A new poster for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hints at how Stephen Strange could restore the multiverse. The multiverse is key to the MCU's Phase 4 slate, and that naturally has major implications for the Masters of the Mystic Arts. After all, according to the first Doctor Strange film, their power is derived from the multiverse itself. The Ancient One claimed sorcerers rewrite reality by drawing power from other planes of existence, meaning they're particularly sensitive to any interdimensional disruptions.

Doctor Strange 2 will clearly see disruption beyond anything the Masters of the Mystic Arts has ever seen before. The precise cause is unclear; the trailers have teased antagonists ranging from a dark Doctor Strange to the Scarlet Witch, but a sinister book of dark magic called the Darkhold appears to lie at the heart of this. In the comics, this was forged by the Elder God named Chthon, and the spells contained within it damage and corrupt reality itself whenever they are used. Scarlet Witch obtained the Darkhold in WandaVision and seemed to have spent a considerable amount of time reading from it. Trailers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have also shown Strange himself using the magic of the Darkhold. And yet, for all that's the case, evidence is building the Darkhold won't be the only book of magic to appear in the film.

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Marvel has recently released several new Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness posters, coinciding with tickets becoming available. One of these features a glimpse of a spellbook that looks very different from the Darkhold; it's positioned as though it's important somehow, perhaps meaning it's the MacGuffin of Doctor Strange 2. Assuming this is also lifted from the comics, it could well be the Book of the Vishanti, essentially the opposite of the Darkhold, created by Agamotto, the first Sorcerer Supreme and channeling the power of a triad of benevolent mystical beings known as the Vishanti.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Poster Book of Vishanti

Marvel has always been noted for its "mirror image" villains and concepts. Iron Man fought the Iron Monger, Killmonger ingested the Heart-Shaped Herb to become Black Panther's equal, and Black Widow was stalked by a super-spy who'd lost all agency. The multiverse's variants mean the MCU can take that much more literally, with Doctor Strange facing his own rogue variants. It would make sense for Marvel to take this one step further by introducing the opposite force to the Darkhold. If the magic of the Darkhold is the cause of the Multiverse of Madness, then the Book of the Vishanti could be the way to put matters right.

If this is indeed the Book of the Vishanti, its presence raises the curious question of whether Doctor Strange will meet the Vishanti themselves. In the comics, the Vishanti established the line of Sorcerer Supremes and chose who should hold that title. Wong may believe he's become the MCU's Sorcerer Supreme, but the Vishanti may very well have different ideas. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could well see Stephen Strange finally earn the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme.

More: Doctor Strange 2 Chooses The New Sorcerer Supreme: Theory Explained

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