If you’re a cosmic-level hero in any comic universe, you’re probably not going to get much free time because you’re connected with everything around you. That’s the dilemma Stephen Strange finds himself in in Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness, the new feature from Marvel Studios starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the mystic comic icon.
Much of this movie feels like a continuation of events from Spider-Man: No Way Home and perhaps a bit of WandaVision along the way, which I feel that they’re probably comfortable with because of the audience size. That’s not to say there’s nothing to enjoy if you haven’t seen that show or movie yet, but this is one of those comic book films that really feels like it’s specifically written for the core fanbase.
So, flashback time: when I went to my local Pizza Hut, it had a Marvel Super Heroes arcade game that I always blew a few quarters on while my pepperoni pan was in the oven. I did my best with Hulk and Wolverine, but I sometimes would pick up Shuma-Gorath, the tentacled one-eyed space monster who was harder to use but had the most damaging super move in the game. Seeing him on the big screen for the first time was pretty interesting, and he’s got Strange and his friend Wong (Benedict Wong) busy trying to rescue the universe-hopping young girl America Chavez (Xiochitl Gomez) from this thing.
What follows, without giving too much away, is a standoff with Wanda Maximoff a.k.a Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), who wants America’s powers for a specific personal reason. Strange can’t let that happen, and while Wong fends off Wanda’s wrath he and America cross between worlds to get some help. Much like No Way Home, this results in some fan-pleasing cameos and new appearances that I won’t spoil for you, but should keep most Marvel fans excited for future shows and movies.
Notably, this is a more aggressive and violent Marvel film than normal. Raimi’s adding more of his Evil Dead-early flair to his sequel, and the heroes still come off heroic but it’s not quite as “gee whiz” in its comic spirit as opposed to how Scott Derrickson’s first Dr. Strange movie was. If you thought Matt Reeves’s Batman movie pushed the PG-13 rating to its absolute breaking point with its content, this new one is the MCU stepping up and saying “hey, we can get edgy too. We’re the company that produced the batshit insane gorefest Ultimatum, remember?” I’m kidding obviously, Multiverse of Madness never gets as stupid as Ultimatum did. It’s still a lot of fun, but some of the death scenes and fights might make younger members of the audience wince in fear, so parents be warned.
While Cumberbatch is still entertaining as Strange, this story still keeps him prominent but gives more spotlight and development to the people he interacts with. Even though he and Wong have fun bits, it’s Wanda’s and America’s arcs that will probably leave the biggest lasting impression I predict on audiences. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mordo returns, and his chemistry with Strange is as prickly as ever.
Xochitl Gomez’s America makes a strong early mark, sympathetic when needed to and still developing her abilities while also remaining self-reliant. Olsen helps evolve Wanda in a manner that’s intimidating but not too over-the-top. It’s hard to describe, she’s not like sleepwalking at all through it, she never goes too batty but she doesn’t need to because she knows how powerful she is.
Generally, while Multiverse of Madness has mostly its core audience in mind it’s enough of a thrill for a casual person to maybe seek out other MCU material. Still, I’d put it in the mid-tier, as it heavily comes off like a set-up for other chapters, which has been an issue with a few Marvel adaptions in the past. This one has some decent emotional bits but the first Dr. Strange film had far more weight to it, I feel.
Being a die-hard helps here, but I’d give it a mild recommendation for people outside of the comic book bubble, as I think there’s other movies in this catalogue that will blow people away far better. Still, how did you feel about it? if you loved or hated it, let us know your take at FAN’s social media spots!