Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: 5 Most Anticipated Storylines

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to be arguably the most important entry to the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe since Avengers: Endgame (2019). The sequel to the 2016 origin story, Doctor Strange, will have universe-altering stakes, considering the state of the MCU. Although this is only Strange’s second solo film, he’s played a massive role in four other films since his debut; his latest appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home prompted the multi-versal problems he will experience throughout The Multiverse of Madness.

The multiverse is a storyline that Marvel has been building throughout Phase 4 and will likely continue to spiral out of control, even after Strange’s efforts to remedy its instability. Wanda, aka Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), introduced audiences to the multiverse in Wandavision by magically disrupting reality in a small town called Westview. Following Wandavision, Loki dove deep into the many timelines that exist in the universe and the “keepers” of the sacred timeline that protects one reality from a multitude of unpredictable possibilities. What If...? saw many of those possibilities realized in hypothetical, animated episodes; however, Multiverse of Madness will bring similar multi-versal consequences to the bring screen. As seen in the trailers, Doctor Strange will have his work cut out for him against interdimensional monsters, variants of heroes and villains from MCU past, and even variants of himself.

5 The MCU Illuminati

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — Marvel Studios

Rumors and fan theories have run wild among the endless possibilities that a multiverse-focused film brings to the MCU, but none are more exciting than the arrival of the MCU’s own Illuminati. While we already know some form of Marvel’s secret society will, according to Collider, make its debut in Multiverse of Madness, which characters specifically make up the group has been highly theorized and debated.

Patrick Stewart’s Professor X will reprise his role from the X-Men franchise as indicated by his voice-over in the latest trailer; his introduction is likely to commence a mass emergence of other mutants and X-Men characters as Marvel integrates recently acquired Fox characters into the MCU. Baron Mordo (or a variant of the character from Doctor Strange) and Haley Atwell’s Captain Carter are two highly probable candidates, as well. Looking to the comics suggests an Iron Man variant (rumored to be played by Tom Cruise), leader of the Inhumans, Black Bolt, and the MCU’s first Fantastic Four member, Reed Richards, could round out the council. While everything is speculative until the movie releases, fans will be pleasantly surprised by whichever characters are introduced as Illuminati members.

4 The Return of Baron Mordo

As previously stated, Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a potential member of the MCU Illuminati; however, the trailers show a character with different motivations than the villain hell-bent on eliminating all sorcerers in Doctor Strange. This has sparked theories that the Mordo shown in the trailer is a variant, but will the original Mordo also appear and wreak havoc for Doctor Strange among other adversaries? It’s hard to imagine, considering how many antagonists are slated for Multiverse of Madness; but seeing Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor share the screen again will be a welcome sight for fans regardless of their on-screen relationship. Perhaps Multiverse of Madness furthers the divide amongst the two sorcerers, setting up a climactic showdown in a third film; or maybe they’re forced to work together to save their dimension. We’ll soon know the answer and the future of Baron Mordo in the MCU.

3 Wanda and The Scarlet Witch

We last saw Wanda in hiding, isolating herself from anyone she could potentially harm while grieving the loss of her family in the final episode of WandaVision. Her grief, anger at a world that’s consistently harmed her, and desperation to regain what she lost, may push her to become a villain in Multiverse of Madness. Reading and practicing the magic of The Darkhold, a forbidden and powerful book of dark magic, may have corrupted Wanda’s morale compass and turned her against anyone standing between her reclaiming her family. The question is whether this inner conflict within Wanda is enough to make her a full-fledged villain and the main antagonist of Multiverse of Madness. It’s also possible that a Wanda variant or the Scarlet Witch entity itself is revealed as the villain at some point in the film.

2 Introducing America Chavez

America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) is set to play a huge role in Multiverse of Madness as a sidekick helping Doctor Strange navigate the multiverse. Her powers include interdimensional travel, making her a key asset to the film and future films dealing with aspects of the multiverse. Chavez is a relatively new character, debuting in 2011’s limited comic book series, Vengeance; introducing Chavez in Multiverse of Madness will allow her name to be built up throughout phase 4, with larger plans like a Young Avengers film possibly over the horizon. Wanda’s twins from Wandavision join a growing list of Young Avengers characters popping up throughout the MCU; Chavez could play a key role in reuniting them with their mother and bringing them back to the MCU for good.

1 Major Character Death?

Multiverse of Madness being touted as such an important MCU film by Marvel President Kevin Feige spells danger for many of its beloved characters. Many fans have theorized that either one of the films leads, Wanda or Doctor Strange, will not survive its tumultuous plot. While the importance of these two characters to the future of the MCU makes it unlikely that they will perish in Multiverse of Madness, it is possible that we’ll see some on-screen deaths of both main protagonists and side characters that have been longtime MCU constants. Considering how many variants of Doctor Strange there are in the trailer, who’s to say the Strange we know and love won’t lose his life, but be replaced in the main timeline and future MCU entries by a variant of himself; The same goes for Wanda. More precarious is the fate of Doctor Strange’s right-hand man, Wong (Benedict Wong) who appears to be in grave danger throughout the trailer. This is exactly the kind of loss that could torment Stephen Strange and cause him to be more thoughtful in his actions in future MCU stories.