Spoiler Warnings: Disney+’s Loki & WandaVision, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Avengers: Endgame

Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness is set to hit theaters in just a month, and the rumors and theories about the film’s potential plot are already doing rounds. As given away by the title, the sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange will open the doors to the multiverse after Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home set the stage for the same. But this movie will delve deeper into the horrors of the multiverse and its unprecedented consequences, which Strange has earlier teased that it’s something he isn’t entirely informed about.

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With almost every major character, such as the Fantastic Four, The Defenders, and X-Men, rightfully reverted to Marvel Studios, the concept of the multiverse allows the studio to merge, intersect, or crossover events from other franchises with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, expanding and far-stretching the boundaries and limitations of the MCU well beyond the films and television productions that the franchise has produced for more than a decade.

While there have been mentions and small revelations of the multiversal branch, along with a detailed introduction of the concept in What If…? within the MCU, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will directly dive into alternate realities, interacting with several variants of a character and intersecting them with the original sacred timeline set on Earth-616.

Given that the film, through its exploration of alternate fictional realities featuring Marvel Comics characters, can change the course of the franchise, there’s no denying that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be an important film in terms of storytelling and the setup it leaves for the future.

We discuss what led to this “Madness,” what aspects of it this film will cover, and how it can sail the franchise ahead, making the Doctor Strange sequel the most important film in the franchise.

Tying up to WandaVision & No Way Home

     Marvel Studios

The film is a direct continuation of multiple MCU projects. It was confirmed in 2019 that the Disney+ original WandaVision would have a direct tie-in with Doctor Strange 2, and during the Disney Investors Day Event 2019, Feige officially revealed that the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home will factor into the film. While we have seen in the trailers that Strange goes to Wanda at the same cabin where she confided herself at the end of WandaVision, we also saw that the trailer also directly picks up from Wong’s warning to Strange about casting the spell to help Peter.

However, despite having the most common elements in the story and themes, Multiverse of Madness and Loki’s interlink is still a mystery. Though Feige was quick to address that the series would align with the film, later, these connections were possibly removed. Neither Feige nor any other member involved in these two projects has since commented on the status of Loki’s connections with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse. This could possibly be due to the fact that at the time the said connection was talked about, the film was being helmed by Scott Derrickson and writer Jade Halley Bartlet. However, the creative differences between Marvel and Derrickson led the latter to depart the project. Sam Raimi, the original Spider-Man director, was then brought on board, with Michael Waldron rewriting the script. But still, there are obvious reasons why the film and the series should tie up, as it will best explain the crack-opening of the multiverse in the MCU.

Loki’s Depiction of Multiversal Branch Openings

     Disney Platform Distribution 

The foremost reason that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the most important MCU film is that it would finally explain what has truly caused the collapse of multiple realities. And Loki’s depiction of the multiversal branch openings seemed a valid reason for the same.

In the series finale, we are met by He Who Remains, a variant of the villainous Kang the Conqueror. He Who Remains has used his powers to control the sacred timeline all along via his hierarchical unit of Analysts, Agents, Judges, and Hunters called Time Variance Authority. However, in the end, when Sylvie kills He Who Remains, just as he had warned, his variants from other universes, all aware of the multiverse and hell-bent on defeating each other, begin to take over the other timelines in an all-out multiversal war. The scene where the sacred timeline enters a continuous collapse depicts how various branched timelines are coming into existence while Loki fears the impending threat. The show ended with Loki trapped in the timeline where Kang (presumably) was directly controlling the TVA and hence the timeline.

Given that Kang is one of the beings who have surpassed TVA’s abilities to prune timelines and their entities and that he’ll be serving as the main villain in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, it’s most probable that He Who Remains’ death will be the biggest factor in causing the multiverse to open up on Earth. Moreover, both Loki and the Multiverse of Madness are penned by screenwriter Michael Waldron, making the chances of the two stories connecting more feasible. Waldron has not confirmed any links between Loki and Multiverse of Madness; however, since Loki Season 1 Finale, there has been speculation about the former titular character appearing in the film.

It’s possible that Multiverse of Madness will delve into this particular incident, which shall explain the true consequences of the said multiversal war, which shall then tie up to Quantumania.

Are Crucial MCU Sequences Synced?

Per the theories and fan speculations, the crucial sequences in three MCU projects, WandaVision, Loki, No Way Home, and the post-credits sequence in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, are somehow synced. These sequences include Wanda reading the Darkhold while her kids call for her; the death of He Who Remains and the branching of the sacred reality; and the near-collapse of Strange’s identity spell.

The original theory was that Wanda would try to bring her children into reality out of love for them, only to discover they are fragments of Mephisto, making her a secondary villain in Multiverse of Madness while introducing Mephisto after a tease of his fly-like form in WandaVision. But then, Loki took the idea of the multiverse in an entirely different way. The TVA was primarily responsible for keeping every being and event within a single timeline while eliminating others. It was only after the death of He Who Remains that the timeline became open to external threats, branching off multiple alternate realities.

No Way Home did bring the real consequences of a branched timeline to the forefront. However, given that Strange could close that loop by the end of the film, that event is the least likely to be blamed for the multiverse. The trailers have previously alluded to Strange’s idea of erasing people’s memories of Peter’s identity as a possible reason for the collapse of multiversal boundaries; however, the trailer’s abundance of Easter eggs and hints makes it impossible to determine specific causes of the multiverse. Nonetheless, one can hope that the Multiverse of Madness will finally provide an answer.

What Led to the Multiversal Opening?

     Marvel Studios 

The multiverse as a concept has always existed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The word was first mentioned in the 2016 film and the Multiverse of Madness’ predecessor, Doctor Strange. The talk of multidimensional realities was a bit confusing at the time, but Strange’s peculiar use of the Eye of Agamotto, or the Time Stone, proved that time and space are volatile in the MCU. Then, Hulk’s visit to the Ancient One in Avengers: Endgame proved that the awareness of parallel realities scarcely existed among the sorcerers. However, it’s pretty clear that the impact of two universes colliding on the current singularity could be devastating.

However, until Endgame, the multiverse was a facet that none of the stories touched upon in detail. But in Avengers: Endgame, the discussion between Hulk and Ancient One provided an insight into how multiple realities are formed and a new, unique take on the sci-fi concept of time travel. Since that movie, a few sequences, such as Loki escaping his timeline and Steve Rogers staying back in the past to live out his days, have led to theories that these events have potentially left gaps in the timeline, causing the multiverse to open in the first place. While the former sequence was later explored in Disney+ original, Loki, there’s no telling what Rogers did in his newfound life.

Even after No Way Home’s explicit take on the consequences of a multiversal collision, there’s no concrete proof to suggest the real reason for this impending threat to the MCU’s sacred timeline. There’s no answer to who is to blame for the multiverse.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be essential as it will be the film that allows Marvel Studios to crack open the doorway for more stories from the comic books to make their journey into live-action. Not just that, the film will also be important because it will connect to a yearlong streak of projects from Marvel in its MCU Phase Four, all of which have been cordially interlinked. And that’s just the first aspect of the film’s significance, as it would not just tie up the past but also pave the way for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Patrick Stewart’s Cameo

     20th Century Fox

The trailer for Multiverse of Madness hinted at an appearance from a veteran X-Men actor, Patrick Stewart. Once Stewart confirmed his involvement, it was clear that Marvel Studios had been planning a crossover with the X-Men films made under Fox’s banner before Disney acquired the company.

Up until now, Stewart has not shown up in any footage, but he is playing Professor X from the X-Men films. The character would probably feature as a member of the Illuminati. The organization consists of Mister Fantastic, Professor X, Namor, Black Bolt, Iron Man, and Doctor Strange, forming a United Nations-like body of superheroes. There’s no clue as to what purpose the society serves in the MCU; however, Marvel will probably establish the existence of the Illuminati in a retcon, just like it first debuted in the comics.

Even if the iteration of Professor X isn’t the same person who we’ve always seen in the X-Men films, there’s still hope for references to the mutants in the movie. Though Patrick Stewart’s Professor X died in Logan, we’ve seen those characters crossing over from an alternate reality can jump from any given point in their world to an entirely different point of time in the other world. That’s why the villains in No Way Home appeared from different points in time, even if they were dead in their own universes.

The voice cameo in the trailer from Stewart is the first official X-Men tease in the MCU, and a movie based on the mutants is already in the works. And Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could be the key to bringing those characters within the MCU while also keeping the legacy of the X-Men films intact. This would be a huge fan service as many of those portrayals, such as Stewart’s Professor X, are all-time fan favorites.

Illuminati: Retconning to Its Existence

Talking about the Illuminati, Multiverse of Madness could also be the retcon required to justify the Illuminati tease in Iron Man 2. In that movie, when Tony Stark decides to hack into Hammer’s presentation in court, a logo among his phone’s apps resembles the sign of the Illuminati. The particular reference must’ve been a playful inclusion from the makers at the time, when MCU was still in its infancy, with its plans not so far-fetched to go on for a decade. Probably at the time, the studio never thought that the franchise would lead up to a point where the Illuminati would become of great significance in the story.

Now that it’s happening, we might see Marvel retconning that tease into the franchise and establish a logical reason for the same. Marvel has often retconned events to make sense of the continuation, be it through Marvel One-Shots, or sometimes through Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., or even by announcing it in retrospect. Given that a version of Tony Stark is a member of the organization, the studio might try to bring that moment full circle in the MCU, thus successfully establishing Illuminati in the MCU’s shared continuity. It will be interesting to see how Multiverse of Madness handles it in the film.

What If…?: The Near Collapse of Multiverse

An essential plot point for the film would be to have Marvel’s anthology What If…? become canon for the franchise, with animated elements from the series debuting in live-action in the movie. We have already seen zombie variants of Wanda and Stephen, the character of Gargantos (based on Shuma-Gorath), and a hint of Captain Carter (in the film’s poster) in the early promos of Multiverse of Madness. Then there is the confirmed appearance of evil Supreme Strange from the anthology and the depiction of the collapse of realities directly drawn from the series, almost guaranteeing the series’ direct tie-up to the film. And, because both the film and What If…? feature the ultimate collision of alternate realities, there’s a good chance we’ll see What If…? story elements in Multiverse of Madness.

The film will be of huge merit if it successfully integrates the ideas from What If…? into live-action. From the film’s early trailers, it appears that What If…? was an experiment by Marvel Studios to realize the true potential of introducing multiverse as a concept into the ever-expanding MCU, and now, Multiverse of Madness will revitalize that vision in live-action, bringing that concept into the franchise’s future.

Will Endgame Factor into Doctor Strange 2?

Endgame ended on a heavy but satisfactory note, giving numerous stories spanning twenty-two movies a culmination and ending an era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But how Endgame adapted a distinct version of fictional time travel still draws questions. And now that time and space are becoming almost impossible to comprehend in the franchise, it’s important that the events of Endgame factor into Multiverse of Madness.

Among these events is Steve’s idea to skip his cue during the time jump and decide to spend his life in the past. The repercussions of Steve staying back and marrying Peggy will create a branching timeline where she won’t marry her actual husband, thus leading TVA to prune the timeline. Similarly, the death of the 2014 version of Thanos in 2023 should also create an alternate reality where Thanos doesn’t live past the said year, thus changing the course of events massively. In both cases, the TVA should have pruned those timelines, but since Steve spent his whole life in the past and grew old, he was either convinced or got past TVA. Yet, it will always create an alternate universe.

The idea of TVA and its work is vague. We know that the organization was a facade, and the agents and hunters are variants themselves. Moreover, it wasn’t the most effective organization and failed to catch variants and prune alternate timelines. Either Cap’s venture into his past life was all a part of the sacred timeline, or he was smart enough to evade TVA throughout. Whatever happened in that timeline, Multiverse of Madness may not really sink into it, but it would be better if it factored in those events and gave the audience something to connect the dots and fill the gaps in the timeline(s).

Multiverse as a Concept Works in the MCU

Until now, TVA has done whatever it can to prevent any branches in the timeline. If anyone does a thing that’s not pre-written by He Who Remains, he charges the TVA to prune that person as a variant and prune his newly created timeline with its objects, thus, eradicating its existence in its entirety. Hence, there was almost no interference from an alternate reality in the ongoing MCU lore set in Earth-616. But with the TVA gone, He Who Remains dead, and no one to control the fate of the timeline, the universe is vulnerable to forces from other universes.

There are coincidental events from WandaVision, Loki, No Way Home, and probably new ones from Doctor Strange 2, all of which explain the multiverse concept to the MCU fans. And Multiverse of Madness will be the anchor of that education. The rules of the multiverse after Loki have significantly changed, and it is up to the master of the mystic arts and his associates to either neutralize that change or revert the status quo to him. Whatever the outcome, it’s very crucial, making Multiverse of Madness a significant entry in the franchise.

Uatu and America Chavez

     Marvel Comics

America Chavez’s role in the Multiverse of Madness will be of importance, and she could be Strange’s key to solving the equation to balance the multiverse. The character has the ability to open star-shaped portals to other universes, and it’s possible that Chavez would fill in for Strange’s incomplete knowledge of the multiverse.

As for Uatu, the character may not appear in the film but has been featured in What If…? alongside the Supreme Strange variant (as well as others). Since the latter appears in live-action in Multiverse of Madness, and What If…? officially led Uatu/The Watcher to give up on his “should not, cannot, and will not” rule, it would not be a surprise to have Jeffrey Wright appear as The Watcher among many teased cameos.

Multiverse of Madness is said to bridge a gap between alternate universes. With America Chavez’s confirmed appearance, the film will use her as the central character to explore all those teases from What If…?

It Will Shape the MCU’s Future

Given its nearly 2 hours of runtime, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse may not go into the deepest details of the multiverse and the characters featured in alternate realities. Still, it surely will introduce the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a newer, wider, and more complex world of characters, both new and old. As Kevin Feige has quoted, the film will make Strange “the new anchor of the MCU,” possibly making him the contact point for various universes now at play in the vast shared continuity.

From here on, the multiverse would be centric to the MCU stories and would probably serve as a drum roll for Kang’s reveal in Quantumania. As a result, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would be saddled with a slew of responsibilities and fan expectations. Especially after No Way Home gave everything that fans had hoped for.

Given the film’s responsibilities towards fans and the MCU’s future plans, and its role as a medium for fans to understand the multiverse and answer their lingering questions, Multiverse of Madness will be of huge importance even in the future of the franchise.