Skip to main content

New Doctor Strange 2 featurette offers a glimpse of madness

Prior to various COVID-related delays, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse on Madness was actually supposed to come out before Spider-Man: No Way Home. But flipping the films around in the schedule has proven to be very fortuitous, since No Way Home has given the Doctor Strange sequel a very compelling lead-in. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) was foolish enough to meddle with the fabric of the multiverse itself when he tried to help Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Now, the bill has come due.

Marvel Studios has released a new video featurette for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that features Cumberbatch and fellow cast members Elizabeth Olsen and Benedict Wong sharing a few teasers about what’s to come. Sam Raimi, the director of the first three Spider-Man movies that starred Tobey Maguire, returned to the Marvel fold to helm this sequel. And his comments in the video are also very intriguing.

“Telling these stories was such a gigantic endeavor,” said Raimi. “It had to be large, because we had to not only paint a picture of our universe, but of multiple universes. It was a great opportunity to pair two of the most powerful superheroes together. We wanted the fans to go, ‘Oh, how cool!’ That really was our goal. We wanted to give the fans what they wanted, just not exactly what they expected.”

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Exclusive Featurette - Enter the Multiverse (2022)

Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff was last seen in the Disney+ original series, WandaVision, where she came into her powers as the Scarlet Witch. The teasers have indicated that Stephen and Wanda will both encounter alternate versions of themselves through their journey into the multiverse. And they may not be able to trust each other, especially since their multiverse duplicates are almost identical to them.

Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Chiwetel Ejiofor is reprising his role from the first Doctor Strange as Karl Mordo, a former ally who has turned against Strange. Also returning from the first film are Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, and Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West. Xochitl Gomez is making her MCU debut in the film as America Chavez, a teenage girl with the ability to travel throughthe multiverse at will.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will hit theaters on Friday, May 6.

Editors' Recommendations

Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
How VFX gave Doctor Strange’s Gargantos a magic makeover
Doctor Strange stands on a street facing the monstrous, tentacled creature Gargantos in a scene from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Superhero sorcerer Stephen Strange sent Marvel Studios back to the top of the box office with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which had Benedict Cumberbatch's titular hero explore the myriad dimensions of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Not only did the film introduce a long list of new characters, but it also brought filmmaker Sam Raimi back to Marvel after the Evil Dead director helmed the original, pre-MCU trilogy of Spider-Man films. To no one's surprise, Raimi delivered one of the franchise's darkest, most horror-fueled films to date, complete with terrifying zombies, gruesome deaths, and Gargantos -- a massive, tentacled creature from a nightmarish dimension that tore apart Manhattan in the movie's wild, opening scene.

Read more
Marvel’s Doctor Strange 2 will hit Disney+ later this month
Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Last weekend, the box office domination of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness came to an end when Top Gun: Maverick set a new Memorial Day opening weekend record. And while the Doctor Strange sequel hasn't run out of spells yet, Disney+ has already set a premiere date for the film on its streaming service. Fans at home will be able to watch Marvel's latest movie at will starting on June 22. A Blu-ray and 4K release will likely follow later this summer.

To celebrate the announcement, Marvel Studios assembled Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, and Xochitl Gomez for a special "thank you" video.

Read more
The sorcerer and its evolution in movies
Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange.

Why are we so fascinated by the sorcerer? Over the years, the role has evolved past its initial duty, going from a wise and elderly supporting character to a leading man and, in some cases, a sex symbol for the geeky set. The archetype represents power, freedom, and knowledge, as well as transcendence from the physical and mortal world into a higher plain and state of being. Magic in all its forms is a prize, a gift that so few people get and almost everyone would die to have.

The sorcerer archetype is one of the most dynamic, a near ever-changing figure of mythical proportions and a staple of fantasy stories. Going back as far as the Middle Ages, the sorcerer has enthralled thanks to the supernatural abilities that separated him from earthly characters. In chivalric romances, the sorcerer was always old and brilliant, the ultimate mentor to guide and nurture the young and inexperienced knight in his quest for immortality -- Merlin, arguably the prototype for all sorcerers to come, embodied the archetype perfectly.

Read more