The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer revealed several Marvel surprises, and it also debunked a theory on Evil Doctor Strange for Phase 4. The Doctor Strange 2 trailer from Super Bowl LVI was full of revelations about the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film. From the trailer, it's clear that Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) aren't seeing eye-to-eye. There are also several sinister Doctor Strange variants running amok, and Ultron Sentries seem to escort Stephen Strange to a council for judgment. While Doctor Strange is on trial, the video also includes a "Mystery Voice" that may belong to Patrick Stewart's Professor X.

Marvel's What If...? reveals alternate stories for the MCU. For instance, the series premiere showed Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) becoming a superhero in place of Steve Rogers (voiced by Josh Keaton). The former Captain America then went on to become the first Iron Man. Another episode reveals Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) dying in a car accident and Doctor Strange becoming desperate to save her. However, Christine Palmer's Marvel death is an absolute point, meaning Strange can't change it. Sadly, Doctor Strange's pursuit corrupts the sorcerer and leads to the universe's destruction.

Related: Doctor Strange 2: Did MCU Leaks Force Marvel To Reveal Professor X’s Return?

An evil Doctor Strange variant appears in the Doctor Strange 2 trailer, but the character isn't who fans think. With a corrupt version of Doctor Strange appearing in What If...?, fan theorists believed the evil character could also appear in Doctor Strange 2. And at first, the trailers seemed to suggest that was the case. However, the latest trailer changes things, as captions for the video call the Doctor Strange variant "Sinister Strange." In What If...?, the corrupt Doctor Strange was known as Strange Supreme.

The captions indicate Sinister Strange is a new character in the MCU. Interestingly, Sinister Strange seems to look similar to Supreme Strange, with dark circles around his eyes. So perhaps Supreme Strange inspired Sinister Strange. After all, the Doctor Strange 2 trailers and promotional materials seem to emphasize the importance of What If...?'s characters in the MCU. For instance, the Doctor Strange 2 trailers have already included a look at Zombie Strange, and official images for the film hint at Hayley Atwell's Captain Carter making an appearance. However, Sinister Strange is clearly a different character, and he may be a more significant threat than previously thought. In the trailer, he sneers, "Things just got out of hand."

The character change makes sense within Marvel's canon. Though Supreme Strange's search to reverse Palmer's death corrupts him, he turns things around in the What If...? finale. In the episode, Supreme Strange helps other heroes take down Ultron (voiced by Ross Marquand), preventing the villain from destroying the Multiverse. If the character were evil in Doctor Strange 2, it wouldn't work with his arc in the What If...? finale. Thus, Sinister Strange is there to fill in as a corrupt Stephen Strange variant. After all, Strange Supreme suddenly turning evil again in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would be a truly strange development.

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