The villain for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness looks to be revealed, but Marvel's What If? tainted the character. The 2022 release of Multiverse of Madness will finally give Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) another solo showcase, nearly six years after making his MCU debut in 2016's Doctor Strange. Of course, he won't be completely alone, as Wanda Maximoff's Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) will be along for the ride. In the time between starring in movies with his name in the title though, Doctor Strange has fast become one of the most popular and consequential figures within the entire MCU.

That progression makes sense when one considers the high power level of the Sorcerer Supreme, powers which will be put to the test again soon in Spider-Man: No Way Home. That's assuming the Doctor Strange seen operating in No Way Home is the one fans are used to, as many aren't quite convinced. Part of the reason for that speculation relates to Marvel's recent What If? show on Disney+, which featured an alternate version of Doctor Strange; albeit one who ended up being corrupted by evil after a multitude of repeated attempts to save his doomed love, Christine Palmer.

Related: How Doctor Strange Breaks The Multiverse - No Way Home Theory Explained

What If?'s episode focused on this alternate Doctor Strange also featured the MCU debut of a powerful cosmic villain known as Shuma-Gorath, a tentacled monstrosity based on the indescribable beasts found within the body of written work from the author H.P. Lovecraft. A recent leak from LEGO looks to confirm Shuma-Gorath's presence in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, which prior to What If?, probably would've drawn cheers from most fans. After What If? is a different story though, as Shuma-Gorath has already been undercut.

Doctor strange next villain Shuma Gorath what if

In episode 4 of What If?, Doctor Strange seeks to gain enough power to permanently undo Christine's death, and the way he goes about this is to defeat and absorb the dark energy from countless cosmic monsters. The first creature he tries it on is Shuma-Gorath, and while he doesn't win this fight the first time, it doesn't appear to be too long before Strange has a second round with the tentacled beast. This time Strange defeats Shuma-Gorath in a one-sided squash. While Strange had gained considerable power by the time he faced Shuma-Gorath again, the fact remains that the Sorcerer Supreme has already beaten the villain once, and if he can do it once, he can do it again in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

It's unclear if Shuma-Gorath will be the only villain Strange is forced to overcome in his sequel, and perhaps this LEGO leak is actually a misdirect intended to ensure fans are surprised when the real big bad of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness appears. Still, after Dormammu served as the lead villain for Doctor Strange's first cinematic outing, utilizing another powerful cosmic foe like Shuma-Gorath as the lead villain of Multiverse of Madness would certainly make sense. If that's the case, Marvel may live to regret the creature already making its MCU debut in losing fashion.

More: Doctor Strange In No Way Home Can Finally Lead To The MCU's Uncle Ben

Key Release Dates