Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced quite a few of Stephen Strange's Variants, though "Dead Strange" arguably stole the show. Going back to Sam Raimi's horror roots, the MCU's Strange used possessed Defender Strange's corpse to take the fight to the Scarlet Witch during the movie's final act.
That resulted in some awesome visuals, and a closer look at this Variant's creation has now been revealed courtesy of Marvel Studios Visual Development Supervisor Ian Joyner.
As he explains, the first piece of concept art shows Dead Strange "using the spirits of the dead as a source of power." He'd add, "I loved this sequence in the film...[it] came out even better than I thought it would (and I had high hopes!) Spectacular make-up and VFX combined to bring us such an iconic scene."
In another post, Joyner would explain that "Trying to strike a balance between heroic and horrific was a really fun challenge, and, working on a character like this with Sam Raimi as director, you knew it was going to be a highlight of the film."
While not the Marvel Zombies Doctor Strange Variant many fans expected to see, this Dead Strange was indeed a highlight in the sequel. He also proved how well undead versions of the MCU's heroes would work in a live-action setting!
Check out this newly revealed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness concept art below:
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the Marvel Cinematic Universe unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. We'll journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
The movie's cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stühlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. The film is directed by Sam Raimi, and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Eric Hauserman Carroll and Jamie Christopher serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Loki Head Writer Michael Waldron.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters. It's now available on Digital platforms and Disney+, and hits Blu-ray, 4k Ultra HD, and DVD on July 26.