat circle, they are bound to repeat history and a new TVA would be formed in its wake. The Sacred Timeline will once again form only to be destined to break again. Our favorite heroes don’t know it but their stories are trapped in a loop. Even if they win the fight with the future He Who Remains being left behind, the story would still manage to find a nice way to end it.

    Once we’ve exited the Secret Wars event, we might continue the stories of the various heroes, but the multiverse will no longer be a focal point moving forward. While it’s unclear if it’ll take three phases to get to that point, it seems that Marvel Studios has unshackled itself from a single overarching narrative but rather splitting up multiple roads. One thing is for sure, we already know where this one path will end and it seems that we’re on an express train towards it before it loses any momentum.

  • ‘Avengers: Endgame’s Joe Russo Warns on Overdoing the Multiverse Storyline

    ‘Avengers: Endgame’s Joe Russo Warns on Overdoing the Multiverse Storyline

    The multiverse has arrived last year in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Loki kicked off events that would eventually set the stage for Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. We don’t know how big the plans are for the concept, but even DC is jumping in on the trend with The Flash set to potentially even rewrite the history of the DC Extended Universe. Avengers: Endgame‘s director, Joe Russo, was asked about his thoughts in regards to how much more we can expect it moving forward. He had a simple approach by stating that “too much of one thing is a bad thing.” His full quote is as follows:

    So yeah, too much of one thing is a bad thing, but I think there are enough creators and innovators in the space where you can expect to be surprised. Just don’t expect corporations to surprise you.

    Joe Russo

    He’s definitely right that too much won’t be good for the film’s long-term. There’s always a chance that it gets too convoluted or difficult to figure out how everything connects. Plus, it’ll bloat the market if all these films provide are cameos of familiar faces just because they could. It does seem like the MCU version of the multiverse might come to an end once the story teased with He Who Remains hits its boiling point. Who knows if an adaptation of Secret wars might be the project that brings it all together once again.

    Source: IGN

  • ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Producer On How ‘What If…?’ Inspired One Strange Variant

    ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Producer On How ‘What If…?’ Inspired One Strange Variant

    With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness only a couple of months away and with a recently-released full trailer, anticipation for the film has never been higher. The follow-up to 2016’s Doctor Strange promises to surpass its predecessor in scale alone, and fans are expecting it the multiversal flick to feature plenty of surprises and exciting cameos.

    The Doctor Strange sequel is entering the multiverse in a big way. Marvel Studios’ only other live-action dive into alternate universes came with Spider-Man: Far From Home. Still, the MCU has previously explored the multiverse in the animated series What If… ? In fact, one of the most prominent episodes featured Doctor Strange and a variant of himself that the series named Doctor Strange Supreme. With the inclusion of a sinister-looking Strange variant in the Multiverse of Madness trailer, many wondered if What If… ?‘s Strange Supreme made his way into live-action.

    The answer appears to be no. Marvel Studios producer Richie Palmer explained in Spring 2022’s D23 Magazine how the film took some inspiration from What If… ? but will seemingly not feature Strange Supreme himself:

    After all the decisions he’s made over the years, this movie really shows Stephen reckoning with himself…things get pretty trippy. We love that episode of What If…?, and we hope to do it justice. It shows another version of Doctor Strange – one who let the universe he lived in be destroyed because of his love for Christine. If he was capable of that, for a selfish reason, is that something that our Stephen would be capable of doing, too? We’d like to think, ‘No, our guy’s the hero,’ but you never know.

    Richie Palmer

    While it may be disappointing to some that Strange Supreme will not actually have a live-action appearance, it does seem like the What If… ? episode certainly did not go unnoticed, and its strong themes of self-identity, grief, desperation, and the line between good and evil will likely be in play for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

    Source: D23 via The Direct

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ is “Truly [a] Sam Raimi Movie”

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ is “Truly [a] Sam Raimi Movie”

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness promises to provide a unique experience and tone for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After creative differences led Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson to leave the sequel, Marvel Studios brought famed director Sam Raimi on board.

    After directing the original Spider-Man trilogy–including the infamous Spider-Man 3–many were surprised to see Raimi taking charge of the mystic and ambitious Multiverse of Madness. Raimi has managed to gain quite the following over the course of his career, particularly for supernatural thrillers and horror films. Because horror seems so far outside of the MCU’s wheelhouse, some have been afraid that Marvel would dampen Raimi’s style and creative freedom. However, Marvel Studios producer Richie Palmer is assuring fans that this is not the case:

    When it comes to a movie like this, where we’re incorporating a bunch of different genres, he’s the perfect man for the job, and that’s not even getting to how well he works with a camera or that he’s the master of suspense in his own right. We’re really leaning into those ‘Sam Raimi’ qualities and making this a truly Sam Raimi movie.

    Richie Palmer

    Palmer also highly praises Raimi’s work and skill in the Spring 2022 D23 Magazine:

    To have Sam Raimi working on this movie is an insane dream come true for all of us… He’s one of the godfathers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For him to pick up the Doctor Strange story after a Spider-Man movie that has Multiversal ties was really exciting for us. There is no one with better instincts. Whether it’s sci-fi, horror, comedy, or romance, Sam is the master.

    Richie Palmer

    Raimi’s unique filmmaking style seems to have been highly encouraged and utilized in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel. The film’s trailer certainly caught fans’ eyes for its bold style and conjured up plenty of speculation over the movie’s anticipated ambitious and wild story. Raimi fans will have to wait until Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness released in theaters on May 6, 2022 to judge for themselves, but it looks like we are in for a treat.

    Source: D23 via The Direct

  • Marvel Studios Wanted to Introduce America Chavez into the MCU “For a Long Time”

    Marvel Studios Wanted to Introduce America Chavez into the MCU “For a Long Time”

    D23 has just dropped its Spring 2022 issue and it offered some updates on Marvel Studios’ upcoming sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The film will introduce the world to Xocithl Gomez‘s take on America Chavez, an interdimensional hopping teenager. Producer Richie Palmer revealed that they’ve actually been hoping to introduce the character for some time now.

    America is someone we’ve been trying to get into the MCU for a long time. This felt like the best place to do it, because ‘Multiverse’ is in the title and her powers specifically have to do with the Multiverse – her powers being that she can punch open doorways to other universes. That’s something we haven’t seen in our movies, a character who can actually walk from one universe to another. That’s maddening in itself for characters such as Doctor Strange and Wong, whose jobs are to protect those barriers.

    Richie Palmer

    The upcoming multiverse-focused storyline is the perfect gateway into the franchise. Plus, Strange and Wong realizing someone can just punch their way through realities are certainly going to bring some great banter between the three. D23’s issue also confirms that their first meeting is during the battle with Gargantos, which was teased during the first two trailers. So, she might join the fray rather early in the upcoming film. If she’s been on Marvel Studios mind for som time, it does make you wonder what the future has in store for her.

    Source: D23 via The Direct

  • Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 18: MoM Trailer Reactions

    Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 18: MoM Trailer Reactions

    Anthony Canton III

    The trailer really gave us an inkling of what’s to come. Visually, it makes this movie feel like a spectacle of epic proportions. The multiple Strange variants and Wanda variants were quite the treat. It leans into some of what we know as far as Wanda being the real villain of the story. Seeing the Ultron bots and what seems to be Charles Xavier and the Illuminati was quite the shot. It was just enough of an appetizer to make us speculate and think what’s next.

    One of the bigger questions personally, is we see what clearly seems to be a variant version of Mordo. Where’s the original one? With his plan of no more sorcerers from the end of Doctor Strange, it has to feel like he’ll be in direct conflict with someone like Wanda who’s been studying the Darkhold. To bottom line the trailer, you get the sense that the MCU is in the process of big change. When it’s all said and done you have to wonder if Kang will be waiting at the end to pick the bones of what’s left of this multiverse of madness.

    Filip Manka

    The new trailer looks fantastic to me and that board with Sam Raimi’s name on it is not a lie, because indeed his style is evident in this trailer. It was already clear at the teaser trailer that visually the film would be interesting and better than the “standard” Marvel movie, but this trailer has raised the bar and my expectations. It looks insane and conceptually it’s inventive and creative (the shot of Strange’s face falling apart or the zoom in on Wanda’s eye). Moreover, the special effects aren’t plastic this time and look spectacular, at least at the trailer stage, and the improved color grading and photo saturation enhance that layer.

    Still my most anticipated MCU movie this year. I’ll swallow the cameos and fanservice, but let’s hope the direction and visuals will deliver because the trailer gave me an appetite for more. Finally, we get Ditko’s weirdness in a proper release. Raimi, I trust you <3

    Joseph Aberl

    I didn’t expect a full trailer drop during the Super Bowl, but what a way to let people know there’s a big one heading our way. The multiverse opens up many possibilities, and it was uncertain just how much the marketing might lean into it. Luckily, the trailer did exactly that while still offering a grounded focus on Strange as its central figure. The Patrick Stewart tease was fitting, as they leaned into the rumors without giving it fully away. We get small bits of the story here or there, as they still keep America Chavez as somewhat of a mystery. It did add a lot of excitement to its release and I cannot wait to see what the first 2022 Marvel Studios film has in store for us.

    Mary Maerz

     I absolutely adore how intense and eerie the trailer is–I think it is worth noting that there is not a single joke or moment of comic relief in the entire thing. The visuals so far look phenomenal and on point with what I would want in a Doctor Strange story. It was no secret that the movie would have horror-inspired elements, but the trailer really showcased that Multiverse of Madness might genuinely have a dramatically different tone than other MCU films. It’s pretty clear that Marvel is putting a lot of importance on this one, which is cool to see for a solo film, and for a film without the traditional A-team MCU heroes. I’m actually so excited! I really think it has the potential to be one of the most visually exciting, adrenaline-pumping, awe-inspiring MCU film. I’m ready for Wanda to go nutty. Mentally unstable, confident, evil-adjacent or adversarial women are vastly underrated. I have yet to see better villains or threats than those.

    It did completely hide the ball when it comes to…the plot. I get that it wants to preserve some sort of secrecy, but it is hard to gauge from the trailer if the substance of the movie is going to live up to the grandiosity of the trailer and the potential I think it has. Honestly, I barely care about all the teases and surprise cameos at this point. Maybe it is No Way Home fatigue, but the idea of seeing mostly (I’m guessing) one-off cameos is cool but not something that is going to make or break the film for me. Big cameos are exciting, but less so after Twitter has thoroughly broken down every single one of them, and once they’re revealed, they lose that “wow!” shine pretty quickly. Don’t get me wrong, when we’re talking about a dive into the multiverse, there should definitely be some multiversal characters, but I hope they add quality rather than just fan service quantity.

    Nathan Miller

    I loved the trailer! I’ve watched it quite a few times since it debuted, and am still stunned by small discoveries I pick up with each new viewing. I’m fascinated by the fact that the story seems to be building for Stephen Strange from his debut, through other appearances and into this film. I love the themes that seem to be developing around control, corruption and complexities. I can’t wait to see Wanda and the spectacle it seems she will deliver! The trailer gives just enough hints and the things to come without giving too much away. Really intrigued by how it pushes the Marvel Cinematic Universe forward. The sign for whether I really enjoyed a trailer is how much I go back to watch it and whether the music sticks with me and both seem to be the case. In some ways, I can’t believe this film is real. I’m counting down the days until we can buy tickets and then go see it!

    Charles Murphy

    Not your run-of-the-mill Marvel Studios trailer…and I love it. Obviously, we’ll have to wait to see the movie until we know for sure, but it feels like Marvel Studios is working hard to move away from their standard fare and to begin creating some truly unique experiences for audiences. This seemingly began with Eternals and will continue with Moon Knight and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That starts with having a director on board with a strong vision and that, in this case, is Sam Raimi. I’d say this trailer looks more like a trailer for a Raimi film than a Marvel Studios film…and that’s just fine with me.

    Dalbin Osorio

    One word: amazing.
    Marvel’s decision to give us as much as they did (a Captain Marvel that isn’t Carol Danvers, Patrick Stewart’s Xavier, a Sanctum that looks like it’s residing at the very end of time and may have Kang waiting for Dr. Strange) leads me to believe that a) we don’t know as much as we think and b) we know enough to continue piecing where we are headed. 


    Whispers Secret Wars.

    The theme for Phase 4 seems to be that our heroes get put through the ringer post-Endgame: as if the fight to save the universe didn’t take enough, you now have Wanda losing Vision again, Strange losing Christine Palmer, and this is after Spider-Man lost MJ. This movie has the distinction of building out three new teams, I’d suspect: the Defenders, Illuminati, and the Young Avengers, all with very distinct missions going forward. The trailer gave us pieces of all 3, and left us with more questions than answers, and in that respect it accomplished it’s mission. Oh, and Professor Xavier has never sounded so regal.

    John Sabato

    First of all, Sam Raimi back in the directors chair and on a comic book film is just absolutely perfect. He’s such a bright mind and his filmography is amazing, so this movie is surely going to have that classic Raimi flair.  Multiverse of Madness looks pretty nuts and, based off that new trailer, I feel like it can definitely live up to NWH and even exceed it. I’m definitely even more interested to see Cumberbatch and Olsen return as Strange and Maximoff after the ending of WandaVision. I feel like we’re gonna see a real push forward on the mystical/supernatural side of the MCU and see that expanded like crazy. But what really has me excited is how close the movie is and how we won’t have to spend months and months listening to awful fan theories and “will they wont they” like Superior Iron Man compared to how annoying the lead up to Spider-Man: No Way Home was.

    Joao Pinto

    he trailer certainly did its job in hyping up a movie that’ll prove pivotal to the MCU’s future. The Doctor Strange IP has managed to bring us some of the most innovative visuals ever since its 2016 debut, the battle between Strange and Thanos on Titan in Avengers: Endgame and even the Mirror Dimension sequence in Spider-Man: No Way Home. By taking advantage of these insane visual cues the trailer made the movie truly feel like a big cinematic event, that’ll manage to breathe fresh air into the MCU as a whole by moving away from the usual landscapes and moving into whole new realities. These new realities, apparently inhabited by not-so-new characters, are yet another huge draw that the trailer manages to bank on.

    I’m personally mostly against bringing specific versions of characters into the MCU that perhaps should have been simply rebooted in this new universe. But the concept of the Multiverse basically permits infinite versions of each reality and/or character, and this allows for the best of both worlds. We now can get iconic actors playing iconic roles that bring the intended emotional resonance to the movie without really needing to bring all the useless baggage from their earlier features. And in that sense, the references to the cameos that we are all sure to get in a couple of months are immensely gratifying, making the trailer a home run on all fronts.

  • RUMOR: Another Fan-Favorite X-Men May Appear in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    RUMOR: Another Fan-Favorite X-Men May Appear in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    If you are actively avoiding spoilers for the upcoming film, then only continue at your own risk.

    It doesn’t look like the rumors will end anytime soon surrounding Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. At this rate, they may be adding any character they possibly could, which hopefully won’t take away from Doctor Strange’s story. Right after a new LEGO set may have confirmed two long-rumored Marvel characters joining the film, it seems that one more rumor pops up. Illuminerdi’s Joseph Deckelmeier has shared on Twitter that we’ll see the addition of Wolverine.

    In his tweet, he does go on to highlight that it is not Hugh Jackman returning to the role. So, we are left with the question of who it might end up being if this rumor turns out true. Plus, we might expect the character, as he could either be part of the Illuminati that we got teased during the Super Bowl trailer, or he may appear throughout Strange’s journey.

    So far, most rumors have surrounded who might be part of the Illuminati’s council, but we forget that he might be traveling through multiple parts of the multiverse. We even saw a glimpse of an animated dimension, which could be the home of the now-confirmed X-Men ’97 revival series. At this point, anything could happen and we are excited to see what rumor may end up true once the film finally releases this May.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Trailer Dominated Social Media Post-Super Bowl

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Trailer Dominated Social Media Post-Super Bowl

    The Super Bowl was quite the night for sports fans and media fans. We got some new movie and TV trailers to highlight what is heading our way in the year, such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It looks like it created quite the online buzz. Deadline shared a new statistic on how the various trailers have performed within a 24-hour window. RelishMix provided the data and took a 24-hour viral analysis between Facebook Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. It looks like the latest Marvel film was the winner followed by Jurassic World: Dominion.

    To offer some comparison, Doctor Strange has garnered five times the amount that Black Widow did during the Super Bowl before the pandemic hit. Though it garnered 143M global online views, which is behind Spider-Man: No Way Home and Avengers: Endgame‘s 355.5M and 289M respectively. Even Dominion tripled its numbers from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom back in 2018. Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power though garnered an impressive 257M views and held the all-time post-game traffic for a trailer dropped during the Super Bowl.

    Moon Knight is quite low surprisingly, but there’s a chance that it simply was overshadowed by the cinematic offering. It’s the drawback of multiple trailers releasing from the same franchise, as the Disney+ series overall has been performing quite impressively so far. All eyes were on the massive tease from the Doctor Strange trailer and Amazon was smart to offer its very first full trailer during the night. As such, all new trailer releases were the ones to dominate the night while shorter spots probably gained most of their viewership during the event directly. Still, really interesting to see this development.

    Source: Deadline

  • Ryan Reynolds Talks ‘Deadpool 3’ and Possible Appearance in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Ryan Reynolds Talks ‘Deadpool 3’ and Possible Appearance in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    The internet has been ablaze since every single part of the new Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Some eagle-eyed fans seemingly spotted what could be Deadpool on the poster, who is shushing anyone finding the minor detail. In a new interview with Variety, while promoting his upcoming film The Adam Project, the actor simply stated “I’m really not in the movie. I’m promising, I’m not in the movie” after they tested if he might be lying as other actors have in the past – looking at you Andrew Garfield. The only other update he offered on the upcoming third Deadpool film was by simply stating “It’s coming along.”

    We know very little about his upcoming third film and how exactly it might fit into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s surprising he didn’t play along and was quite straightforward with his denial or update. It would be nice to get an update in the near future about where the project currently is, especially with no director attached as of now. Free Guy‘s Shawn Levy has become a popular choice but some would also love to see Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi reunite with his Green Lantern co-star to give it a shot. We’ll have to be patient for now.

    Source: Variety

  • Fans Seemingly Spot Deadpool in New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Poster

    Fans Seemingly Spot Deadpool in New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Poster

    In a film focused on the multiverse, Doctor Strange’s next project could open up what seems like an endless potential, even if we might explore the nightmarish aspects of what the multiverse may have to offer. Still, the first trailer did confirm an ongoing rumor that an iconic character making a return in the upcoming film. Yet, the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness poster may have included a few more details on what we may expect from the sequel.

    We previously reported that the poster includes Captain Carter’s shield, which we previously saw in the multiverse adventures of What If…?. Yet, some eagle-eyed fans may have noticed another addition in the form of what may be the inclusion of Deadpool. As shared in the image by @therealsupes, you can see a character with white eyes and black rings surrounding it. If you look closely, he seemingly is shushing whoever is looking at it.

    There’s always a chance this isn’t Deadpool, but the design seems pretty close to the character, and the fact he is seemingly shushing people looking at the poster does add some potential validity to it. The weird yellow symbol in the front is the only element that may hint that it isn’t who we think it is. Plus, the black around the eyes is a bit smaller than what we’ve seen from the character previously. So, there’s always a chance it turns out to be someone else, but it’s fun to speculate with a potential multiverse ready to explore in May.

    Source: Twitter