Cover Photo By Vincent Yap
Cover Photo By Vincent Yap.

Enter strange new dimensions with “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”


“Everything you’ve ever known led you to this moment.” - Dr. Stephen Strange


By Ralph Regis | Friday, 6 May 2022

Horror cinematic legend Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, The Evil Dead) steps back into the world of superheroes with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, released theatrically in Philippine cinemas on May 4, 2022. 

After the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has opened a gateway into the multiverse. Joining him is Wanda Maximoff, also known as Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), and Wong (Benedict Wong) among others一as they seek to uncover the mysteries of emerging multiversal threats.

There’s a lot to unpack in this latest Doctor Strange outing. So why don’t we stroll down memory lane and check what you need to watch before Doctor Strange goes mad on a trip into the multiverse, shall we?

Heading back to Phase Two of the MCU, Avengers: Age of Ultron fully introduces the character of Wanda Maximoff, alongside her now-deceased brother Pietro Maximoff or Quicksilver. While they are categorized as the “enhanced” rather than mutants, our favorite characters with the mutant genes might be entering the MCU anytime soon. So be on the lookout for that.

Moving on to the arrival of Thanos on Earth and his annihilation of half of the universe’s population takes us into one of the MCU’s most tragic events. Both Doctor Strange and Wanda play integral parts in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, which caused major repercussions in the MCU’s Phase Three and beyond. 

However, more multiverse-shattering escapades arrive in the MCU’s Phase Four; which includes Wanda in WandaVision, multiverse revelations in the final episode of Season 1 of “Loki”, and more of Doctor Strange in Season 1 Episode 4 of “What If…?” and in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Something strange this way comes

After the departure of Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson in helming this sequel, legendary horror director Sam Raimi steps in to take the keys of this franchise. It’s no doubt Raimi was able to bring in his horror and expertise into the MCU, bringing out the best of his style and direction. 

Fans of the original Spider-Man and Evil Dead franchises will be delighted with Raimi’s takes on both horror, suspense, and everything in between. Producer Kevin Feige promised a deeper dive into the horror genre with this sequel, and it did deliver in doing so. From the spellbinding sequences with Doctor Strange and the variants, creatures, and unexpected adversaries he encounters–this breathes new life into the MCU.

Adding Wanda Maximoff into the mix extends her tragic character arc that started in WandaVision. Her character’s motivation that drives her to tap into the Scarlet Witch is definitely a sight to see. We know this isn’t the end of her story, and we’re gladly to see more of her alongside with *ahem* fellow…mutants?

But as promised, this sequel takes a step forward into the multiverse, introducing heroes such as America Chavez, who can travel from different universes as her ability. Making her live-action debut, Chavez debuted in the 2011 Marvel limited series “Vengeance” created by comic book creators Joe Casey and Nick Dragotta

It’s still uncertain which MCU property she might be appearing in next. But there's no doubt that a group of young heroes is on their way to assemble.

Ultimately, the film still has the potential to tap into more of the “madness” so to speak. There were high expectations brought upon by the promise of continuing the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Granted, it delivered a solid story that featured interesting characters with the multiverse adventure as a backdrop, however, it may be a bit underwhelming for some. 

The stakes, compared to the first Doctor Strange film, are definitely higher. However, the payoff still feels lacking in terms of scope. Spider-Man: No Way Home showed you can balance a solid MCU story with cameos on the side. Unfortunately, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness didn’t quite pull this off, executing a somewhat muddy storyline that fell a bit all over the place at times.

Tales of suspense and beyond

In typical MCU fashion, the mid-credits and/or post-credits scenes give us an idea on what to expect even further. Without spoilers, we’re definitely going to see more of Doctor Strange in the near future. Keeping an open mind about the multiverse idea still relatively new in the MCU, always expect the unexpected.

SPOILER ALERT! You have been warned. Perhaps after the first season of “Loki,” this probably gives more room for Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror to play around in future MCU properties. The season finale did tease that he may be the MCU’s next big baddie. His next appearance is in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantuamania, which may tap into the multiverse and the quantum realm next.

“Anything is possible” is an understatement. We’re hoping bigger surprises come in the next chapters of the MCU’s current “multiverse saga.”

Ascend into madness as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently playing in cinemas nationwide.