Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness; A Long-Awaited Marvel Production

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness; A Long-Awaited Marvel Production

Natalie Leydet, Staff Writer

Warning: The following article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Marvel Studio´s Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness. If you have not yet seen this film and intend to, it is strongly advised that you stop reading now and come back and read this review later! (:

Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness has been a long-awaited movie for Marvel fans, as it was announced at the annual San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. Directed by Sam Raimi, this movie was initially intended to create a much different atmosphere than any movie before it. The film was being set up to become one of the first scary movies produced by Marvel Studios. 

Starring in the film are, of course, Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, Benedict Wong as Wong, and Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer. 

From this point on in the article, many spoilers for the plot of the movie will be revealed, so read at your own discretion. 

After the Marvel Studios intro rolls through, right off the bat we are introduced to America Chavez and a variant of Doctor Strange widely known as Defender Strange. The pair are frantically in search of the Book of Vishanti, located in the space between universes while attempting to outrun a demon with the goal of stealing America Chavez´s ability to navigate and travel the vast multiverse. Chavez and the Strange variant fail to retrieve the book, resulting in his death, and Chavez accidentally opens a portal, resulting in her escape.

Chavez arrives in the universe that all the Marvel movies have followed since the beginning, leading her to meet our Dr. Strange and Wong. The trio meets after Strange and Wong save Chavez from another demon hungry for her untamed power. In order to prevent any more possible attacks on Chavez, Strange and Wong decide to bring the teen to the safest place they know, Karmar Taj, the main headquarters of the Masters of the Mystic Arts.

Once knowing America was safe, Strange sought out Wanda Maximoff. After recognizing the witchcraft known as runes, markings on both demons that attacked Chavez, and she being the strongest wielder of witchcraft and magic on the plant, he hoped that she could help him identify the one responsible the attacks. He arrives at Maximoff’s home, finding her in her apple orchard, where he fills her in on what is happening, trying to convince her she is the only one who can help the situation. 

Maximoff reveals herself to be the one behind the attacks. She tells Strange she wants the multiverse traveling powers of Chavez so she can flee their dimension and find one that will reunite her with her twin sons Billy and Tommy, whom she created during the events of WandaVision. Now realizing what he has done, Strange warns Wanda against attacking Karmar Taj. She responds by telling him if he did not surrender Chavez, Wanda Maximoff would no longer be coming for the girl, and the Scarlet Witch would. Karmar Taj is attacked by Maximoff, leading to a confrontation between her and the trio. They evade Maximoff’s attacks long enough for Chavez to open a portal, throwing herself and our Strange head-first into the endless multiverse.

Strange and Chavez cross paths with many different versions of different heroes and people throughout their journey, leading them into a universe where Marvel’s Illuminati is assembled, a group of individuals responsible for making the hardest calls when no one else can. The Illuminati consists of Master Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the sorcerer supreme of this universe, Dr. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Captain Carter/Peggy Carter (Haylee Atwell), Captain Marvel/Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), Black Bolt (Anson Mount), Reed Richards/ Mister Fantastic (John Krasinski). From the Disney Plus show WandaVision, Maximoff’s children Billy and Tommy Maximoff (Julian Hilliard and Jett Klyne) also made an appearance.

Arriving in the dimension of the Illuminati, they are captured for crossing into the multiverse. Meanwhile, Maximoff has taken over Karmar Taj, leaving countless injured and dead, she has Wong held captive, hoping Strange would return with Chavez in an attempt to rescue him. Maximoff uses the Darkhold, a book of dark magic, in order to dream walk into a dimension that her sons reside in. A sorceress steps in, sacrificing herself to destroy the book, making Wanda furious. She then forces Wong to take her to original the ancient temple where the Darkhold came from. They arrive and she begins dream walking again in order to find the dimension Strange and Chavez are in.  

She finds them and after attacking and killing the entire Illuminati, she returns to the temple where she begins taking America Chavez’s powers. Strange, in another universe uses the Darkhold there to dream walk back to his universe. Chavez and Wanda fight, leading them into the universe Wanda wants to retrieve her kids from. She has a face-off with that universe’s Wanda and ends up terrifying her children. She realizes the mistakes she has made and returns to the temple with Chavez. Wanda decides the Darkhold must be destroyed, so she sacrifices herself in order to destroy all of the Darkholds existing throughout the multiverse, and in order to destroy the temple. 

This film also has two post-credits, but if you want to know about them you will have to check it out in theaters! (; 

Now that the plot has been covered, Manny Johnson, a sophomore at Lake Shore high school, really enjoyed this movie and wanted to share his opinion. 

“It is a cinematic masterpiece, with insane CGI and camerawork, Sam Rami really went all out!” Johnson continued, “Everyone should see it, it’s so worth the watch!” 

In summary, this movie was an emotional rollercoaster to watch, so much time and hard work went into it by the cast and crew. See Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in theaters now!