Doctor Strange in Madness’s Multiverse: Everything you need to know before you watch the movie

The wait for Doctor Strange in the Madness Multiverse, the most enigmatic addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is finally over. Directed by Sam Raimi with Benedict Cumberbatch reprising his roles as Doctor Strange and Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff. The film starring Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Xochitl Gomez and more is set to unleash chaos as the MCU moves deeper into the multiverse. At this point, the possibilities are endless. Between Defender Strange, the evil Wanda, and a long list of speculated guests, the film’s trailer revealed a host of details that sparked a number of fan theories. Amid all the anticipation and everything going on elsewhere in the MCU (try following the 27 movies and 5 shows), remembering key details can get tricky.

Doctor Strange 2 is a lot more than just the biggest movie release of the month. It’s a sequel to the 2016 film that introduced the character. It is a sequel to WandaVision and more importantly, it chronicles the aftermath of the mind-bending events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. It’s also an opportunity for Spider-Man director Sam Raimi to flex a bit and channel his signature horror into the MCU. Before hitting theaters to experience magic and madness, here’s a rundown of the key details you must know:

What you need to know about Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff

Doctor Strange in Madness’s Multiverse captures the attention of the top magic users of the MCU – Strange and Wanda. So knowing their whereabouts is essential, duh. While Benedict Cumberbatch’s last appearance was in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Elizabeth Olsen led WandaVision. The first is dealing with fallout from a false spell while the second is seen living in isolation. That’s where they ended up in the MCU. The two have never shared screen space before, but they have a lot in common. In addition to magic, they fought alongside the Avengers in the Battle of Earth against Thanos. Wanda and Strange both confront the Mad Titan in key scenes so it’s no surprise that they already know each other (or at least know each other) and Strange looks to her for help with the multiverse issue. his small.

Doctor Strange is not the supreme wizard, it is Wong!

If you paid attention while watching Spider-Man: No Way Home, you’ll know that Doctor Strange doesn’t currently hold the title of Sorcerer Supreme. That’s right, he’s a neurosurgeon turned neurosurgeon with unparalleled abilities for the mystical arts. He is also credited with saving the world. Technically, he checks all the boxes to take on the role after the Ancient One but he also disappeared for 5 years after Avengers: Infinity War as fans will remember. Meanwhile, Wong has received the title and is expected to keep it after the events of No Way Home.

Wanda mourns the loss of Vision and her sons Tommy and Billy

If you haven’t seen WandaVision yet, we recommend you check out the show before the upcoming movie. The MCU series deciphers Wanda’s tragedy. After Vision’s death at the hands of Thanos, she used her powers to create her own world (aka hex) in which Vision existed and they happily married in a suburban town. small named Westview. The sitcom-esque series follows Wanda enjoying family happiness with Vision and their twin sons Tommy and Billy. In the end, Wanda has to face her cruel reality and it causes quite a bit of emotion.

Wanda has transformed into the Scarlet Witch and possesses the Darkhold

A bit of Wanda’s transformation into Scarlet Witch has important implications for the plot of Doctor Strange 2. The character is already very powerful, but at the end of WandaVision, Wanda discovers the Darkhold, an ancient book of spells. magic from the Dark Dimension. It also has a section dedicated to Scarlet Witch. While Madness’s Multiverse will explore more of her grief (the return of the twins was revealed in the trailers), it will also expand her powers as she possesses knowledge of chaos magic. In the teasers, we also see her fingers turn black just like Agatha’s. The combination of Wanda missing her boys and gaining extra power is pretty dangerous, making her part in the movie all the more compelling.

Marvel’s multiverse has been broken before

The multiverse opened up recently in Marvel’s Phase 4, but it was initially teased by the Ancient One in the first Doctor Strange movie, which was originally Stephen Strange’s origin story. Since then, the concept has been explained in Loki, the 2021 series that introduces variations, and the Time Variance Authority. In the show’s end, the “sacred timeline” breaks down with alternate realities that quickly branch out. When Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror warned of a multiverse war, Sylvie killed him. However, the multiverse doesn’t quite make it into the series, and we’ll likely learn more of its rules in the upcoming film. This concept also appears in WandaVision, If…? and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Doctor Strange’s magic started it all

It all leads to the final moments of Spider-Man: No Way Home. When Peter Parker sought Doctor Strange’s help to make the world forget that he was Spider-Man, Strange cast a spell that inadvertently fractured the multiverse. The result is the appearance of characters from other universes. After all was probably over, Strange asked Wanda to help learn about the multiverse.

Doctor Strange 2 is a direct sequel to No Way Home. The film will see two very powerful characters reflect on their journey and uncover the mysteries of the multiverse. The film will hit theaters on May 6.