Warning: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a multiversal thrill ride that changes the game for Doctor Strange - and presents a number of unanswered questions. The much-delayed movie has finally been released after a director change, reshoots, and a certain global pandemic. After all that time, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seems to be a return to form for Sam Raimi, who hadn't directed a film since 2013's Oz the Great and Powerful before replacing Scott Derrickson on Doctor Strange 2.
The film, written by Michael Waldron and Jade Bartlett, is a continuation of Waldron's work on What If...? series' DNA is present as well, as many of the concepts first introduced in that show make their way into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Of course, questions are bound to spring up out of any movie that juggles so many characters, concepts, and universes. While none of the unanswered questions in Doctor Strange 2 distract from the film's exciting story, some do linger after the credits roll. Here are some of the biggest mysteries raised by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
How Long After WandaVision is Doctor Strange 2?
When Doctor Strange tracks down Wanda Maximoff in the first act of Multiverse of Madness, he catches her in the midst of a scheme to steal America Chavez's multiverse-hopping powers. This begs the question of just how much time has ed since the events of WandaVision. WandaVison's post-credit scene heavily implies the age of time, as Wanda is shown in a cabin studying the Darkhold, but it's clear that even more time has ed since the events of the show. By the beginning of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda has had time to become corrupted by the Darkhold, gain immense power, learn about America Chavez, and formulate a plot to steal the young hero's abilities. This all points to Wanda being on her own for a substantial amount of time, which leads to another question of how no other Avengers became aware of her desperate and dangerous antagonistic turn.
Did Wanda Try to Find Vision After WandaVision?
One of the most interesting aspects of the ending of WandaVision is that White Vision, a copy of the original Vision with his memories intact, is alive in the MCU. While White Vision is not technically the same one Wanda fell in love with, the idea that he has the original Vision's memories implied that there might have been some sort of happy ending for the two characters, or at least a resolution. As Doctor Strange's Scarlet Witch is motivated by a singular desire to be a mother as she was during WandaVision, the lack of mention of White Vision is notable. It's never discussed whether Wanda tried to find White Vision, or vice versa, though a meeting of the two characters would have made sense - and potentially helped steer Wanda away from embracing her Scarlet Witch persona.
How Did America Chavez Get Her Powers?
An exciting newcomer to the MCU, America Chavez (played perfectly by Xochitl Gomez) has a multiverse-skipping superpower that will likely factor into future films in a big way. Considering that much of the film hinged on the fact that Chavez herself didn't understand her powers, the audience was given little more information on how they worked, or how she got them in the first place.
In Marvel Comics canon, America Chavez originally got her powers as a result of living in the Utopian Parallel, a unique dimension outside of the larger multiverse created by the Demiurge. As the Demiurge was a god-like being, America Chavez's star-shaped portals could lead to the live-action debut of the Demiurge itself.
What is Doctor Strange's History with Mordo?
During the course of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Strange visits Earth-838, an Earth in a universe where Thanos was stopped by the Illuminati rather than the Avengers. This was the sequence in which most of the film's exciting cameos were revealed, but one of the most interesting aspects of this segment was the relationship between Strange and Baron Mordo. At the end of the first Baron Mordo reveals he was a friend of Strange's. The most surprising aspect of this sequence, though, is that Strange casually mentions that his universe's Mordo was bent on killing him - something he didn't definitively know at the end of the first film. Did Doctor Strange and Baron Mordo come into conflict between the events of the two films? It seems like a conflict that would warrant its own film, but the MCU appears to have dropped the storyline almost entirely.
Who Made the Ultron Drones?
Another surprising inclusion of the Earth-838 universe was the squad of Ultron drones that escorted Doctor Strange into the Illuminati's meeting room. Ultron was created by Tony Stark in the Earth-616 universe in created the Ultron drones on Earth-838 looms large, though, thanks to the absence of Tony Stark himself in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If Thanos was defeated by the Illuminati, it's likely that Tony Stark would have survived (or avoided) the fight - but if he created the Ultron drones used by the Illuminati, it also stands to reason that he would be a part of the organization. However, he's never mentioned by the Illuminati , neither as an Illuminati member himself or simply as someone who exists in that universe. Unfortunately, it seems as though the creator of Earth-838's Ultron system will remain a mystery.
Will the Illuminati Return?
The first-ever reveal of the MCU's Illuminati was filled with exciting cameos and role reprisals. In addition to bringing Patrick Stewart as Professor X into the MCU, Doctor Strange 2's take on the Illuminati featured Lashana Lynch's Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel, Anson Mount as Black Bolt, Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter, and John Krasinski as Reed Richards. The thrill of seeing these characters was short-lived, however, as they were summarily decimated in a jaw-dropping fight with Scarlet Witch. Despite the excitement that each one of these characters will surely generate, there are no hints given in the film as to whether these actors will suit up as their characters again. It's also not a sure thing that the Illuminati as an organization will make a return to the MCU, though the storied history of the group in the comics would lend itself to many more adventures.
Does Doctor Strange 2 Make What If...? Canon?
From Captain Carter as the First Avenger, to Ultron drones, to zombies, to a corrupted Doctor Strange, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness borrows heavily from Marvel's animated What If...? series. Although the series was confirmed to be canon, the interesting thing here is that there is no sure connection between the What If...? elements in Multiverse of Madness and the show itself. The live-action Captain Carter wears a jetpack while her animated counterpart does not, for example, indicating it's yet a different Captain Carter variant than the one in the animated series. The Ultron drones in What If...? are also bent on dominating the multiverse, while they are obedient servants in Doctor Strange 2. Which, if any, elements from What If...? canonically made their way into Doctor Strange, and which were simply inspired by the animated series?
Why Does Evil Doctor Strange Say He Lost?
Many Doctor Strange variants are either seen or discussed during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but the most tragic one is met toward the end of the film. This evil Doctor Strange, named Sinister Strange in promotional material, has been corrupted by the Darkhold, and resides alone in a universe that suffered an incursion. As the two Stranges talk, evil Doctor Strange says that he "lost" - but what exactly he lost is open for debate.
As evil Doctor Strange mentions, he failed to stop the incursion and save his universe from destruction. He also failed to stop the Darkhold from corrupting him, losing himself despite his good intentions in using the book. It's also clear that this Strange lost any chance of being with his love, Dr. Christine Palmer. Added up, it seems that the clearest answer to the question of what this Doctor Strange lost is, simply, everything. This phase of the MCU is taking care to establish multiversal villains, so there's always a chance Sinister Strange was hinting at something - or someone - even more sinister than himself.
Why Was There Already a Throne for Scarlet Witch?
' Scarlet Witch spends the third act of the film at Wundagore Mountain - a dark location that features a large carving of the Scarlet Witch. While the mountain is set up as a tomb, Scarlet Witch later states that it's a throne - for her. Despite the fact that Scarlet Witch is written about in the Darkhold itself (in WandaVision, Agatha Harkness shows Wanda the Darkhold pages and states that "The Scarlet Witch is not born, she is forged."), little explanation about Wundagore Mountain is given in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness other than that the original dark spells included in the Darkhold were inscribed there.
Importantly, in Marvel Comics canon, Wundagore Mountain is actually the birthplace of the Scarlet Witch, in addition to a prison housing Chthon, the demonic entity and Elder God who wrote the Darkhold. In the comics, Chthon imbues the newborn who would become the Scarlet Witch with some of his essence and thus the ability to do magic. His goal was to create a link between himself and the earthly realm with the intention of using Wanda Maximoff as a physical vessel for his return. While that isn't known to be the origin story for the MCU's Scarlet Witch, it does go a long way toward explaining her throne in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Is This the End of Wanda Maximoff?
Tragically, a final act of redemption sees a heartbroken Scarlet Witch bringing Wundagore Mountain down over her head in an effort to destroy all copies of the Darkhold. It seems as though Doctor Strange 2 marked the end for Scarlet Witch, but will there be an MCU future for Wanda Maximoff? This is, after all, a universe in which having a mountain dropped on one's head isn't necessarily a death sentence, and the Wanda from Earth-838 finishes her story alive and well. Given that White Vision is still alive in the current MCU universe, it would be a shame if Wanda, or a variant of her, didn't return to the fold, even though Earth-616's version seemingly died in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' third act.
Why Does the Darkhold Give Doctor Strange a Third Eye?
The corrupting power of the Darkhold was teased multiple times during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but the Strange of Earth-616 seemed to have escaped the consequences of using it–until the very end of the film, that is. The surprise sprouting of Doctor Strange's third eye made Earth-616's Strange much closer in resemblance to his sinister variant, but why did the Darkhold have that effect on him in the first place? The Scarlet Witch notably had two eyes throughout the film, despite using the Darkhold for far longer, making this aberration seem Strange-specific.
It seems that, like many things in the MCU, the Darkhold-granted third eye is a variation of an origin from the comics. Doctor Strange also has a third eye in the Marvel comics, but that eye is a manifestation of the Eye of Agamotto. Though MCU Doctor Strange still wears the Eye around his neck, that artifact housed the Time Stone, which was destroyed at the beginning of Avengers: Endgame. In the comics, Doctor Strange's third eye granted him a number of other powers, but as the eye is seemingly granted by the Darkhold in the MCU, it would be no surprise if live-action Strange's added perception comes with a dark twist. Either way, the MCU version of Doctor Strange is quickly approaching the same levels of immense power that he possesses in the comics.
Who Was in the Post-Credits?
Finally, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness features a post-credits scene that introduces Charlize Theron as Clea. In the comics, Clea is the niece of Dormammu, the Dark Dimension denizen who features heavily in the story of the first Doctor Strange film. She also has a power set and relationship with Strange that could have a huge implication for the future of the MCU.
Clea is an incredibly powerful being in Marvel Comics, with a power set that combines many of Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch's abilities. In addition to having the ability to copy Doctor Strange's spells, the comic book version of Clea can hurtle energy bolts and create convincing illusions. This could make her a fitting MCU substitute for Multiverse of Madness' Scarlet Witch if Wanda Maximoff is indeed gone for good. Also of huge importance is the fact that in the comics, Clea falls in love with Doctor Strange and the two eventually become husband and wife. Though only time will reveal what place Charlize Theron's Clea will take in the MCU, after the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it looks like she may be poised to take the place of both Wanda Maximoff and Christine Palmer.
