Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The Marvel Cinematic Universe put on its greatest show of magic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The film’s widely anticipated release continues Phase Four and the stories of Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch, also bringing multiversal traveler America Chavez into the mix.
From the Sorcerer Supreme Wong to Darkhold-users like Sinister Strange, there’s a lot of magic to be found in the movie. Viewers saw Scarlet Witch display the incredible feats of chaos magic in addition to Doctor Strange’s use of the mystic arts. And, given that the characters in the film are arguably the strongest magic users in this and any other universe, it's worth knowing who the real power players are in Doctor Strange 2.
America Chavez
There are some great America Chavez stories in Marvel Comics that go deeper into what she’s capable of. In Doctor Strange 2, though, America was depicted as a novice who couldn’t control her powers until the end. Her only showcase of magical abilities during the main story was the creation of multiverse portals.
America perfected this by the climax, where she began opening up gates to the multiverse depending on where she wanted to go. Although she was unable to use the Sling Ring correctly while at Kamar-Taj, her magical training will likely see her progress further. And, while her powers are obviously astonishing in the grand scheme of things, she was largely outgunned in this particular tale.
Karl Mordo
Mordo is a mainstay in Doctor Strange comic book stories, with the character once again playing the villain in a different reality. This Mordo didn’t seem to be as magically gifted as the MCU Mordo, though, as he was handily outsmarted and beaten by Doctor Strange.
Mordo didn’t have much of a chance to showcase his abilities apart from conjuring a magical weapon to fight Strange, where he lost. He did manage to slip Strange and Chavez sedatives through magical means without either realizing, which indicates that his abilities have more to do with concealment charms than pure strength.
Defender Strange
Defender Strange was killed off within the opening minutes of the movie, with his corpse later used by Doctor Strange. This version had good magical skill, seeing as he was able to hold off the threat of the Gargantos for some time until he realized he couldn’t defeat it on his own.
He was also strong enough to almost claim America’s powers, which was later displayed by the more powerful Scarlet Witch. Defender Strange likely wasn’t as gifted in the magic department as his other variants, though, seeing as he couldn’t conjure up methods to escape as they did.
Sinister Strange
It’s likely that this version is among the most powerful Doctor Strange variants in the Marvel multiverse, considering he was supposed to be corrupted by the Darkhold. However, he didn’t appear to be as magically creative as Doctor Strange since he lost to the latter.
Sinister Strange’s magic went toe-to-toe with Doctor Strange when the two manipulated musical waves into magical attacks. They were almost evenly matched until Sinister Strange was knocked out by his opponent and killed off. He might have had more abilities through the Darkhold, but these weren’t depicted in the movie.
Wong
As the Sorcerer Supreme, Wong appeared to be more capable than the other Masters of the Mystic Arts. He was one of the few to not lose focus during Scarlet Witch’s attack on Kamar-Taj and was even able to fight against her until she threatened to kill his subordinates.
Wong’s magical powers were mainly through defensive spells, such as creating shields or conjuring hooks to prevent himself from falling to his doom. He also later contained the evil spirits from the Darkhold long enough for Scarlet Witch to give up her actions.
Doctor Strange
Most fans will definitely see this version as among the best adaptations of Doctor Strange in movies and TV after his heroics in stopping a multiversal disaster. Doctor Strange proved himself to be better at magic against Sinister Strange by skillfully casting music-based spells, using the Darkhold to control Defender Strange’s body across the multiverse.
Doctor Strange’s combat-based magic was also better than most, as he defeated Karl Mordo and put up a way better fight than the majority of the Masters of the Mystic Arts did against Scarlet Witch. Mainly, it was the creativity and quick thinking he displayed while conjuring up spells that make him worthy of being considered the best sorcerer in the movie.
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch was easily head and shoulders above the rest when it came to magical power. She so hilariously outmatched the others that Scarlet Witch destroyed Kamar-Taj’s forces with little effort. Her chaos magic was such that she could simultaneously project herself in the physical world and in incorporeal form.
Scarlet Witch could create illusions that completely changed the fabric of reality, she could possess her variant across the multiverse, and she could kill people inside their minds. She essentially established just how dangerous magic can be in control of an exceptionally powerful witch and she became the stuff of nightmares.