Doctor Strange within the Multiverse of Madness got here to theaters Friday, with director Sam Raimi returning to Marvel for the primary time since his Spider-Man trilogy wrapped up in 2007. An encounter with new hero America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) forces the previous Sorcerer Supreme to step exterior the acquainted Marvel Cinematic Universe and discover different realities, and search help from fellow Avenger Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen).
“Even if the nominal hero of the movie feels somewhat misplaced, a robust central chase retains the narrative transferring and the combination of journey, horror and motion is balanced with a swagger worthy of cocky superhero Doctor Strange himself,” CNET’s Rich Knightwell stated in his overview.
These occasions happen after the occasions of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which noticed Strange serving to Peter Parker after Mysterio revealed the teenager’s secret identification to the entire world.
It’s time to see how Doctor Stephen Strange’s journey within the Multiverse of SPOILERS wraps up. We even have a separate article diving into the post-credits scenes, if these intrigued you, a have a look at the Illuminati and a listing of WTF questions the film left us with.
Scarlet Witch, corrupted
Determined to reunite along with her magically created sons Billy and Tommy after dropping them within the WandaVision finale, Wanda Maximoff has taken America Chavez to her drafty Scarlet Witch temple on the high of Mount Wundagore.
She’s been corrupted by the Darkhold, a ebook of forbidden magic, and begins casting a spell to steal America’s energy to create portals between realities — which is somewhat imply, since it will show deadly for the brand new hero.
Wanda Maximoff will not be getting her Avengers membership card renewed any time quickly.
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However, doing so will permit Wanda to cross right into a actuality the place her boys exist. Previously, she’d solely been in a position to enter that universe via darkish magic referred to as dream-walking, which allowed her to briefly take over the physique of her counterpart on Earth-838, work together along with her sons and hunt our heroes.
It looks like Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong) has been killed, since Wanda dropped him off a cliff after he tried to cease her plan to sacrifice America.
Undead Strange
Strange and the Earth-838 variant of his ex-girlfriend Christine Palmer are trapped in a actuality the place Sinister Strange — a warped model of him who tapped into that world’s Darkhold — brought about an apocalyptic occasion.
They defeat that world’s Strange, leaving him impaled on a fence, and MCU Strange makes use of the Darkhold to dream-walk into the corpse of Defender Strange — a model of him who’d been killed whereas serving to America.
Extremely badass.
Marvel Studios
This forbidden act prompts the spirits of the damned to hunt Strange, however the undead hero manages to tame the wraiths and turns them into an superior shadowy cloak — I might have an motion determine of this.
Confronting Wanda
Since there was no approach being thrown off a mountain was going to kill Wong, he manages to climb again as much as the temple simply as his corpse-inhabiting pal arrives. They free America, who sends Wanda to Earth-838 and exposes her evil to that actuality’s Billy and Tommy.
Seeing how a lot her entire “demonic witch” vibe upsets the boys makes Wanda understand the horror she’s wrought. Returning to the MCU, she tears down her temple, destroying the Darkhold in each actuality and seemingly crushing herself. It’s a tragic finish for the previous Avenger, who’s actually had a troublesome time in life.
A contented ending?
Strange components methods with Earth-838 Christine, admitting that he all the time liked her MCU counterpart. At magical temple Kamar-Taj, America learns the mystic arts — presumably as a way of controlling her actuality hopping talents. Strange bows earlier than Wong, apparently accepting him as the brand new Sorcerer Supreme.
Strange fixes the flowery watch Christine gave him on one in every of their early dates, suggesting he is transferring on (no less than I hope so, since she’s married). Seemingly content material, he strolls alongside the New York City road till a 3rd eye sprouts in the midst of his brow, confirming that he is been corrupted by the Darkhold.
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Is Wanda lifeless?
It certain seems to be like Wanda misplaced her life as she destroyed the temple and Darkholds throughout the multiverse, however her standing as a strong magic wielder leaves the door open for her return — her horrible deeds may very well be blamed on the Darkhold corrupting her thoughts. WandaVision additionally created the chance that her lover Vision may come again, and he is perhaps keen to trace her down.
Wanda’s arc on this film echoes the funny story the place grief over her misplaced, magically created sons brought about her to create the House of M, an alternate actuality the place mutants dominated, and the next Decimation, the place she wiped the powers of most of Earth’s mutant inhabitants. She was in the end redeemed, so her MCU counterpart may observe that path.
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Is Strange evil now?
No, the mid-credits scene robs this cliffhanger of any pressure by displaying him strolling down the road once more and calmly opening his third eye when he meets Clea.
We may see him grappling with the Darkhold’s corruption in a later look although. It’s unclear the place he’ll present up subsequent, however Agatha Harkness — former proprietor of the Darkhold — is getting her personal Disney Plus present someday sooner or later. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania additionally looks like it will proceed the multiverse plotline when it comes out subsequent February.