This article includes Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness spoilers.
With fans clamoring for leaks and spoilers, Marvel Studios may find it impossible to keep the biggest surprises in their films hidden. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parkers were recently chopped out of the final battle in Spider-Man: No Way Home trailers to preserve the worst-kept secret in blockbuster history.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the MCU’s most recent highly anticipated release, gave away a lot of key shocks in its teasers — most notably the return of Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier – but Marvel also managed to keep a lot of surprises.
All The Illuminati Cameos Are Killed Off Immediately
The Illuminati, like the X-Force in Deadpool 2, are killed off in quick succession soon after their introduction. They ignore Strange’s warnings about Wanda’s abilities and proceed to the lobby to apprehend her. Naturally, things do not go as planned. The terrifying sequence that follows reveals the severe danger that a malicious Scarlet Witch poses.
She rips Mr. Fantastic to tears, snaps Professor X’s neck, drops a statue on Captain Marvel, uses her shield to cleave Captain Carter in half, and clamps Black Bolt’s lips shut so he destroys his own head from the inside.
Clea’s Appearance In The Mid-Credits Scene
The credits scene in Multiverse of Madness features a deep-cut character from the comics played by an A-list star: Clea, played by Charlize Theron, similar to Harry Styles’ Starfox in the end credits of Eternals. Dormammu has a niece named Clea. She warns Strange that his multiversal activities have provoked a “incursion” and invites him to the Dark Dimension to deal with it in the credits sequence.
Every Copy Of The Darkhold Has Been Destroyed
Wanda’s sacrifice was intended to purge the multiverse of the Darkhold. She not only eliminates the book of evil from her own realm, but she also eliminates it from all universes.
The scary Marvel MacGuffin seemed to be set up for a wider arc after the Darkhold tease in WandaVision’s post-credits scene, but it’s suddenly gone from the whole spacetime continuum.
Every Other Doctor Strange Is Evil
Strange tries to explain to the Illuminati that the Scarlet Witch is a sinister menace to the multiverse when he is imprisoned and brought before them. Professor X informs him flat out that the greatest threat to the multiverse, in their opinion, is Strange himself.
Every other Strange in the multiverse turned out to be bad (much like the one introduced to readers in What If…? ), including a version of Strange in the Illuminati’s universe who had to be put down by a remorseful Black Bolt. Earth-616’s Strange “isn’t like the other Stephens,” America Chavez promises Christine Palmer in one of the film’s most touching scenes.
Strange Grows A Third Eye
Despite the fact that all of the Darkholds across the multiverse were destroyed by the end of the Doctor Strange sequel, their mystical power remained. Strange collapses on the street in the film’s spectacular last shot, a third eye emerging from the centre of his forehead (much like the variant of himself who had succumbed to the Darkhold’s enchantment).
Doctor Strange’s second solo film was billed as the MCU’s first horror film when it was first unveiled. The addition of Sam Raimi, one of the most successful and influential filmmakers in the horror genre, piqued horror fans’ interest. However, because Multiverse of Madness is still a Disney-produced summer tentpole classified PG-13, there was still a lot of suspicion about its horror components.
Raimi does not disappoint, as expected. The chilling scenes in the Doctor Strange sequel are truly terrifying. Wanda springing out at the audience is one of the director’s most effective jump scares.
The MCU’s Multiverse Officially Includes X-Men And The Fantastic Four
Marvel fans have been waiting for an MCU project to affirm the existence of one or the other in this cinematic universe since Disney acquired 21st Century Fox (and, with it, the film rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four characters).
Multiverse of Madness proves the existence of both Xavier and Richards in a single sequence with Stewart’s presence as Xavier and Krasinski’s appearance as Richards.
The Star-Studded Illuminati
In the second act of Multiverse of Madness, the MCU Illuminati introduces a delectable menu of cameos. Although Tom Cruise’s rumored Superior Iron Man is nowhere to be found, John Krasinski has finally succumbed to fan pressure and taken on the role of Reed Richards (though it’s unclear whether this confirms his casting for Fantastic Four or this Reed is just a variant so Marvel can have its Krasinski cake and eat it, too).
Mr. Fantastic, played by Krasinski, is only one of many amazing cameo appearances in this superhuman secret society. He’s surrounded by Patrick Stewart’s Professor X and Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter, all of whom were already shown in the teasers, as well as Black Bolt from the Inhumans TV program and a version of Maria Rambeau who took over for Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel.
Wanda Dies At The End (Or So It Seems)
Wanda’s final moment in Multiverse of Madness has sparked some debate. To put an end to its wicked control, she appears to bring her black-magic sanctuary falling down on top of herself, but that seems like a fairly abrupt way to cap a years-long character arc.
Wanda’s wicked turn is fittingly culminating in a sacrifice, but she hasn’t quite earned atonement. With the multiverse being exposed and superheroes resurrecting left and right, it’s safe to assume that Wanda hasn’t been forgotten.
Wanda Is The Main Villain
In the teasers for Multiverse of Madness, the title character recruits a backup hero to fill out the poster. Wanda appeared to be an ally to Strange in the early scenes of her envisioned utopia. However, when this scenario appears in the early act of the film, Raimi pulls off a great twist: Wanda is the antagonist.
When Strange and Wong believe the monster chasing America was sent by a witch, they approach Wanda for assistance. Wanda, it turns out, is the witch who is attempting to murder her. Multiverse of Madness pushes the Scarlet Witch over the line into mass slaughter after WandaVision hesitant to push her into full villain form.
