Marvel Studios has only just started to explore the Multiverse, but will it live up to the lofty expectations of fans? It hasn't disappointed thus far after some hilariously weird takes on the God of Mischief in Loki and the MCU debut of two familiar web-slingers in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but the pressure is fully on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to deliver.
Heading into the movie, fans are hoping to see everyone from Deadpool to Tom Cruise as Iron Man, and like Mephisto in WandaVision, if those big cameos don't happen, the backlash will follow.
There's a strong possibility the only Variants we'll see in action are the Illuminati, but we know that the Doctor Strange sequel will feature more than just one Stephen Strange. However, in a recent interview with Games Radar, Benedict Cumberbatch dispelled theories that the villainous Strange from the movie's teaser trailer is, in fact, the Doctor Strange Supreme from What If...?
He says that Sinister Strange "is nothing that you’ve seen before. What If...? is a beautiful riff of a potential. And this is something different." That's going to disappoint those hoping to see the animated series addressed in live-action, but Strange Supreme becoming a somewhat heroic Guardian of the Multiverse may have closed the door on him showing up in this movie, regardless.
As for what surprises we can expect, Cumberbatch joked: "There are five Spider-Men in this film. Spider-Women, too. And Spider- Everythings! No, we don’t. I will confirm or deny nothing!"
While we may want to temper expectations after all those huge rumours, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is shaping up to be a fun ride, and hopefully just the opening chapter in a true exploration of the wider Multiverse. However, the true craziness may not ensue until Secret Wars!
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness finally arrives in theaters on May 6.
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