Nothing has really gone right for Stephen Strange since Avengers: Infinity War. First, he was blipped for five years, then Strange was passed over for Sorcerer Supreme. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Strange cast a spell that went wildly out of control and nearly collapsed reality as we know it. As bad as that sounds, Strange is going to have an even harder time in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Not only does Strange have to contend with evil alternates of himself, he also has to face the might of Gargantos.
Gargantos is an other-dimensional being that may have once been one of the rulers of the Earth. He may even be considered an elder god. Time may have diminished Gargantos’ grip on this reality, but he remains formidable even in his weakened state.
Long-time comic book readers may notice that Gargantos has more than a passing resemblance to an old Doctor Strange comic book foe named Shuma-Gorath. Essentially, they are the same character, but because Shuma-Gorath was a character created by Robert E. Howard, it falls under the Conan the Barbarian license rather than Marvel’s purview. And while Gargantos may look large in the film, he’s not even the main villain in this movie.
Benedict Cumberbatch will once again star in the film as Dr. Stephen Strange, with Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo, Benedict Wong as Wong, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West, and Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer.
Sam Raimi directed the film from a script by Loki head writer Michael Waldron.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will open in theaters on Friday, May 6.
