WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness!
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is finally in theaters, and fans cannot stop talking about the marvelous spectacle they have witnessed. Director Sam Raimi delivers on the emotional undertone, fan service, and horror elements to produce an MCU movie unlike any other.
The MCU's Multiverse of Madness explored the stakes of the multiverse and the character growths of Doctor Strange, America Chavez, and Wanda Maximoff. The film resolves matters of the multiverse, but the shocking ending and post-credit scenes open the doors to future MCU plotlines and cause viewers to ponder some characters' fates.
Could We See More Of Christine-838?
2016's Doctor Strange introduced Dr. Christine Palmer as Doctor Strange's love interest, but there were few details about what had happened to their relationship since those events. Eventually, the sequel reveals that Christine had moved on, and Doctor Strange attended her wedding in the first act.
However, this would not be the end of Christine, as the sequel introduces a different Christine variant from Earth-838. Unlike Earth-616, Christine-838 is more involved with the multiverse and becomes a close ally to Doctor Strange. Despite interest in visiting Earth-616, she declines Doctor Strange's offer to avoid a multiversal collision. However, this could still open up possibilities of Christine-838 returning in the future, considering her incredible knowledge about the multiverse that could be vital to understanding this incursion.
Is Wanda Maximoff Really Dead?
The star was undoubtedly the villain, Wanda Maximoff. Her character arc is intriguing as the film delves into her complicated pathos to explain her anger and subsequent ventures. She consumes the darkness from the Darkhold, which incited her desire to find her twins. Therefore, she needed America to manipulate the multiverse, even to supersede the life of another variant.
In the end, Wanda learned from her mistakes and again tried to fix her wrongs by destroying the Darkhold and sacrificing herself to demolish Mount Wundagore. Of course, it seems like a sudden death for one of the most powerful characters in the MCU. It leaves many wondering if she is officially dead, but if not, when Wanda will show up in the MCU again is the question.
Are America Chavez's Parents Still Alive?
America Chavez is the newest MCU character and is a valuable asset to Wanda Maximoff due to her powers to travel through multiverses. However, she has little control over her abilities and can only trigger them under overwhelming stress.
She entrusts her life to Doctor Strange and reveals she once had a happy life in her universe with her two loving mothers until her powers emerged. Because she had no control over it, she and her mothers were sucked into the multiverse and were separated. America believes her parents are dead, while Doctor Strange assures her that they are simply in a different dimension. This implication raises the question about her parent's whereabouts, and if they're alive, where could they be?
What Happened To Mordo-616 Anyway?
Mordo appears in the Multiverse of Madness, but it is not the version from 2016's Doctor Strange. Instead, the movie introduces the Earth-838 version, a member of the Illuminati and its universe's Sorcerer Supreme. However, he does resonate with his strong dislike towards Doctor Strange, much like the Earth-616 counterpart.
This dilemma left some heads scratching about what happened to Mordo-616. He was hunting down sorcerers, yet there is no resolved matter on this situation. His absence could at least set up a potential storyline for the third Doctor Strange movie, and the implications of Multiverse of Madness' ending could elaborate on the deeper facets of the mystical arts and cosmology.
Is John Krasinski Officially Mister Fantastic, Or Was This A One-Off?
One of the most jaw-dropping moments is the introduction of the Illuminati, with Captain Britain, Maria Rambeau's Captain Marvel, the Inhumans' Black Bolt, and Professor X as members. The most surprising member revelation was Mister Fantastic from the Fantastic Four, and the actor portraying him happened to be John Krasinski.
Krasinski was the top fan choice for Mister Fantastic, especially after Kevin Feige announced that a Fantastic Four movie was in development. Given that Marvel Studios pulled this bold move to not only introduce Mister Fantastic but to be portrayed by Krasinski, fans wonder if this guaranteed his casting for the movie. It is unclear if Krasinski is the confirmed casting for the Fantastic Four movie or if this was simply a one-off for fan service.
What Is This Incursion In The Dark Dimension?
In the mid-credit scene, Charlize Theron unexpectedly shows up as the sorceress and gets to business with concerns about the "incursion." She confronts Doctor Strange for his role in causing this collision, and they enter the Dark Dimension to fix this "incursion" before the scene goes to credits.
The details about the incursion are unclear, aside from the collision between multiverses being the trigger. Therefore, Doctor Strange and his multiverse exploits likely provoked this incursion in the Dark Dimension. However, considering that the post-credit refers back to the Dark Dimension, subsequent storylines may revisit the content of the original movie regarding Dormammu. Furthermore, this may imply that the multiverse storyline is not yet over, but just the beginning of its complex establishment.
What Does Clea's Appearance Mean For The MCU?
Though she does not reveal her name, Theron is likely playing Clea. Her appearance was quick and unexpected, so there was no time to distinguish her disposition or the purpose she would serve in the MCU.
Luckily, context from the comic may fill in the gaps of who Clea is. Clea lives in the Dark Dimension and is Dormammu's niece in the comics. Eventually, she meets Doctor Strange and even becomes his wife. Based on the comic book content, Clea could be crucial to delve into the complexities of the multiverse and the Dark Dimension and possibly pose as a new love interest.
Could There Be An Earth-616 Version Of The Illuminati?
The Illuminati in Earth-838 is a secret organization where members decide on crucial issues, especially to preserve the multiverse and thwart its perils. A snippet from the movie illustrated their roles as decision-makers by killing their version of Doctor Strange, corrupted by the Darkhold.
Unfortunately, the presence of the Illuminati was short-lived, as Wanda Maximoff single-handedly obliterated and killed all the members except Mordo. Of course, Marvel fans would want the Illuminati to be explored more in the future, leaving some curiosities about an Earth-616 version.
What Does The Third Eye Do?
The biggest mystery that the Multiverse of Madness sets up is Doctor Strange's third eye. The sinister Doctor Strange is the first to develop this because of its corruption from using the Darkhold. Eventually, this third eye manifested on Doctor Strange-616 right before the credits.
Although the third eye seems significant, the extent of its power or purpose is not well understood. However, at least in the comics, the third eye is the manifestation of the Eye of Agomotto. Nevertheless, the third eye appears to be a core feature of Doctor Strange that could enhance his powers, and hopefully, future MCU projects will further explain its capabilities and use.
What Else Is Next For Doctor Strange?
This question is not just about Doctor Strange's future exploits but the overall fate of the standalone series. The mid-credit scene hints at the next storyline that will delve into the Dark Dimension and likely expound on more aspects of the mystic arts and cosmology.
So far, there has been no confirmation of Doctor Strange 3, although the ending suggests this prospect. Considering the implication of Doctor Strange as the next leader in the MCU, his role may need further character progression. However, the question remains if Marvel fans would have to wait until a possible third film to see Doctor Strange again or if the powerful wizard could appear in another movie or related TV show.