*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the fifth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4. It is led by the titular character Doctor Strange played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who is a part of the Sanctum Sanctorum, the defenders of Earth against mystical creatures and practitioner of the Mystic Arts, one form of magical powers in the MCU. Also, starring is Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong as Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme. And the introduction of a new MCU character in America Chavez played by Xochitl Gomez.

Film begins with a variant of Doctor Strange running away from a monster with America Chavez by hopping through different universe with America Chavez’s power. They arrived at the place both of them are looking for where a glowing book is in the middle of what appears an altar. The said glowing book is the “Book of the Vashanti”, a book that was mentioned in the film as a powerful book where you can find the powers needed to stop someone or something. The monster caught up with the two and forced the variant Doctor Strange to siphon the power of America Chavez to prevent it from getting stolen by this monster which we later found out why they are being chased by monsters. Variant Doctor Strange impaled and while bound by the monster America Chavez opened a star-shaped portal out of nowhere and got sucked into the portal. MCU’s Doctor Strange (the Doctor Strange we know) then woke up and attended the wedding of Christine Palmer played by Rachel McAdams. Doctor Strange’s interaction in the wedding showed us that he is well known for the part he played to battle Thanos. After the wedding, there was a disturbance nearby and Doctor Strange don his attire and revealed a one-eyed octopus looking monster that was trying to abduct a child, who happens to be America Chavez. Doctor Strange battled the monster and Wong appeared after and was able to defeat the monster. America Chavez explained her predicament and Doctor Strange and Wong agreed to help her. This was a teaser to show what the audience are going to watch in the film. In the media, they refer to the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as MCU’s dive into the horror genre, where it was first helmed by Scott Derrickson, who directed the first Doctor Strange movie and a well-known on directing in the Horror genre with Hellraiser and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. I personally like the first movie as the film was able to introduce other type of magic in the MCU. It was then passed to Sam Raimi, who is known for his directing the very first three Spiderman film who starred Tobey McGuire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. One of the movies that paved way to where the comic-book genre movies are now, a highest-grossing and most anticipated genre of films. Just as Derrickson, Raimi is also known for his hand in the Horror genre and continued the idea for this film will be MCU’s first in the Horror genre.

The Horror-genre is one of my least favorite genres of film. But in this film’s case, it is the type of Horror genre I prefer. It was less on the gore side and more on the anticipation and jump scares type, which I don’t mind. The element of the MCU is in there, meaning it has to mention the universe, and continue to expand to it. Then expand to more universe and hence the introduction of the multiverse.

Welcome to the MCU’s Multiverse!

In the first Doctor Strange movie the multiverse is mentioned. In Loki, it was explored in a timeline sense and character variants are introduced. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, character variants are explored and opened the idea of the multiverse to the MCU characters. I see the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as the introduction of the multiverse to the characters and the beginning of the exposition to its world. Wanda used the power of the “Darkhold”, a power book containing secrets of dark magic, to travel through the multiverse with a witchcraft spell called Dreamwalking, which can cause catastrophic events such as destroying a universe that was mentioned later in the film. It was also revealed that Wanda was behind the monsters that were trying to capture America Chavez and steal her universe hopping powers. With Doctor Strange limited knowledge of the multiverse, he asked Wanda for help as a fellow magic user and one of the strongest Avengers. He visited her in a peaceful apple farm where he mentioned about a kid with a power that can open portals to different universes. With as slip of a tongue, Wanda mentioned America’s name where Doctor Strange have not mentioned in their conversation. At that moment on, Doctor Strange was aware of Wanda as the mastermind of the attacks. Wanda threatened Doctor Strange to hand America Chaver to her or feel the wrath of the Scarlet Witch.

Wanda becoming the Scarlet Witch

Marvel Studios had been constantly casting the right actor for the right role. Elizabeth Olsen is a great cast as Wanda Maximoff, and she carried the character with her cameos in the early part of the MCU that she got her own Disney Plus series Wandavision. Though I have not watched it, I think it did not much affected me appreciate her character arc in this film. Her obsession with finding her alive kids in other multiverse, the main motivation of her character in the movie, would have a different impact for me towards her character if I had watch Wandavision prior. Probably. But knowing why she is doing this as mentioned in the movie made sense to me. Wanda have felt the trauma of losing a loved one, twice and she did not even have anytime in between to cope, and no one helped her in the long run. Losing her brother in Age of Ultron, Vision was there to help. Then Vision was demolished by Thanos to get his hand on the Mind Stone. Both were on a battlefield with the latter she was able to defend but not saved. After that she was dusted and came back to fight again. She was not able to be the one to finish off Thanos but the aftermath, she just got a pat in the back and remember the good times with her brother and Vision. No one checked on her afterwards and help with her grief that ultimately lead her to this path. I can dive more about this later and do a MCU Wanda’s character study, but just as what the MCU have been doing with their villains, Elizabeth Olsen was great with the Scarlet Witch persona. Then, still was able to act her Wanda version. Olsen portrayed a character that will do anything in pursuit of what will make her happy and no one will get on her way to a degree that it worked with what the movie is trying to be, MCU’s horror movie. When life gave you lemons, but wanted apples, you’ll get that apple. A contrast to what the movie is trying to tell you. Be grateful of what you have.

Doctor Strange(s)

A witty, cocky, and self-centered practitioner of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Strange are set up to be the new Tony Stark to this new phase of the MCU. As how it led to the Avengers: Endgame, it all started with Tony Stark. This new multiverse to discover all started with Doctor Strange and we are just waiting for the collision course of a Thanos-level villain. I like how all variants of Doctor Strange have the same concept of sacrifice of this is the only way and only differs based on the level of selfishness is willing to provide.

Universe 838 Doctor Strange tried to find a way to defeat Thanos by himself and caused a universe to get destroyed by an Incursion, when two universe collides and only one remains. Got himself killed because of it.

Pony-tailed Doctor Strange tried to find the Book of the Vashanti for a purpose not mentioned and seen America Chavez’s power as dangerous if it gets to the wrong hands and decide to have the power to himself. Got killed as well.

Darkhold Doctor Strange tried to find a universe where he was happy with his love Christine Palmer. And become a “mercy” Doctor Strange and killed those versions who did not ended up with Christine Palmer to get them out of the misery they will feel. Echoing the quest of Wanda’s Scarlet Witch version. Ended up as he was dreaming about.

All three is a tier or more above of selfishness compared to the main Doctor Strange. The Doctor Strange that America Chavez ended up adoring. 616 Doctor Strange still is selfish but a little bit mild mannered. Still believes in the it’s the only way, he actually let the one who will do the sacrifice decide. He gave up the Time Stone to Thanos, get dusted, and signaled to Tony Stark the one way of a sure win, and Tony chose to go with it. Same with 616 Peter Parker, technically he was at fault a majority of what happened, he was selfish in doing the spell because he knows to much of himself. But he let Peter Parker decide if he wanted to be forgotten by the loved ones he had only left. America Chavez asking Strange that giving up her powers to him is the only way, he actually told her no and encouraged her to use it for herself.

Benedict Cumberbatch acting on those roles were great because it is the same Doctor Strange, but they have different looks on things.

America Chavez

A Latina-American hero is introduced. Xochitl Gomez did a great job portraying a lost child that is trying to find her way back to home by learning to control her powers. Having felt betrayed by Ponytailed Strange, she was cautious with 616 Strange and Wong. Only to gain her trust after saving her and feeding her with pizza. The dialogue between Wong, Strange, and America Chavez were the slight slowdown of the pace and add in that MCU humor. Learning how her parents and the first time she used her powers unknowingly where she terribly regrets, kind of remind us what Wanda felt on the Lagos incident.

Universe designation

Popular in the Marvel comic books, this is a way to show which universe are the characters are in. Mentioned in Spider-Man: Far From Home, by Jake Gyllenhall’s Quentin Beck aka Mysterio, when he was trying to deceive Peter Parker, Nick Fury, and Maria Hill, to get a certain Stark tech. It ended up with having Mysterio discover as a fake multiverse hero and making the multiverse as a pipe dream. But the sequels actually acknowledge the existence of the multiverse and the film introduce the number designation of the different of existing universe. The main MCU we know is the 616.

Illuminati

I love a cross-over as much as the other MCU fans, but I think this film just kept the Illuminati as it was intended to be, a Fan Service. We got Professor X played by Patrick Stewart who played the older version in previous Fox X-Men films. They adopted the TV series Professor X, a show that I watched as a kid. They had Black Bolt played by the same actor that was on the ABC’s the Inhumans, Anson Mount. Honestly, I have not watched it. Captain Carter played by Hailey Atwell, Steve Rogers love interest in the 616 Universe. Captain Marvel played by Lashana Lynch, Carol Danvers’ best friend in the 616 Universe. And fan favorite to play Fantastic Four’s Mr Fantastic, John Krazinski. They are kind of a version of the World Council that the Sokovia Accords mention, but it is formed by superpowered heroes. This Illuminati is in the Universe 838.

The way the film uses them did not bother me, as to show how far 616 Wanda have become the Scarlet Witch being sinister and powerful. The way Scarlet Witch disposed of this team is straight right out of a Horror film, and the tame ones that I prefer. Even though it was short-lived, I see it as the way for 616 Strange to create a similar version back in the 616 Universe.

Pacing

I came in late to the theater that the Marvel Studios opening was already going on. Found my seat and then boom let’s get into the action was shown in the screen. After sitting and seeing that, I was like did I get to the right auditorium? I’m just 10 minutes late and I know as I was going to my seat the Marvel Studios intro was just playing. It was a bit fast pace with a little bit of take a breath and then here we go again. I do not feel it’s rushed but I get the feeling of fast pace and gives you new expositions after new scenes. It’s that movie where you can’t find a lull scene where you can go take the bathroom break.

Visuals

The film did a great job on using different color tones to match the scene. When using the Horror element, they use a darker tone and vice-versa on the MCU-type of scenes. My favorite scene is the fight between the 616 Doctor Strange and Sinister Strange when they were using musical notes and as they use the musical notes as projectiles it produces sounds. It is unique to me and my first time seeing such sequence. It was a great experience especially watching it in theaters.

Scores & Soundtrack

Nothing stands out for me and do not have a problem with it. Then again, I just watched it once so far and I paid attention more with the story and visuals than the music.

Ending

The last part of the film is a battle between Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange with both using the power of the Darkhold, for America Chavez’s power. It was not as a spectacle compared to the musical note fight. It gave Doctor Strange once again to calculate the conflict and what is that one way to win, which sacrifice once again is the only way. This time it’s 616 Strange making the decision, and just as I mentioned of him being a less selfish version, he let the one who is supposed to make the sacrifice a choice if they are going to do it or not. America Chavez was giving the permission to siphon her powers, instead of doing it, he encouraged her to use her powers herself. Good thing they just did not do a cliche’ move of having the character who just received an encouragement suddenly are able to beat a multiversal threat with punches. America Chavez instead gave in to what Scarlet Witch wanted and opened a portal to where the two kids she wanted to live with in Universe 838. It backfires for the Scarlet Witch as the kids were scared when she saw her and the 838 Wanda that she controlled to destroy the Illuminati came to protect the two kids and was just flipped away to the side. This action made the two kids more scared and start throwing things to protect the 838 Wanda. This made the Scarlet Witch stop and reflects that the two she wanted to be with, sees her as a witch. A little conversation with 838 Wanda made her accept that she can’t be on that universe and the two kids is going to be cared of. She accepted that fact and her actions cannot be overlooked and get rid of the powers of the Darkhold along with herself. With all the multiversal travel and meeting an evil version of himself, 616 Doctor Strange reflected on the fact that you should be grateful on what you have.

Kamer Taj getting repaired and America Chavez becoming a student to help control her powers. Doctor Strange acknowledging Wong as a Sorcerer Supreme and Wong asking Strange well-being after using the power of the Darkhold in which he responds that he is alright. A minute later we found out he was affected by it and shown him having awakened a third eye while Doctor Strange screams in the middle of New York. This ends the movie.

Credit Scenes

There were two credit scenes. The mid-credit scene showed a new character played by Charlize Theron who asked Doctor Strange to help her with the Incursion he was partially responsible for. In which, he gladly accepts and opened his new third eye.

That was a pretty quick jump of having Doctor Strange full mastery of the third eye. Then again we needed those legendary MCU credit scene.

As for the final credit scene, it was just a troll. A continuation of Bruce Campbell character where 616 Strange casted a spell to continuously hit himself for three weeks.

All in all…

It was a great Doctor Strange movie. The film did not make the cameos the great part of the movie but instead used them as a scale of how sinister and powerful Scarlet Witch is. The horror element is there but it is tamed as someone who isn’t a huge fan of horror. Visuals are great and saw a unique sequence that I have not encountered in a film.

They did not use the Book of Vashanti after introducing it and using it as a weapon, which I do not know why they were having an arc of retrieving it. Then again it is a type of a deus ex machina power just in case they made a certain villain too overpowered.

Just as how Peter Parker learned how to cope and prevent him on going down the wrong path from his other universe version, I think the 616 Doctor Strange learned and reflected from the actions that his other versions took. The idea of being grateful of what you have was carried over from the Spider-Man: No Way Home. Asking for more by manipulating things, karma will come back to you.

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