Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced a slew of new heroes with varying levels of power in the MCU. One such character, America Chavez, was at the heart of the conflict between Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch. For Strange’s new adventure, Marvel also brought in some surprise additions, such as multiverse variants of Mr. Fantastic, Professor X, and more.
At least two of Doctor Strange 2’s new characters could have bright futures in the MCU after the fight with Scarlet Witch. Played by Xochitl Gomez, America Chavez is a top candidate for a Young Avengers team. There’s also Charlize Theron’s Clea, who burst onto the scene in Doctor Strange 2’s post-credits scene. Clearly, the character is being set up for a role in the hero’s next big-screen battle, which is believed to be Doctor Strange 3.
Despite not being an Avengers movie, Doctor Strange 2 featured an impressive lineup of Marvel Comics characters, many of which being iconic heroes without obvious ties to the Sorcerer Supreme. Of course, some of these debuts may never lead to anything beyond the movie. In the cases of characters like Black Bolt, Professor X, and John Krasinski's Mr. Fantastic, their presence may be exclusive to Doctor Strange 2 in the MCU, especially since Marvel may prefer to choose new actors and new backstories for their Earth-616 counterparts whenever it’s time for them to get their own movies and shows. That being said, what they were able to do in Doctor Strange 2 could carry over to their proper MCU introductions. Here’s how powerful all of the movie’s new heroes are, and how they compare to Doctor Strange himself.
How Powerful Is America Chavez Compared To Doctor Strange?
America Chavez didn’t have a great grasp on her powers in Doctor Strange 2, but how she fared against Wanda at the end of the movie proved that she is indeed a force to be reckoned with. Her unique nature makes her capable of manifesting energy that’s at least strong enough to challenge Scarlet Witch. America Chavez's ability to oppose someone as insanely powerful as Wanda Maximoff speaks volumes about her capabilities (even if she didn’t win). She also possesses some degree of superhuman strength, though the limits of that haven’t been explored yet. Her feats in the movie put her far above the comic book version of the character, who likely wouldn’t have held her own against the Scarlet Witch for any length of time. As for she’d fare in a fight with Doctor Strange, his mastery of magic would allow him to easily overwhelm her. However, her training with the Masters of the Mystic Arts has the potential to make her much stronger while also expanding her bag of tricks.
How Powerful is Clea Compared To Doctor Strange?
Theron's brief appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ post-credits scene does nothing to shed any light on how powerful Clea is in the MCU. But, how her character is used in the comics provides hints about her power level. It makes sense that she’ll be in line with Marvel Comics’ Clea, particularly since the MCU is obviously keeping her comic origins. In the 1960s, Clea was introduced as the daughter of Dormammu who crossed over to Earth from the Dark Dimension. The portal she created from the Dark Dimension in Doctor Strange 2 suggests that Marvel hasn’t really changed her. If that’s the case, Clea should share some of the comic book character’s abilities.
In Marvel Comics, she draws her magic from the Dark Dimension, which is already confirmed to be one of the greatest (and one of the most dangerous) power sources in the entire multiverse. Its power is what the Ancient One was using in Doctor Strange to maintain her longevity. Since Clea can use it naturally, she’s sure to possess a great deal of raw power. Because she was trained by Strange, she knows most of his spells and can use them all effectively in combat. In the past, her arsenal of spells has allowed her to subdue or even beat characters such as the Hulk, Mephisto, and Dormammu. Of course, the MCU character hasn’t had a chance to learn magic from Doctor Strange, but it’s always possible that she had a chance to pick up a similar skillset during her years in the Dark Dimension. With her powers, she’s strong enough to be a competent ally to Doctor Strange, but nothing in the comics suggests that she has what it takes to overpower him.
How Powerful Are The Illuminati Members Compared To Doctor Strange?
Doctor Strange 2’s Illuminati lineup isn’t just an assembly of Marvel’s brightest minds and biggest leaders. Three of the six are powerhouses, and of the four Illuminati members that are new to the MCU in Doctor Strange 2, only one of them isn’t a top-tier character. Mr. Fantastic’s stretching abilities have their uses, but he can’t really compare to the other Illuminati members, much less Doctor Strange. The rest though – including Professor X – have impressive powersets. Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier isn’t someone who can fight physically, but as one of only a few Omega-level mutants, he’s a telepath with a wide range of options at his disposal that he can use to contain his targets. But as strong as he is in the field of telepathy, he couldn’t best Scarlet Witch. It’s likely that he wouldn’t be able to handle Doctor Strange either.
Maria Rambeau’s powers in Doctor Strange 2 support the idea that she’s every bit the equal to Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, which means that she’s one of the strongest characters in the movie. After all, Captain Marvel was once hailed as the MCU’s most powerful hero. The cosmic-powered protector of Earth gave Scarlet Witch a fight, and would certainly match up well with Doctor Strange, but it’s hard to say if she can beat him. With all the magic spells he has at his fingertips, he could still hold the advantage.
Captain Marvel isn’t the only Illuminati member who could face off with Doctor Strange in the MCU. There’s also Anson Mount’s Black Bolt. How easily Scarlet Witch rendered him helpless in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a poor representation of his full potential. Had Black Bolt managed to make the first move, the movie’s Scarlet Witch problem would have ended right away, which is a fact that the Illuminati were banking on. His super-powered vocal chords can level mountains and lay waste to cities. Even the Hulk can’t stand up to one of Black Bolt’s shouts. And it’s not just his voice that one has to worry about when fighting him. In the comics, at least, Black Bolt has enough physical might to engage in epic showdowns with the Hulk, Namor, and the Thing, thus putting him on a level very close to Doctor Strange.
