Here's every update and key detail available on Doctor Strange tells its titular character's magical origin story - a transformation from arrogant but talented surgeon, to arrogant but talented sorcerer.
Doctor Strange has since returned in MCU Phase 4, the time is nigh for another mind-bending trip through the multiverse with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
With director changes, huge rumored cameos, and pandemic delays, Doctor Strange 2 is far from a predictable Marvel movie. Here's what we know so far, including confirmed castings, behind-the-scenes legends, current release plans, and potential villains.
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Sam Raimi Replaces Scott Derrickson As Doctor Strange 2 Director
Though most fans already assumed Marvel had a sequel up its over-sized sleeve, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was officially announced at San Diego Comic Con 2019, with Scott Derrickson once again assuming directorial duties following his work on the original. Derrickson's involvement lasted all of 6 months before he and Marvel parted ways due to creative differences in early 2020. Though fans were bitterly disappointed by another talented director being ousted by the Marvel machine, frustration morphed into excitement when Sam Loki scribe, Michael Waldron.
Every Returning Character In Doctor Strange 2
Most Doctor Strange 2 updates concern familiar faces lined up to return for multiverse madness and, sure enough, much of the first film's main cast are coming back. Benedict Cumberbatch obviously gets another opportunity to don the cape and beard as Doctor Stephen Strange, and he'll be accompanied once again by Benedict Wong's Wong. Rachel McAdams reprises her role as Dr. Christine Palmer (rumored to transition into her super-identity of Night Nurse), and paying off Doctor Strange's post-credits sequence, Chiwetel Ejiofor is back as fallen mystic arts master, "Baron" Karl Mordo. Finally, Michael Stuhlbarg once again portrays Dr. West, a rival surgeon and one of several minor characters from Strange's 2016 debut.
Scarlet Witch Will Appear In Doctor Strange 2
Fresh from causing chaos in Elizabeth Olsen s Benedict Cumberbatch among the lead cast of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, her presence confirmed as early as the SDCC 2019 title reveal. Overwhelmed by the crumbling multiverse, Strange seeks Wanda's help putting things right. Unfortunately for him, predictions of a Scarlet Witch villain turn have been rife for the better part of 2-and-a-half years. WandaVision head writer, Jac Shaeffer, lent her Scarlet Witch insight to Michael Waldron during Doctor Strange 2's writing process (via Collider), maintaining continuity within the MCU, but Scarlet Witch's costume has evolved slightly since her transformation in WandaVision's finale. Wanda's previously-exposed shoulders are now covered by leathery red material, and her fingers have blackened, potentially due to dark magic.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Introduces America Chavez
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness news reports confirm at least one new Marvel comics addition to the MCU roster - America Chavez. Portrayed by Xochitl Gomez, America Chavez made her printed debut in 2011, and is capable of projecting star-shaped inter-dimensional portals, which likely explains her presence in Doctor Strange 2. Adding some much-needed LGBTQ+ representation to the MCU, Chavez was originally lined up for a Spider-Man: No Way Home cameo, but will wait a few more months for her movie debut in Doctor Strange 2 instead.
Rumored MCU Cameos For Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
The Marvel rumor mill went into overdrive for Spider-Man: No Way Home, but at least fans had a vague idea of who might show up for Peter Parker. The potential candidates are far less obvious for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and though the field remains wide open, some frequent names keep getting mentioned. Tom Hiddleston's Loki could feature alongside Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) and Mobius (Owen Wilson), which would make sense given Loki's ending and Doctor Strange 2's Michael Waldron connection. Likewise, Jonathan Majors' multiverse villain Kang is impossible to rule out. Despite Simu Liu's repeated denials (we've heard it all before...), Shang-Chi could show up due to his association with Wong, and other potential MCU cameos include Agatha Harkness, The Watcher, and Captain Carter. On the madder side of the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness rumor spectrum, recurring names include John Krasinski's Reed Richards, James McAvoy's Professor X, and every other living actor who ever appeared in a Marvel-branded movie.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Delays & Release Date
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' release date was initially set for May 2021, before falling victim to the widespread reshuffle triggered by COVID-19 and shifting back 6 months to November. When the pandemic rumbled on, Doctor Strange 2 made way for Spider-Man: No Way Home, and slipped further into the future, this time stopping in March 2022. Marvel pulled another wholesale slate rejig in October 2021, and Strange found himself occupying the May 6, 2022 slot, where Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness currently remains.
Doctor Strange 2 Trailer Reveals What If...?'s Strange Supreme
The first full Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrived tacked onto the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The footage shows Christine Palmer getting married (not to Strange), and unveiled live-action America Chavez for the very first time. Mordo now has longer hair and fights against his Benedict Cumberbatch-shaped nemesis, who's curiously shown using chaos magic elsewhere in the trailer.
By far the biggest headline from the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer, however, is the live-action debut of Cumberbatch as a darker Strange variant - potentially a major new MCU villain. Understandably, many fans are assuming this is Strange Supreme from Disney+'s What If...? - a parallel version of the sorcerer who lost Christine Palmer and destroyed his own universe trying to resurrect her.
Doctor Strange 2 Merch Confirms At Least 2 Strange Variants
And Strange Supreme isn't the only variant in play during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Merchandise reveals (the latest nemesis of Marvel's anti-spoiler division) have seemingly confirmed Defender Strange, who comes wearing a sleeker outfit and a boyband hairstyle. Defender Strange is likely a more heroic version of MCU Strange from another universe - a variant who doesn't ruin teenagers' lives, or upset his coworkers. Or could Defender Strange be a final-act transformation for Prime Strange, who gets a new outfit and fashionable trim before the final battle.
Shuma Gorath Forced To Change His Name For Legal Reasons?
Marvel's multiversal squid, Shuma Gorath, has long been rumored as a villain in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the sequel's trailer confirmed as much, showing Strange and American Chavez fighting the many-tentacled menace outside Sanctum Sanctorum. According to official merchandise, however, live-action Gorath will be known as "Gargantos" - a minor Marvel comic villain with a very similar appearance to his one-eyed cousin. The Gargantos rebranding might've been necessary due to rights issues surrounding Shuma Gorath, with that name appearing first in Conan Comics' The Curse of the Golden Skull.
Danny Elfman Reunites With Sam Raimi Over Superheroes
Few Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness updates were met with the universal glee that followed Danny Elfman's confirmation as composer. The legendary musician collaborated with Sam Raimi on Doctor Strange movie, however, has superhero fans even more hyped for the sorcerer's cinematic return.
