Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: In the Multiverse of Madness

  • 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.

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Mid-Credits Explained

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Mid-Credits Explained

    There was a lot to process as the credits began rolling on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but the surprises didn’t stop there. In typical Marvel fashion, an extra scene placed in the middle of the credits revealed a lot of exciting new information about the future of Doctor Strange and the Marvel Cinematic Universe at large. A new character makes her grand debut on the big screen, something sinister appears to be afoot, and Strange dives forehead first into his next mission. It’s all very exhilarating, but for some, it might not be all that easy to comprehend. There are a handful of exciting puzzle pieces at play, so let’s try putting them together to map out what may lie ahead.

    The mid-credits scene follows an ending cliffhanger that involved Benedict Cumberbatch‘s titular hero collapsing to the ground and alarmingly growing a third eye in the middle of his forehead. His screams are cut off by the ending titles, but when the mid-credits spot picks back up, he is once again casually strolling down a New York City sidewalk. All seems fine until a mysterious new figure appears behind him, an apparent mystic arts wielder played by Academy Award winner Charlize Theron. Strange is just as shocked as the audience to see Theron‘s face, but the former Mad Max: Fury Road star doesn’t wait for the bombshell to wear off before informing Stephen that his prior actions have caused an “Incursion” that the two of them must fix. Ready as ever, Strange confidently opens his third eye and jumps with the woman through a portal toward his next adventure.

    While the one-time Aeon Flux lead never gives her name, and Strange never asks for it, any longtime comic book fan could probably deduce her identity based on appearance alone. Theron is portraying Clea, whose signature silver hair and purple attire are both present and over-the-top for the duration of the scene. In the comics, the character is perhaps the most important supporting player in Strange’s circle, outside of the loyal Wong. Originally introduced in 1964, only a year after Strange himself, Clea is the niece of the dreaded Dormammu and heiress of the Dark Dimension. Her mother, Umar, was a higher-dimensional being of energy and the sister of Dormammu, who eventually became trapped in human form and produced Clea with a Dark Dimension disciple named Orini. Cold and calculating, Umar would ultimately use her daughter as bait to lure Doctor Strange into a trap, but the hero instead saved Clea and brought her back to Earth to live and train with him.

    Over the years, the pair would become great partners. Umar and Dormammu’s defeat leads to Clea taking the throne of the Dark Dimension, a role she frequently loses and regains based on story needs, and with Strange’s help, she effectively grows into one of the multiverse’s most powerful magic users. Clea also remains the most significant and longstanding love interest in Doctor Strange’s history. The two even wed at one point, with the mononymous sorceress sometimes using the full name “Clea Strange.” However, their relationship has always been very on-and-off, with the fiercely independent Clea often going on her own to lead rebellions in the Dark Dimension or fulfill her own duties. Most recently, during the events of Marvel’s Death of Doctor Strange, Clea took on the responsibilities of Sorcerer Supreme following Stephen’s apparent demise, doing battle with powerful enemies like Doctor Doom and interdimensional warlords.

    In the MCU, however, it does not appear that Clea will need Strange’s help in becoming a proficient sorceress. Theron‘s take on the character seems to have just as much interdimensional mastery as the good Doctor himself, if not more, implying a lot of her backstory may have already occurred off-screen. Multiverse of Madness does a great job of organically ending Strange’s romance with Rachel McAdams‘ Dr. Christine Palmer, which means the mischievous look he gives Clea before jumping through her portal could be the beginning of a whole new era in Stephen’s MCU love life. It’s not really made clear what the meaning behind Strange’s newest peeper is, but events from the film’s third act would suggest it has something to do with a possible magical corruption caused by fiddling in the Dark Arts. Perhaps getting to know Clea, an expert on Dark Dimension magic, will aid in this development going forward.

    What’s also unclear is how Clea is aware of Strange’s involvement in creating an Incursion, or what she’s been up to that would lead to her needing to stop it. As explained by the movie, an Incursion occurs when two universes collide with each other and temporarily co-exist before being erased from existence. The concept was a major part of Marvel’s 2015 Secret Wars event and has now made its way to the MCU. This little mid-credits scene could potentially be the start of a bigger path that leads to an adaptation of that comic, but for now, it simply appears to set up a third Doctor Strange film with plenty of questions to answer. Who knows, maybe fans will even get another Dormammu appearance out of the deal.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters everywhere.

  • Sam Raimi Reveals How ‘Evil Dead’ Influenced ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ 

    Sam Raimi Reveals How ‘Evil Dead’ Influenced ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ 

    Since it’s very announcement, Marvel Studios has been describing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as their first true foray into the horror genre. As such, it made a lot of sense when the company hired Sam Raimi to replace Scott Derrickson as the film’s director. The iconic filmmaker has experience with both comic book projects and horror movies, and has even mixed the two before in 1990’s Darkman. However, it was apparently his work on the famed Evil Dead franchise that helped him the most throughout filming of Doctor Strange. In a recent interview with Fandom, Raimi explained:

    It was really nice to have the experience of having made those horror films because I could take my knowledge of building suspense and delivering scares, and when it got spooky in Multiverse of Madness, I could apply those techniques.

    Sam Raimi

    The latest MCU film is said to be filled with plenty of ghastly moments and jump scares. Raimi is known for his fast-paced camera work and up-close visuals, which the film’s star Rachel McAdams confirmed in her own quote:

    He’s really great at describing what is happening in his mind’s eye, thank goodness, because, you can see it all sort of swirling in there. And you’re like [whispering] ‘What are we doing? What’s happening?’ And then he’s very good about taking you through the whole day and what this will look like and what’s coming towards you and the build up of a scene and how scary it’s going to be. You sort of start to understand, like, ‘Oh, this is my part in this. And this is how I can help him make it as scary as possible.’ That was kind of fun. And doing super, super tight shots – like, way up in your face! But once you know why, that’s kind of exciting.

    Rachel McAdams

    Fans will see just how terrifying Doctor Strange can be when Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6th.
    News

    Source: Fandom


  • REVIEW: Sam Raimi Did It Again With ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    REVIEW: Sam Raimi Did It Again With ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Sequels aren’t always a sure thing. For every The Empire Strikes Back, there’s a Speed 2. Sequels to superhero films have the benefit of a little more freedom in telling a good story as they are no longer shackled by the weight of the “origin”, but they don’t always hit the mark either. In 2004, Sam Raimi delivered what many consider to be the best superhero sequel of all time in Spider-Man 2. It featured a flawed protagonist and a sympathetic villain; it featured what were, at the time, some of the most well-shot action scenes of any film in the genre. Not just that, but it also featured a story that stirred emotions across the spectrum. In 2022, Raimi has done it again.

    The path to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was about as chaotic as Stephen Strange’s trip through the multiverse in the first act of the film. Scott Derrickson, who helmed 2016’s Doctor Strange was set to be back in the director’s chair, but in January of 2020, Derrickson dropped out of the film when it became clear he and Marvel Studios had two entirely different films in mind. A month or so later, Marvel Studios began putting together a new creative team made up of Michael Waldron, whose work on Loki thrilled the folks at Marvel, and Raimi, who had been out of the superhero game since 2007’s Spider-Man 3. COVID delayed the start of filming and then the film underwent significant additional photography. Perhaps no Marvel Studios film caused more preemptive hand-wringing than this film did, but the end product makes it clear that Waldron, Raimi, and the rest of the team were truly taking their time to deliver the best possible version of this film and that’s exactly what they did.

    Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

    The film opens up in media res and introduces the audience to a Variant Doctor Strange who is protecting Marvel’s newest young hero, America Chavez, from a pretty terrifying demon. Amid a brutal assault on Defender Strange, we learn that this demon is in pursuit of Chavez because it wants her powers, which allow her to travel the multiverse. Chavez and Defender Strange are not only trying to evade the demon but also get their hands on the film’s big MacGuffin, the Book of the Vishanti. When things get ugly, so does Defender Strange, setting the stage for one of the film’s running themes: that no matter what universe we’re in, Stephen Strange is a danger and can’t be trusted. Using a star-shaped multiversal portal, Chavez escapes and finds her way to the MCU’s Prime universe and is under attack once more. After battling the beast, Strange and Wong realize that the source of its power is different from theirs and decided to seek out a magic-user with a similar set of powers: Wanda Maximoff.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the first MCU film that has the Disney Plus series as “required viewing”, especially when it comes to Wanda. While fans could have skipped WandaVision and figured things out as they go along, having been along for the ride is helpful. It’s here, with Wanda, that Marvel makes one of their boldest choices to date: having one of their core Avengers turn heel, just as she did in the comics. Following a brief conversation with Strange, Wanda reveals that she is after Chavez’s powers in order to find a way to reunite with her sons. A conversation between Strange and Wanda leads to a confrontation in which the Scarlet Witch unleashes a shockingly brutal attack on Kamar-Taj, which rounds out the first act of the film, sending Strange and Chavez on their trip through the multiverse.

    Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

    Fans may never know what Derrickson‘s film would turn out to be, but Marvel Studios should be damn glad that Raimi wanted to make this version. From beginning to end, this is a Sam Raimi film. Sure, he’s telling a story within the confines of Marvel Studios’ shared universe, but he’s telling it in classic Raimi fashion and appearing to have a whole lot of fun in doing so. Multiverse of Madness looks like a Raimi film; it delivers his signature (and surprisingly violent) horror; it delivers, most importantly, the most complete and emotionally stirring story of Phase 4. After a decade-plus away, Raimi showed that he understands now, maybe more than ever, that a good superhero story has to have a heart, especially when someone is trying to rip it out.

    Lizzie Olsen’s Scarlet Witch holds nothing back as she attempts to do just that. Much as with Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2, Wanda’s turn as a villain works so well because the audience wants what she wants: for her to have her kids back. Corrupted by the Darkhold, however, the lengths to which Wanda is willing to go to get them back allowed for some of Marvel Studios’ most innovative and interesting action scenes to date where Raimi and crew got to have a whole lot of fun devising fascinating ways to show magic being used on screen. Olsen’s performance continues to demonstrate her total command of the character. It’s the subtle head tilt here, the smirk there, and the changing tones of her voice that come across as truly terrifying.

    Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

    Opposite Olsen and in her way is Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange. Cumberbatch is given much to do here, playing multiple versions of his character, and puts together easily his best turn as the character so far. Following the 2016 origin film, the character hasn’t had much room to grow. Here, Strange’s path through the multiverse, where he learns the stories of other Stranges, forces the hero to look inward, providing the growth necessary to propel the character forward into whatever story he’s placed into on Marvel Studios’ shared tapestry.

    As strong as its lead performances are, the film is enhanced by the knockout performances of Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, and Xochitl Gomez. McAdams is particularly surprising in her return as Christine Palmer, who has much more to do here than one might have expected, including some of the film’s strongest statements about Stephen Strange. It’s the moments like these that Palmer, Wong, and Chavez spend with Strange that build an emotional currency within the audience and a master like Raimi knows just how to spend it. This is a huge film that makes big moves within the MCU, but Raimi manages to balance that with a series of small exchanges between characters that resonate because both the audience and Strange know he is flawed.

    Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

    For the MCU to continue to thrive, the aforementioned big moves need to continue to be made. In that sense, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seems to be to the MCU what Captain America: The Winter Soldier was in 2014. Not only does this film feel as different from its predecessor as Winter Soldier did from First Avenger, but it also comes out swinging with an almost merciless 20-minute deluge of information that’ll be sure to have fans wanting to head right back in for a second showing and heading to Wikipedia after that. If you thought Marvel Studios gave it all away when they teased the Illuminati in a TV spot, you’re sorely mistaken. This film is a game-changer and the most direct setup for the MCU’s next big event film.

    In the end, it all comes back to the magic touch of Waldron and Raimi. They delivered on characters, story, and action to make the most complete film of Phase 4 and maybe one of Marvel Studios’ most complete films to date. Fans of Raimi‘s work will have plenty to smile about as well, with a few references sprinkled in and the obvious influence of Raimi on some of the creature and character designs. Against all odds, he came into a project that seemed to be held together by a thread and by capturing that old magic formula, made one of the best superhero sequels of all time.

  • ‘Multiverse of Madness’, ‘Love and Thunder’ Top Fandango’s Most Anticipated List

    ‘Multiverse of Madness’, ‘Love and Thunder’ Top Fandango’s Most Anticipated List

    While Summer isn’t exactly just around the corner, the Summer movie season is and 2022 is shaping up to be quite the season. The long-awaited sequel to 1986’s Top Gun, another Jurassic Park film and the Buzz Lightyear origin story you didn’t know you needed are among the choices audiences will have this Summer, but according to a poll by Fandango, it’s a pair of Marvel Studios’ films that have audiences most excited.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 6th) and Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8th) were the top two choices in a poll that was voted on by over 6,000 moviegoers. Jurassic Park: Dominion and Top Gun: Maverick were right behind, followed by two animated films in Pixar’s Lightyear and Dreamworks’ Minions: The Rise of Gru. Elvis, Jordan Peele’s Nope, Bullet Train and Downton Abbey: A New Era rounded out the top 10, all of which should be incredibly successful at the box office.

    Even in a Summer where Tom Cruise’s return as Maverick is in the cards, it’s not surprising to see two Marvel Studios’ projects top the list. The Doctor Strange sequel’s perceived connection to the story of the wildly successful Spider-Man: No Way Home has driven advance ticket sales; meanwhile, the mystery surrounding the fourth Thor film hasn’t taken away interest. Even as critics continue to pump out think pieces about superhero fatigue, superhero films still top the list for audiences.

  • Review: Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ Doctor Strange Supreme Pop!

    Review: Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ Doctor Strange Supreme Pop!

    Marvel Studios first canonical animated series, What If…?, introduced fans to a Variant of Doctor Strange whose life turned out quite differently than the one from the Sacred Timeline. This version, who couldn’t bare to live in a world without Christine Palmer, sacrificed everything, including his universe, to find a way to keep her alive. Doctor Strange Supreme became one of the most powerful figures in the Marvel Studios Multiverse and now, ahead of his rumored return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, you can add a fantastic looking Funko Pop of the character to your collection.

    Much like the Star-Lord T’Challa figure, Strange Supreme comes with a nice stand that allows him to levitate amongst your collection.

    Marvel's What If Doctor Strange Supreme Pop! Vinyl Figure

    The Strange Supreme Funko can be ordered from Entertainment Earth by clicking here for $11.99 and become a part of your own Multiverse of Madness!

    Murphy’s Multiverse is an Entertainment Earth affiliate.

  • Sam Raimi Addresses the Possibility of Working on More Spidey With Tobey Maguire

    Sam Raimi Addresses the Possibility of Working on More Spidey With Tobey Maguire

    Spider-Man: No Way Home saw Tobey Maguire suit up as Spidey after a 15-year hiatus from the role. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was helmed by director Sam Raimi, who returned to the comic book genre 15 years after his Spidey trilogy wrapped up in theaters. With both players back in the game, fans have clamoring for a reunion between the two in another Spider-Man film. According to Raimi, that possibility is NOT out of the question.

    I’ve come to realize after making Doctor Strange that anything is possible, really anything in the Marvel universe, any team-ups. I love Tobey. I love Kirsten Dunst. I think all things are possible. I don’t really have a story or a plan. I don’t know if Marvel would be interested in that right now. I don’t know what their thoughts are about that. I haven’t really pursued that. But it sounds beautiful. Even if it wasn’t a Spider-Man movie, I’d love to work with Tobey again, in a different role.

    Samuel M. Raimi

    The prospect of the two reuniting for a fourth Spidey film is tantalizing, especially given the sour taste left in the mouths of Raimi and the fans after 2007’s Spider-Man 3. Despite the critical response to Morbius being less than pleasant, Sony seems committed to continuing to develop films with their Spider-Man characters. Perhaps a Raimi/Maguire reunion would help bring a little positivity back to their corner.

    Source: Fandango

  • The Witch’s Road: What’s Next for Wanda Maximoff

    The Witch’s Road: What’s Next for Wanda Maximoff

    One could argue that few characters have had a more difficult and emotionally scaring tale told in the MCU than Wanda Maximoff. To date, Wanda’s story has been heavily shaped by loss: her brother, her love and, most recently, her twin sons. Despite the loss, Wanda has perseverated, however, and after 4 major film appearances and the Disney Plus series WandaVision, she’s only just starting to truly understand who she is.

    First introduced in a post-credit scene to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Wanda’s origins were explained briefly in Avengers: Age of Ultron where it was explained that she, and her twin brother, Pietro, were given powers as a result of experimentation with the Mind Stone at the hands of Baron Strucker. In true comic book fashion, that origin was heavily retconned in WandaVision when it was revealed to Wanda that she had always possessed the ability to wield Chaos Magic-an ability that was simply enhanced by the Mind Stone-as she was the embodiment of the mythological Scarlet Witch, a being capable of spontaneous creation. Already incredibly powerful, Wanda began her studies of the Darkhold, a book which not only prophesied her ascension to a level of power great than that of the Sorcerer Supreme, but also her destruction of the world. This is the Wanda fans will next see in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and she’s a far cry from the orphan first introduced in 2015.

    Unsurprisingly, her path in the MCU is deeply-rooted in Marvel Comics. While she was once the mutant daughter of one of Marvel’s most powerful villains, modern day Wanda’s comic book story, like her MCU counterpart, has been heavily retconned. No longer a mutant, Wanda is a born witch whose powers were amplified by scientific experimentation, though in the comics it was the High Evolutionary who did the work. Her powers were inherited from her mother, the previous holder of the title “Scarlet Witch” and her maternal grandfather, the “Scarlet Warlock.” This “new” family history was explored in James Robinson’s Scarlet Witch solo series, which ran for 15 issues from December 2015 through February 2017, a series which fans of the character may wish to explore, or reexplore, as they prepare for the character’s post-MOM chapter.

    While we haven’t seen her character arc in Multiverse of Madness unfold just yet, the trailers and plot rumors have given us a good sense of what to expect in the film: Wanda’s continuous studies of the Darkhold, where she seeks for an answer of how to get her sons back, have corrupted her and, in combination with her incredible powers, made her a threat to anyone who might stand in her way. Without delving too deeply into spoilers, it’s safe to say from the trailers that she’s not necessarily there to support Stephen Strange. Skipping through that heavy spoiler territory, recent rumors have her surviving the film and appearing in a pair of projects over the next several years. The firsts of those projects, a solo Scarlet Witch project, is rumored to go into production at some point in 2023 and could well be an adaptation of Robinson’s Marvel Comics’ series.

    Such a story would certainly further into her past, only briefly glimpsed in flashbacks in WandaVision, and potentially involve the return of Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness, a witch whose long life-span would make her perfectly suited to lead Wanda through further explanation of her true nature: after all, fans only know that Wanda IS the Scarlet Witch, but not what the really means about her outside of being extraordinarily powerful. In the comics, Wanda’s journey lead her to the Witches’ Road, an alternate plane of existence accessible only to powerful mages, where she faced numerous dangers and discovered the true nature of Chaos magic and witchcraft.

    Robinson’s solo series is a wonderful character study that is ripe for adaptation in the MCU. It would allow for all sorts of interesting characters to be introduced and all sorts of wild visuals and explorations. It could also, if done correctly, lead Wanda down one very specific road that leads to another incredibly powerful magic user…but that’s a story for another day, or for the adaptation of The Children’s Crusade.

  • The Scarlet Witch’s Powers Will Be on Full Display in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    The Scarlet Witch’s Powers Will Be on Full Display in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Over the course of the 9-episode streaming series WandaVision, fans saw Wanda Maximoff go on a powerful and emotional journey of self-discovery and unlock an enormous amount of abilities that she was previously unaware she could wield. When the series concluded, Wanda had become the Scarlet Witch and was studying the Darkhold in search for the power to bring back her children. As incredibly powerful as she was in Avengers: Endgame, there’s no doubt she’s powered up since.

    The newly dubbed Scarlet Witch is set to play a major role in Marvel Studios next theatrical release, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and, as the trailers have shown, she looks to be even more powerful yet. In an interview with Empire Magazine, Marvel Studios producer Richie Palmer teased that Lizzy Olsen’s Wanda may prove to be a more powerful sorceress than Stephen Strange.

    I don’t know who’s more powerful than Wanda. Meeting the Wanda Maximoff at the end of Endgame would have been a lot for Strange. Who comes out on top as the most powerful being in the universe? Maybe we find out at the end of the movie.

    Richie Palmer

    It’s an interesting juxtaposition set by Palmer and one that seems to place the two characters, who as Palmer points out, have not really spent much time together, on opposite sides of things despite Strange seeking out Wanda’s help. Of course, the trailer has hinted at Strange and Wanda not seeing things from the same perspective and with Wanda continuing to study the Darkhold, it’s increasingly likely that she’ll be changed by its dark powers. And so while Palmer promises that we’ll get to see Wanda unleash her powers in the upcoming film, fans are left wondering what her own personal endgame is and if she and Strange might not find out who is more powerful through a good, old-fashioned duel.

    So who is more powerful? Fans don’t have long to wait now as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to debut on May 6, just less than 2 months away!

  • ‘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