Spoiler Warning: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced Marvel fans to a handful of new, exciting superheroes, though some of these characters, like John Krasinski's version of Reed Richards, AKA Fantastic Four's Mister Fantastic, and Patrick Stewart's reprisal of his role as X-Men founder Charles Xavier, had very brief (and somewhat violent) stints of screen time. Another newly introduced character, America Chavez, portrayed by Xochitl Gomez, was able to survive the merciless attacks of Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and will likely go on to have long, storied runs in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There were also a lot of familiar faces in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, like the aforementioned Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Martian, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) as Karl Mordo, and Benedict Wong (Raya and the Last Dragon, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) returning as the Sorcerer Supreme Wong. However, an actor who MCU fans were perhaps most excited to see a return to the fold was Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Midnight in Paris). She portrays the former love interest and doctoral colleague Christine Palmer.
Here's how Rachel McAdams could be utilized in future Marvel Cinematic Universe projects.
Rachel McAdams' Excellent MCU Performances
When discussing if or how Rachel McAdams could return in future films to reprise her role as Christine Palmer, one must consider the reality of her impressive acting abilities. Though Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is not the type of project in which McAdams would generally find herself starring, she undoubtedly brings emotional weight to the film. She should be commended for her ability to portray real-life feelings while surrounded by laser-shooting witches and extra-eyed sorcerers.
Following the release of the predecessor to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, 2016's Doctor Strange, Rachel McAdams had resigned herself to the fact that her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe would begin and end with a single film. Nevertheless, her character was essential to the plot of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She helped Doctor Strange and America Chavez to flee from the Illuminati compound and protected a vulnerable dream-walking Doctor Strange from getting attacked by the spirits of the damned, all the while putting in a pitch-perfect performance.
Christine Palmer and Doctor Strange's Complicated Relationship
At the beginning of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange begrudgingly attends Christine Palmer's wedding. Marvel fans, who know the history a pre-sorcery Stephen Strange has with Christine, viscerally feel his heartbreak, up until the point where he ditches the wedding to fight a gigantic, tentacled eyeball.
Later in the film, while in the reality of Earth-838, Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange meets a variant of Christine, who works as a scientist for the Illuminati. When the Scarlet Witch attacks the Illuminati compound, brutally slaughtering nearly everyone inside, Christine helps Doctor Strange and America Chavez escape the facility and spends the rest of the film assisting Doctor Strange in his mission to defeat the Scarlet Witch.
Though Strange and Palmer show the beginnings of a rekindled romance, Christine ultimately chooses to stay behind in her universe at the end of the film. However, given the fact that the multiverse will likely continue to be explored in future films, there is certainly another Christine out there for the heartbroken Doctor Strange.
Could (Should) Christine Palmer Get Superpowers?
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It is unfair to pigeonhole the future of Rachel McAdam's Christine Palmer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are infinite realities, and as such, the character has near-infinite potential. In the original universe of Marvel films, Earth-616, Christine is a colleague of Doctor Stephen Strange, and she is his ex-fiance. However, in future films, why does Christine Palmer need to be relegated simply to the role of love interest? The multiverse contains multitudes, and it would be fascinating to see the incredibly talented Rachel McAdams get to play a character with actual powers. In fact, her character could even be an antagonist to Doctor Strange in a different universe, which would create a whole host of exciting moral quandaries for the sorcerer.
There will undoubtedly be another Doctor Strange film at some point in the future, given just how powerful the characters in his circle are and how central they have become to the storylines of the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, the future of Christine Palmer is a bit more up in the air. All that fans of McAdams and the character can do is hope that Marvel creatives will recognize her wide-reaching potential to shake up the storylines of future projects.