Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Doctor Strange

  • Namor Was Considered as a Member of ‘Doctor Strange 2’s Illuminati, But Marvel Studios “Has Other Plans for Him”

    Namor Was Considered as a Member of ‘Doctor Strange 2’s Illuminati, But Marvel Studios “Has Other Plans for Him”

    There has been an ongoing wait for confirmation that Namor will make his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s been months since the first rumors hit the web that he’ll play an antagonistic role in the upcoming Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever. Yet, while there still hasn’t been an official statement, it seems that he may have also almost made his debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as part of the multiverse’s Illuminati.

    In an interview with Variety, the film’s writer Michael Waldron has revealed that they have considered including Namor in their line-up. He was a founding member in the comics, which makes him a fitting addition but it looks like the studio had “other plans” for the character anyway and that is why he wasn’t prioritized.

    [We] talked about him, because he’s certainly an original member of the Illuminati. But I think Marvel has other plans for him in the MCU. And so he didn’t make his way in this particular movie.

    Michael Waldron

    He does highlight that Kevin Feige had a big part in even making the castings possible and bringing the team together, as they developed the idea.

    That’s kind of a combination of us putting forth, “Well, what if we did this?” But also, Kevin’s as excited about this stuff as we are, so sometimes those ideas are coming from Kevin saying, “Well, what if we got so and so? I’m gonna do it! I’m gonna make the call!” So he’s as excited about all that stuff as any of us. It’s a big, geeky team effort to see what we can assemble for that team.

    Michael Waldron

    It’ll be interesting to see what my head our way and if the Illuminati even have a future beyond this film, especially given Strange’s encounter with them. Who knows if it also was meant to indirectly set up some elements moving forward but it does seem like a very self-contained element of the story to also poke fun at some of the fan requests of randomly adding characters. Still, the fact that we have further hints that Namor is going to appear somewhere else helps solidify his upcoming debut.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’s Writer Teases Wanda’s Fate After that Ending

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’s Writer Teases Wanda’s Fate After that Ending

    It’s crazy to think that after all that time, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has finally been released in theaters. Wanda Maxmioff continued down a darker path since she got her hands on the Darkhold but still found it in herself to try and make up for her actions after a confrontation with Doctor Strange and America Chavez. As the film came to a close, she did one last heroic move to ensure that no one else would ever fall victim to the evil that lurks within the Darkhold.

    Yet, it seemingly came at the cost of her life as the tower of worship came crumbling down upon her. We do briefly see a curious red flash that may indicate that she somehow made it out alive but nothing concrete. luckily, in an interview with Variety, Doctor Strange and Loki scribe Michael Waldron teased what her fate may have ended up being.

    I think that’s up for interpretation. She made some kind of sacrificial act that destroyed the Darkhold in every universe, which is protecting Wanda in every universe from being seduced by the Darkhold. Whether she’s dead or not remains to be seen. I know what it’s like to love characters and to not want them to be gone and to hate when they do bad things. But that’s that’s part of the fun of watching stuff and getting swept up in it.

    Michael Waldron

    He definitely makes a good point about the joys of seeing these characters evolve. It does seem likely that Wanda will return in the future, but the question is where her character will be. We may be entering her final redemption arc as she uncovers the truth behind her past and perhaps uncovers a new layer to the Scarlet Witch that wasn’t kept within the Darkhold’s pages. There’s a lot of potential and it certainly seems like Elizabeth Olsen is on board if they are planning any future projects.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel Writer Reveals a Surprising Inspiration for the Illuminati

    ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel Writer Reveals a Surprising Inspiration for the Illuminati

    *SPOILER WARNING*

    By now, it’s pretty widely known that the Illuminati appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The superhero team were teased in the final trailers for the film, but the exact part they played in the plot remained a mystery until the full movie hit theaters. When the group was ultimately introduced on screen, audiences were ecstatic. They seemed mighty, confident, and unbeatable. Patrick Stewart made a triumphant return as Charles Xavier; John Krasinski surprised everyone with his debut as Reed Richards; and Anson Mount was finally able to bring Black Bolt to the big screen. Then, after only a few moments of glorious screen time, every single one of them died.

    Screenwriter Michael Waldron recently sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss some of his choices while developing Multiverse of Madness, and the Illuminati were among the central topics. He revealed the inspiration behind the team’s role in the film, and how their scenes played out, came from another famous sequel released in 1986:

    I was watching Aliens a lot as I was writing. Because just tonally this movie is a thriller and a [feature-length] chase. I just love how Aliens goes to great lengths to tell you how badass the space Marines are – and then they just get slaughtered. Then you are really scared of the Xenomorphs for the rest of that movie, and that’s what I wanted to accomplish with Wanda. At the end of the Illuminati sequence, I hope you were truly terrified of the Scarlet Witch. It’s been awesome being in the theater hearing the cheers, then the gasps and the groans. [Laughs] I mean, you know, people were feeling something at the movies. That’s good!

    Michael Waldron

    The tactic was definitely successful, with Wanda’s single-handed killing of Earth-838’s Mightiest Heroes instantly solidifying her as one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s greatest threats. Head to the theater now and relive one of the most talked-about moments in Marvel movie history, and bring a friend to see if Waldron‘s writing strategy works just as well on them.

    Source: Rolling Stone

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Ends Weekend as 11th Biggest Domestic Opening of All-Time

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Ends Weekend as 11th Biggest Domestic Opening of All-Time

    While Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness remained shy of the $190M opening weekend, it did make quite a few waves by finishing at $187M. That is a small adjustment of $2M over the Sunday, but an increase is actually a good sign for the film’s legs with a B+ Audience CinemaScore rating. Worldwide, the film made a splash with $449.4M at the bo office, making almost half a billion in just its opening weekend. It’s an exciting prospect for theater owners that have been worried about just how long the pandemic would affect their business.

    The film is not only Sam Raimi‘s biggest opening ever, but it’s now also the 11th biggest domestic opening in history and the seventh right behind Avengers: Age of Ultron, which was at $181.3M. As such, it’s the best performing second entry in a solo outing with Spider-Man: No Way Home holding the title for third entry with $260.1M. It’s now the second-best domestic release of the year and on its path to overtaking The Batman, which also garnered a fantastic $369.1M to date.

    On Friday, it took in $90M which puts it as the seventh-biggest opening of all time, and entered the Top 10 best opening days for any MCU flick. While it’s likely going to be quite frontloaded, if it manages o keep a similar momentum that is seen with horror entries, we might be looking at a stronghold over the next weeks, but likely will echo a similar drop as Age of Ultron did.

    Internationally, the film has pulled in $262.4M, which saw a slight adjustment down from its early Sunday estimates, which kept it at the overall worldwide release estimates. It’s now the sixth-highest opening worldwide going by like-by-like territories, which is no small accomplishment without a Chinese release. South Korea has been slowly becoming one of Marvel’s strongest opening locations with a massive $30M over the weekend.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Elizabeth Olsen Gives Her Thoughts on Those Claiming Marvel is a ‘Lesser Type of Art’

    Elizabeth Olsen Gives Her Thoughts on Those Claiming Marvel is a ‘Lesser Type of Art’

    There’s been an ongoing debate on the Internet ever since Martin Scorcese made a remark on how he views Marvel films, which originally was meant as a general view on the superhero industry that ended up focused on its strongest contender. Of course, the opinion of a veteran in the industry has left some waves with others jumping on board or even going against it, such as Nicolas Cage openly disagreeing with his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, who shares a similar view to Scorcese on the matter.

    Yet, the debate goes on even if there’s no real benefit to anyone in “winning” the argument. With the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Elizabeth Olsen also threw her thoughts into the ring and highlighted an important aspect that gets overlooked in the discussion. Downplaying Marvel films as a “lesser type of art” as she puts it also diminishes the work of the people involved with the projects.

    I’m not saying we’re making indie art films, but I just think it takes away from our crew, which bugs me. These are some of the most amazing set designers, costume designers, camera operators — I feel diminishing them with that kind of criticism takes away from all the people who do award-winning films, that also work on these projects

    Elizabeth Olsen

    She goes on to highlight that naturally, your approach as an actor is different as it is a different kind of film, to begin with. She once again highlights that throwing Marvel under the bus to somehow drag a wealth of talent down due to something one doesn’t deem art isn’t a fair discussion.

    From an actor’s point of view, whatever, I get it; I totally understand that there’s a different kind of performance that’s happening. But I do think throwing Marvel under the bus takes away from the hundreds of very talented crew people. That’s where I get a little feisty about that.

    Elizabeth Olsen

    There likely is never going to be an end to this discussion, as one takes away what they want from the points made by various industry experts and those creatives working within the industry. Olsen‘s words ring important after a viral video has been making the round taking a quote of her facing anxiety with every new entry as some kind of statement on Marvel’s releases.

    The same interview from Independent highlights that, as she simply tries to avoid the “pressure” of being a project’s main focus. No matter how one feels about the films and Marvel Studios as a company, there are still many talented people that found their beginning there and go on to develop many more films.

    Source: Independent

  • ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Rumor Scorecard

    ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Rumor Scorecard

    Marvel Studios has certainly tried to keep major secrets in its last two films. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, for example, the appearances of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were rather unsuccessfully guarded. At the time, that film seemed like the secretive film of Phase Four. However, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness blew the Spider-Man film out of the water in terms of the extent and fervor over rumored cameos and plotlines in the film. Back in July, we wrote an article about some of the many rumors at the time. Now that the sequel is out, it is time to start talking about where all those rumors went wrong. This article is a comprehensive list of all of the major rumors and “leaked” cameos that turned out to be untrue.

    What Made It In

    If you are reading this, you have probably seen the movie, so it won’t take long to recap what did in fact happen. First, let’s take a moment to recognize those rumored characters that made it to the big screen. Of course, most of the Illuminati was ultimately teased in promos before the film was released, but Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter, Lashana Lynch’s Captain Marvel, Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier, John Krasinski’s Reed Richards, and Anson Mount’s Black Bolt joined Chiwetel Ejiofor’s variant Baron Mordo as the now mostly violently-deceased organization.

    While Multiverse of Madness did not try too hard to keep it a secret, we now know with certainty that Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch was the primary antagonist of the film. Benedict Cumberbatch did play a variant Sinister Strange, but he certainly was not a principal threat in the film. Similarly, Gargantos, the Shuma-Gorath adjacent creature did not play a real villainous role.

    Some rumors suggested that Wanda Maximoff would end up the victor of the film, much like Thanos. Others said that she would somehow pull a “reverse” version of one of her most iconic moments in the comics—”No more mutants”. If the Scarlet Witch sticks around the MCU long enough, that is certainly something Marvel Studios may want to eventually adapt. But, she certainly did no form of this in the movie, let alone create mutants in the MCU. While Wanda seemingly sacrificed herself at the end of the movie in an attempt to destroy the Darkhold forever, she certainly did not “win” by commonsense standards, though she easily could have had she not seen the error of her own ways.

    Charlize Theron as Clea in the mid-credits scene was arguably the biggest surprise for fans and one example of a cameo rumor that actually turned out to be true. However, some rumors pointed to the character playing a much more significant role in the film. Ultimately, Clea was left as a tease for future stories.

    Bruce Campbell garnered much speculation about a cameo given his many comments about the film, his appearance near a shooting location, and his history with director Sam Raimi. Campbell did in fact make what was essentially a goofy cameo during the movie and appeared again to finish the joke in the final post-credits scene.

    The Cameos That Weren’t

    Let’s be honest. Fan expectations for cameos were through the roof. Given that the Doctor Strange sequel had the capacity to encounter infinite variants, it was not too hard to imagine that we would get some high-profile ones. Still, the number of rumors and “leaks” gave many fans ultimately unrealistic expectations on this front. Let’s take a look.

    Deadpool

    One of the most popular and believable rumors sadly did not pan out. While the multiverse could have seen a classic funny guy cameo moment from Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, it was not meant to be.

    ‘Deadpool’ (2016)
    Loki

    A Tom Hiddleston cameo as Loki from the Loki series was practically expected at one point. Considering the strong ties between the Disney+ series and Multiverse of Madness, we did not encounter the character this time around.

    Balder the Brave

    Amongst all of the Illuminati speculation, one character that found his way into countless credible lists was Balder the Brave. Half-brother and friend of Thor, this would have introduced a relatively unknown character into the star-studded group. Whether that was the reason he ultimately did not appear is unclear, but perhaps viewers can look out for Balder the Brave in future projects, especially with Thor: Love and Thunder just around the corner.

    Doctor Strange Supreme

    The relationship between the Doctor Strange What If… ? episode and Multiverse of Madness was ultimately just one of inspiration. We knew that darker Doctor Strange variants would appear in the film, and Doctor Strange Supreme from the animated series was quite the fan favorite. The Strange variants in the film may have had some similarities with the animated fellow, but he definitely was not present.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘What If… ?’
    Monica Rambeau

    After her major role in WandaVision, there were hints that perhaps Teyonah Parris‘ Rambeau would return here. Instead, we got a variant of her mother, Maria Rambeau, who became Captain Marvel in the Illuminati’s universe.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘WandaVision’
    Wolverine

    Much of the Multiverse of Madness delirium came from fans’ eagerness to see X-Men and other previous Fox Marvel properties debut in the MCU. Obviously, Professor X’s introduction did just that, but all the rumors that Wolverine would appear turned out not to materialize. It is worth noting, though, that most of these rumors speculated that the iconic X-Men character would not be played by the iconic Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman and instead a new actor would fill those shoes.

    Hugh Jackman

    Weirdly enough, though, the rumors that a non-Jackman Wolverine would be making an appearance did not stop rumors that Jackman would make a cameo as something or someone else. He did not.

    Namor

    We know that Namor is set to play the adversary in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but there was plenty of speculation as to whether Tenoch Huerta’s Namor—or a variant—would make an early appearance in the Doctor Strange sequel. The Shuma-Gorath creature named Gargantos in the film, and that monster has connections to Namor in the comics. The Sub-Mariner is also a member of the Illuminati in the comics, so it made some sense. Alas, we will likely have to wait for Wakanda Forever to meet the character.

    Magneto

    Maybe one of the more disappointing omissions—whether it was credible or not—was Michael Fassbender’s Magneto. As noted, Charles Xavier sort of took on the Fox-Marvel and X-Men representation in Multiverse of Madness. The beloved antihero and villain will someday arrive in the MCU, but that day has not come.

    ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’
    Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

    Fans of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ABC television series are always hoping for confirmation or signs that the show is canon to the MCU or will be relevant going forward. Fan favorite Chloe Bennet’s Daisy Johnson in particular had some rumors behind her, but there was ultimately nothing to them.

    Tobey Maguire

    Had the Doctor Strange sequel been released—as originally planned—after Spider-Man: No Way Home, the rumor that Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man would cameo in the film would have been much less believable. But considering he made the journey from his Sony property to the MCU in the Spider-Man film, it seemed more possible. But, as we all know now, it did not happen here.

    Ghost Rider

    Nicholas Cage returning as Ghost Rider? Sure, why not. But Multiverse of Madness was not the “Look we have rights to all these characters we did not before!” moment many were expecting it to be.

    ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’
    Tom Cruise

    There were some hints in the trailers that including Ultron bots that led fans to think an Iron Man variant would show up. Tom Cruise ended up being the most talked about rumored casting for that ultimately non-existent variant, but some were thoroughly convinced Cruise would make his MCU debut.

    Daredevil

    While we got Charlie Cox’s Daredevil in No Way Home, another rumor in the same vein as the other speculated Fox characters cameos was that Ben Affleck would reprise his role as the Man Without Fear from his less-than-beloved 2003 film.

    ‘Daredevil’ (2003)
    Agatha Harkness

    Expectations that Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness could make some sort of appearance were pretty fair. The end of WandaVision and comics suggest that the older witch will still have a role to play in Wanda’s life. Still, Wanda ambiguously exited the events of Multiverse of Madness without ever seeking out Harkness or Harkness working her way out of where we left her in Westview.

    Kang the Conquerer

    After Jonathan Majors’ unexpected appearance at the end of Loki, fans are certainly on edge to see where he may pop up before his villainous role as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The character’s connection to the multiverse, as described in the Loki finale, could have in theory made a cameo from Kang make sense. But alas, he was not there.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Loki’
    HYDRA Captain America

    A famous comics rendition of Captain America is the more recent HYDRA Cap. If it was not obvious, this was a version of Captain America aligned with HYDRA. After Chris Evans’ nod to it in Endgame, it honestly could have been a fun appearance. While Evans seems game to pop up in cameos everywhere in the entertainment industry, this is one where he was absent.

    Zombies (Mostly)

    Based on some of the trailers and other rumors, more zombies were expected by some. Whether the What If… Zombies!? episode was to be a direct tie in or it was an unrelated zombie universe, it seemed like a strong bet. We did not get zombies, but Doctor Strange inhabiting the body of the dead Defender Strange did provide some zombie vibes.

    White Vision

    Considering how important Vision is to Wanda’s story combined with the fact that White Vision—introduced in WandaVision—is very much still out there, the idea of a Paul Bettany Vision cameo was not out of left field. The actor even dropped some teases that he might be in Multiverse of Madness. He was not.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘WandaVision’

    Overall, had many of these cameos actually happened, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could have been a much different film. Because of the extent of these rumors, some fans expected a movie where Doctor Strange bounced around countless universes and encountered major character cameos in each. Instead, we got a story focused more tightly on Doctor Strange with the Scarlet Witch as his strong adversary. In other words, the film ended up being a great story not weighed down by empty fan service. Even the Illuminati members that did make an appearance were more than just glorified cameos and significantly contributed to the story as well.

    All of these non-cameos, or some version of them, may likely show up in the MCU eventually. They just were not in this movie. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters.

  • How ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Sets the Path to Marvel Studios ‘Secret Wars’

    How ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Sets the Path to Marvel Studios ‘Secret Wars’

    With just a few lines spoken by John Krasinski’s Reed Richards, Marvel Studios seemingly set its course to its next big event: Secret Wars. The project, once seen as “too big” to be done correctly, is one on the list of projects that Marvel Studios’ favorite sons, Joe and Anthony Russo, have said would bring them back into the fold and one that has swirled around insider circles for a few years now. The first hints to its eventual arrival came during an animated sequence in Loki but the truest indicator of Marvel’s intent to bring the thrice-done comic event to the MCU came in Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness when Richards briefly explained the concept of Incursions. The concept of Incursions was given all the explanation it needed in the film, but for those unsure of how that concept leads to Secret Wars, we’re here to help.

    Incursions made their way into the Marvel Comics lexicon in 2013 when writer Jonathan Hickman introduced the idea in New Avengers Volume 2 when T’Challa witnessed one. As was the case in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, smart guy Reed Richards explained the concept to the audience.

    New Avengers #2 (2013)

    Over the course of a page and a half, Richards-with the aid of very Hickman-esque illustrations-gives his “Everything Dies” speech in which he explains to the Illuminati that as a result of the early “death” of an alternate Earth, the contraction of the multiverse had begun. The death of that Earth caused the first Incursion, the collision of two other Earths that lead to the destruction of both of them. One Incursion sped up the timeline for another, accelerating the ends of each of the universes in which those Earths existed and it would only be a matter of time before the final Incursion destroyed the entire Multiverse.

    New Avengers #2 (2013)
    New Avengers #2 (2013)

    The Incursion of Earth-616 that T’Challa witnessed was stopped when the Black Swan (a fascinating character who we can only hope makes her way into the MCU) destroyed the other Earth, sparing Earth-616. The knowledge of the Incursions sent the Illuminati scrambling to devise a plan to save their universe. Ultimately, Earth-616 and Earth-1610, the Ultimate universe, were the last standing and as their Incursion began, the heroes of both worlds fought to destroy each other, with both sides ultimately falling short and being destroyed. A group of heroes, led by Richards, who had built a “life raft” found themselves on a new planet known as Battleworld and worked together to unravel the great mystery of where they were and how Doctor Doom came to be in charge. Those events made up the 2015 event Secret Wars, which takes us right back to where we began. Marvel Studios is building towards an adaptation of Secret Wars.

    Avengers #44 (2015)

    If you’ve paid attention for a few years, you’ve heard it from me that this event was in the making, but this is the closest Marvel Studios has come to admitting it. And with John Krasinski’s Reed Richards-who VERY closely resembles the Richards written by Hickman over his time on the Fantastic Four, New Avengers, and Secret Wars- being given the job of explaining the concept of Incursion to the MCU audience, it seems like it will indeed be Hickman’s version of Secret Wars that is adapted, rather than either of the previous comic events. Hickman’s version is by far the most cinematic of the options available but is also problematic in that it is loaded with dense scientific concepts that might make for a tough sell to general audiences. As we know, Marvel Studios doesn’t go with straight page-to-screen adaptations of their comic book stories, so it’s more likely than not that the MCU’s Secret Wars will simply be 616 vs. 1610, allowing for dead heroes to reappear as their 1610 counterparts. What does this mean for Doctor Doom, the Molecule Man, and other characters who played a huge role in the comic event? Probably nothing good.

    It is interesting to see that Marvel Studios has chosen Stephen Strange’s sequel to lead the charge to Secret Wars. Strange does play a key role in the 2015 event as one of Doom’s right hand, but readers would certainly not consider him “central” to the story. Whatever the case, we are likely still at least 3 years away from Secret Wars and there’s lots of building to be done, but with the mention of Incursion, it should now be clear to fans that the project is now the inevitable end to the developing Multiverse Saga.

  • How Changes to America Chavez in ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Set Up Young Avengers

    How Changes to America Chavez in ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Set Up Young Avengers

    Between the Illuminati, Mount Wundagore, and Clea taking Doctor Strange into the Dark Dimension in the mid-credits scene, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness certainly left plenty of room for several more stories to continue. Another obvious example was the film’s introduction of Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez, the dimension-hopping young heroine at the center of the movie’s plot.

    As many know, America is an iconic Young Avenger in Marvel comics, so her presence definitely teases that concept. But while Multiverse of Madness generally kept her comic’s origin story intact, it appeared to make a major change that could impact the young hero’s journey going forward. It also left the character in a place that could hint at how the MCU might build a Young Avengers team.

    Marvel Studios
    America Chavez’s Origin

    We only get a brief glimpse of America’s past early in Multiverse of Madness, but we know that she appears to come from an alternative universe or dimension. She does not specify further, but we also learn that she apparently has no variants. In an infinite multiverse, that would not make sense. It is likely that the place America is from in the MCU is outside of the multiverse, which would follow the comics.

    Young Avengers #3 (2013)

    Though it has since been retconned, America’s origin story began in the Utopian Parallel, which is a dimension outside of time and the multiverse and is inhabited only by women. Her powers come from the residual powers of a being called the Demiurge, who created the Utopian Parallel. In the comics, the dimension is threatened with destruction via black holes, but America’s mothers sacrificed themselves and essentially disintegrated into particles stretched across the multiverse. After this, America travels the multiverse looking to be a hero, because she believes the Utopian Parallel does not need salvation.

    Young Avengers #3 (2013)

    In the Doctor Strange sequel, America accidentally transports her moms into some random universes when she unintentionally used her powers as a child. While America is convinced they are dead, Doctor Strange reminds her that they could likely be out there somewhere. If her mothers are not dead, that could open up an entire storyline for America to go find them. Teases like this almost never amount to anything, so it is curious whether the heroine would get some solo time to explore that arc or if it could be something that ties into an eventual Young Avengers story.

    America’s Magical Ending

    The end of Multiverse of Madness sees America at Kamar-Taj, working on sorcery skills in a way reminiscent of Stephen Strange in the original Doctor Strange movie. Her main challenge in the film seemed to be controlling her existing portal-creating powers, so the tease that she may be on the path of a sorcerer is very interesting.

    On one hand, it potentially sets up a mentor-mentee relationship between Doctor Strange and America Chavez similar to Clint Barton and Kate Bishop in Hawkeye. While this does not necessarily have any comics backing, it could be the MCU’s way to gradually bring in and develop the young characters in organic ways in other projects before jumping into a team event.

    Young Avengers #9 (2013)

    The fact that America now has some connection to magic could also hint at how other Young Avengers may be brought into the fold. On one hand, Wanda Maximoff’s son Billy later becomes the superhero Wiccan in the comics. Wiccan also becomes the same Demiurge that creates the Utopian Parallel, so Multiverse of Madness potentially connects America and Billy in several ways. With the Loki Disney+ franchise still going, there is also potential for Kid Loki to become a significant character in the MCU. Kid Loki, of course, has powers connected to magic as well, but he was also the character that brought America and Billy together in the first place. That arc ultimately saw the formation of the Young Avengers.

    America’s connection to sorcery may make a future team-up of young heroes easier, considering she would already exist in spaces characters like Bully Maximoff and Kid Loki might. In addition, her potential relationship with Doctor Strange may allow her to stick around in various other projects before Marvel Studios is ready to take the leap into a true Young Avengers project.

    Fans can see America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is now playing in theaters.

  • 5 ‘What If…?’ Episodes Set Up in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    5 ‘What If…?’ Episodes Set Up in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is exactly what it sounds like. Marvel’s Master of the Mystic Arts finds himself flung through a multitude of alternate worlds, encountering a constant stream of potential “what if?” scenarios in every one. Unfortunately, a movie can only tell so much story, and as a result, audiences only get quick glimpses into the divergent timelines presented throughout Sam Raimi’s latest superhero epic. With all the funky new concepts and character variants introduced in the film, fans may even leave the theater wishing Marvel Studios had some sort of animated Disney+ series dedicated to exploring their multiversal offshoots. Well, fear not True Believers. This seems like a good time to remind everyone that Marvel’s What If…? does in fact exist, and another season is still on the way!

    When the second batch of episodes finally hits the small screen, it’s sure to feature at least a couple of episodes based on events from the Multiverse of Madness. When it comes to what those episodes might be, there are a lot of options on the table. Luckily, we here at Murphy’s Multiverse have narrowed it all down to only a handful of the most intriguing choices. Follow along as we dive into the prism of endless possibility, and guide you through the vast new realities that could become episodes in the upcoming second season of What If…?.

    What If…Scarlet Witch Annihilated the Multiverse?

    This is the easy one, but it’s also maybe one of the most interesting. As those who have seen Multiverse of Madness know, Elizabeth Olsen‘s Wanda Maximoff takes a surprisingly dark turn as the film’s main antagonist. The former Avenger embraces the Darkhold and her title as “Scarlet Witch”, going on a killing spree in search of a universe where she is allowed to exist peacefully with her children. It was a goal she attempted once before in WandaVision, with slightly less violent methods. She’s eventually stopped by Doctor Strange and the young America Chavez, but she comes pretty close to achieving her goal.

    Earlier in the film, Benedict Wong‘s Sorcerer Supreme mentions that the Scarlet Witch is prophesized to either rule the multiverse or annihilate it. Thankfully, the latter never comes to pass, but what if fans were able to peek into a world where Strange and Chavez failed? What if, in another universe, the Scarlet Witch succeeded? The movie talks a lot about “Incursions”, when two universes collide and destroy each other due to excess multiversal fiddling. It’s likely that with no one powerful enough to prevent her from tearing through the multiverse, she would eventually cause it’s destruction in the form of countless incursions. This would be a catastrophic threat on the same level as the first season’s Infinity Ultron, and would be a good reason for The Watcher to intervene a second time.

    What If…Maria Rambeau Was Captain Marvel?

    One of the more exciting reveals of the Doctor Strange sequel comes in the form of the Illuminati. The team is comprised of Marvel heroes from across the multiverse, assembled to protect it and their world from any threat they deem too great to exist. One member of the group, Hayley Atwell‘s Captain Carter, already made her debut on What If…?, but her associates are a whole different deal. While major cameos like John Krasinski‘s Mr. Fantastic or Patrick Stewart‘s Professor X are incredibly cool, their lack of MCU history doesn’t exactly lend itself well to the premise of the aforementioned animated series. Luckily, the group isn’t a total What If…? scratch.

    Lashana Lynch makes a surprise return to the role of Maria Rambeau, only this time, she’s the one wielding unprecedented cosmic power. Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s Karl Mordo variant introduces the character as “Captain Marvel”, indicating this Rambeau comes from a universe where she was the one who took that fateful flight with Dr. Wendy Lawson and ended up in the hands of the Kree. Almost nothing about her origin or life are revealed in her few brief scenes, but her existence just begs to be further explored. If Maria was abducted from Earth, what happened to her daughter Monica? Was she raised by Carol Danvers? Was S.W.O.R.D. ever founded? What kind of galactic hero would Maria turn out to be? Also, that awesome Photon-inspired suit deserves a little more screen time than it actually got.

    What If…Vision Lived?

    For a decent chunk of Multiverse of Madness, the Sacred Timeline’s version of Scarlet Witch inhabits the body of another universe’s Wanda Maximoff and uses her to do all the dirty work. While this process, called “dream walking”, is pretty darn neat, it’s not the aspect of this scenario that’s most fascinating. The Wanda who falls under the Witch’s control is shown to be a loving mother of her two sons, living a relatively normal life despite still having her superhuman abilities. This suggests that the Maximoff of this world may not have suffered all of the same traumas as the mainstream Wanda fans have come to know. WandaVision taught audiences that the hero’s ideal life includes her husband, Paul Bettany‘s Vision, yet he’s nowhere to be seen during the film.

    Perhaps he simply wasn’t home when 616 Scarlet Witch broke in and began manipulating his wife, or perhaps he wasn’t able to survive in this universe either. Whatever the case may be, it sets up an interesting question that What If…? could answer. What if Vision lived? Would Wanda’s life look more like the domestic one we see in the film, or would the couple still be out saving the world with the Avengers? It’s likely the Scarlet Witch persona would not have been embraced in the same way viewers have seen in the MCU’s Phase 4, but if it had, how would Vision’s presence have impacted it’s effect on the world? Hopefully Kevin Feige and the team at Marvel Studios give us answers sooner than later.

    What If…The Illuminati Won?

    The Illuminati were an insane, unthinkable live-action superhero dream team…which lasted for all of a few minutes before they all died. Forced to confront the full power of the Scarlet Witch, each member of the group fell violently, one-by-one. Though, what if they hadn’t? What if the Illuminati had been able to put down Wanda Maximoff and keep both Stephen Strange and America Chavez in their grasp? The squad had just finished telling Strange that he was a bigger threat than the Scarlet Witch when the latter wiped the floor with them, and the implications of their big speech seemed pretty depressing.

    In the comics, the downfall of the Illuminati is their willingness to cross the line of ethics and do whatever they feel is necessary to protect the world. With the entire multiverse at risk, they might have offed the Sacred Timeline’s Strange in an effort to contain his supposedly terrifying power. What would have happened to his home universe had he never returned? As for America, it was only a matter of time before they discovered just how incredible her abilities really were. What would they have done with her once they knew? In the wrong hands, she could be a weapon used to “maintain peace” across all of space and time.

    What If…Doctor Strange Was Earth’s Mightiest Hero?

    When Stephen Strange fist arrives on Bruce Campbell‘s pizza planet, he’s greeted by an old friend-turned-enemy who’s become that world’s Sorcerer Supreme. Mordo explains to Strange that his variant died saving the Earth from Thanos, and had publicly become known as his Earth’s most popular hero. There’s even a statue bearing the inscription outside the Sanctum Sanctorum, and a whole museum dedicated to Strange’s life story. While later revelations from the Illuminati reveal this tale wasn’t entirely true, it does make one wonder where Tony Stark was while all of this was going down. His absence, and the lack of an Iron Man on the Illuminati roster, could be a subtle reveal that the universe in question never produced an armored Avenger of it’s own.

    If this is the case, What If…? could capitalize with an episode centered around a world where Stephen Strange is the face of the Avengers and everyone’s favorite good guy. A variant of Strange from a completely different universe, dubbed “Defender Strange” by marketing, is seen at the beginning of the movie sporting a sweet pony tail and black-and-red threads. What if this variant is from a world where Strange formed The Defenders as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes instead of Stark and Nick Fury leading the charge with The Avengers? It’s a longshot, but it seems like a story worth diving into.

  • ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Confirms the Designation of MCU’s Sacred Timeline

    ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Confirms the Designation of MCU’s Sacred Timeline

    There’s been a surprising amount of discussion on what exactly the name is for the Marvel Cinematic Universe within the universe. As the comics’ main timeline was always called 616, it was given a unique number from fans over the years to make it stand out as a part of the greater multiverse. For years, fans have dubbed it 199999 but it looks like that has now officially changed quite a bit with the arrival of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and his exploration of the multiverse. We’ve now learned that there are indeed two incarnations of the 616 universe out there.

    The article will include spoilers to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If you haven’t seen the film yet, only continue at your own risk.

    Interestingly enough, it would imply that the comic multiverse is not part of this cinematic multiverse. When Strange lands in the universe of the Illuminati, he meets their Variant of Christine Palmer. While they discuss which reality they’re currently visiting, Palmer reveals that they’ve “decided” to designate their universe as the one known as 616. As we’ve seen in Loki, the storyline we’ve followed since the first Iron Man film back in 2008 was called the Sacred timeline, though no clear indication if it’s multiple universes that follow a strict storyline or just one specific one supervised by the TVA. After the events of that Disney+ series, the multiverse was unleashed and it opened the floodgates for Spider-Man: No Way Home and Multiverse of Madness.

    For comic fans, this also opens up a bigger concept in the form that this franchise exists solely within its own multiverse. So, we shouldn’t expect elements from the comics to carry over or even to meet characters that have that kind of history. It’s a clever way of introducing viewers that have no real connection to the comics into this concept, as well as the trend of establishing 616 as the “main” timeline of the multiverse. The passion behind these creatives shows that they want to keep iconic phrasing and concepts from the comics, but the freedom to tell the universe the way they want to moving forward.