Doctor Strange and his allies find themselves in a desert of dead Stranges in newly released Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness concept art. Originally set to be directed by the first Doctor Strange helmer, Scott Derrickson, Marvel Studios ended up recruiting Sam Raimi to take over the project when its original director left due to creative differences. The switch came with story changes as well, with subsequent revelations about how Scarlet Witch's role was altered. As Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' first anniversary approaches, fans are learning more about what the sequel could have looked like had Marvel stuck with some of their earlier ideas for it.

While it was a commercial success for the MCU, Doctor Strange 2 received mixed reviews. This makes discovering more about how the sequel's story changed over time more intriguing. Courtesy of concept artist Thomas du Crest comes a string of new earlier illustrations for the Marvel Studios movie. Arguably the most interesting piece from the collection is seeing Doctor Strange standing in a desert of dead Strange variants. Check out the images below:

Related: MCU Phase 5 May Already Have A Timeline Problem

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Could’ve Been Much Darker

Zombie Doctor Strange variant in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Marvel Studios has always leaned on comedy for their projects. For the most part, this works, as seen with the success of Thor: Ragnarok, but as the Multiverse Saga continues, viewers are also understandably craving something different from the MCU. So, while Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was divisive, there was an appreciation for how it felt and looked very different from what the franchise has come out with before. With Raimi at its helm, the sequel embraced its horror aspects, with several truly terrifying moments and visuals. That being said, the aforementioned images show that Marvel Studios had always been interested in making Doctor Strange 2 darker.

Du Crest barely offers any context to the illustrations, only that these were part of "early explorations for the Incursion Universe." Given this, it's difficult to say what was exactly happening in these images, or how Doctor Strange even got to this horrifying setting. Interestingly, however, new MCU hero America Chavez is notably absent in the scene. Meanwhile, both Mordo and Wanda Maximoff appear to be teaming up with Doctor Strange and his longtime ally Wong in this scrapped Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness idea.

The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness post-credits scene effectively sets up the sorcerer's next adventure in the MCU. But after he deals with his personal mission, he will eventually re-convene with the Avengers for Destin Cretton's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which was once supposed to feature Scarlet Witch as its main villain, and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars. In the meantime, Doctor Strange will be further exploring the multiverse as he's recruited by Charlize Theron's new MCU character Clea at the end of the sequel.

More: Marvel Theory Reveals Doctor Strange's Real Role In Saving The Multiverse

Source: Thomas du Crest

Key Release Dates