Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

[GenericUsername]

Unlike the comics there is some solace here though, that the very story which presents her descend into darkness and full blown villainy also involves the exploration of the presence of a multiverse together with the information that in the majority (or even entirety depending of how trustfull the information of the Darkhold in thise matter can be considered) of these alternate universes, Wanda did not fall into that path. Making this Wanda the exception that proofs the rule.

Infact it seems Strange himself has a much larger number of villainous or at least moraly questionable selves than Wanda (one willing to kill America for the "greater good", one using the Darkhold to defeat Thanos at the expense of many lifes and one downright killing his alternate selves after abusing the Darkhold).

Which is further helped by the implication that these Wandas had nearly the same history as M616 Wanda until the point where the children somehow got created. Like how alternate Wanda also had the super powers, knew how to use them and also seems to have had the traumatic experience of being burried under rubble next to a TV for a while.
The absence of Vision and possibly Quicksilver also seem to indicate having experienced the same losses.

At this point i think it's likely that if they eventualy fuse the Movie 616 Universe with another to let the X-men and Fanastic Four in, they will re-establish Wanda as one of these "unfallen" selves. Leaving this one a dark alternate self in the long run.

Which now that i think about it, would actualy be a feasible set ups for a second season of Wanda/Vision where they show how she managed to get her sons without creating all the horror of the first season.

Though of course this doesn't help with the fact that it had to be the core universe Wanda, who's story we have followed since Age of Ultron, that had to fall into this villainy, tarnishing her potential as character permanently in the movies. So i'm not trying to sugar coat that either.

Not to forget that there is whole continuity mess that this villainy path for Wanda was predestined by Kang via the TVA, in spite of the fact that "Happy Wanda" was seemingly the much more common outcome of her life story until this point. However the events of this movie are only possible because the Lokis broke the "Sacred Timeline" raising the question of how Wanda would have developed in said predestined timeline?

And now i also realize the issue that if Wanda only got the idea for her sons via dreams, which are now said to be visions of alternate selves (nevermind the question how this would have worked with the TVA keeping everything in one single universe?), that the events of Wanda/Vision would have never happend in the sacred timeline in first place.

So bottom line movie Wanda is arguably still not in a spot as bad as comic Wanda was after House of M and now my head hurts (metaphoricaly) trying to fit Loki and Wanda/Vision into contiuity with each other.

We'll see what happens with the incursions they keep teasing, and if she plays a role at all. Only time can tell if she's in as bad a spot as AD/HoM, because she disappeared for 7 years after that. And all we know right now is Olsen has said there is still no Wanda solo planned. And there was no WandaVision season 2 planned. So it kind of is like that era in comics where I now have to wait and see if she shows up again and worry if she'll be someone fully realized or a plot device again. Hopefully they let her play a role in stopping the incursions. And freeing everyone with the Chthonic signature of that influence (since it still is obviously there despite the Darkhold being "destroyed").

[mace11]

Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness - MOVIE REVIEW!!!!

Robert Storms

[DrNewGod]

I didn't hate it, but it never climbed higher than meh for me. I have only three thoughts on the film.

First, the MCU feels like it has become more inward-looking. In phase 1, and to a lesser degree in phase 2, there was a sense of - if not overlap - familiarity between the world in which we live and that inhabited by the characters. From phase 3 on, that has become less and less the case. I'll grant you that the MCU's earth probably should react to all that its been through. However, like the comics they're based on, the MCU characters now seem less to inhabit an environment than to exist in an environment shaped around them. As part of that, the sheer amount of name-dropping for no purpose but fan service (e.g. Wundagore) begins to feel tedious. You can follow this film without being steeped in the MCU and comics lore, but it ain't easy.

Second, as the phases have progressed, Feige, et al. seem less interested in making stories about Marvel characters than in remaking Marvel characters. There's maybe even some good in that, as a character like Thanos just doesn't quite make sense to a mass audience as somebody in love with death. But, there were moments in this film's action scenes where I was wondering if I was watching a Green Lantern film rather than a Dr. Strange film. In fairness, (IMO) very few creators have been able to get Dr. Strange right over the last 60 years, so I shouldn't be surprised if it's difficult on film.

Finally, there are things to find entertaining in this film, but you really have to want to see a Dr. Strange film to do it. MCU phase one was pretty good about making films that could work for just about anyone. This isn't a film to rope in the random non-fan (a moot point I suppose, as this film is making bucks and the MCU is not the promising-but-uncertain baby it was back when Iron Man hit theaters). Maybe there are enough MCU-fanlings out there to keep the pan-franchise chugging happily along. Guess we'll know in a few years.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I thought it was a fun but overtly long film. It's a decent Doctor Strange story and one of the better uses of Variants in recent years. I'm mixed on how they did our girl Wanda. Ms. Olsen pulls off the campy Disney villain but she's capital "E" evil and already broke bad before the film starts. It's not impossible to redeem her but the film doesn't give her the ambiguity Tony had in the early part of Civil War.

[Scott Taylor]

The strangest thing about this movie, for me, remains the Illuminati scene. The whole thing. This is a group that is meant to be some kind of judicial body, yet they never heard the case against Wanda and never knew anything about America Chavez or her powers but just automatically assumed Dr. Strange was guilty of whatever was going on. Not to mention that they just took it on themselves to execute their Dr. Strange, with no due process whatsoever. And then covered it up! Their telepath was the only one to ultimately trust Strange, but they completely ignored him as well.

Kind of disappointing way to introduce those characters to the MCU. What differentiates them from, say, Ronan?

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

The strangest thing about this movie, for me, remains the Illuminati scene. The whole thing. This is a group that is meant to be some kind of judicial body, yet they never heard the case against Wanda and never knew anything about America Chavez or her powers but just automatically assumed Dr. Strange was guilty of whatever was going on. Not to mention that they just took it on themselves to execute their Dr. Strange, with no due process whatsoever. And then covered it up! Their telepath was the only one to ultimately trust Strange, but they completely ignored him as well.

Kind of disappointing way to introduce those characters to the MCU. What differentiates them from, say, Ronan?

Maybe Illuminati Strange wasn't the only corrupt member?

[Scott Taylor]

Maybe Illuminati Strange wasn't the only corrupt member?

Great point! In this case, would Wanda be in the right to kill them? I wasn't cheering for her but it didn't bother me really.

[Frobisher]

The strangest thing about this movie, for me, remains the Illuminati scene. The whole thing. This is a group that is meant to be some kind of judicial body, yet they never heard the case against Wanda and never knew anything about America Chavez or her powers but just automatically assumed Dr. Strange was guilty of whatever was going on. Not to mention that they just took it on themselves to execute their Dr. Strange, with no due process whatsoever. And then covered it up! Their telepath was the only one to ultimately trust Strange, but they completely ignored him as well.

Kind of disappointing way to introduce those characters to the MCU. What differentiates them from, say, Ronan?

They’re judges? What do you think they do all day, interpret ancient religious doctrinal texts with little relevance to the modern world into law?

[Pinsir]

This is the first Marvel movie I watched since Homecoming. It kept reminding me a lot of WW84 actually, just in how quick and seemingly random the film pushes forward. There are a lot of cool ideas here, like Doctor Strange possessing a corpse of an alternate world self, but there needed to be more time to let things rest (like WW84). I don't know why people think this is one the worst MCU films, it clearly isn't. I don't have a high opinion on the MCU, but there are films much worse than this, I can actually see a lot of creative ideas here.

[Ravin' Ray]

‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’: The Cost of Dreamwalking and Incursions

Learn all about the most damning spell from the Darkhold.
BY CHRISTINE DINH

In Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Stephen Strange, along with fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, learned about two magical tomes — the Darkhold, the Book of the Damned, which corrupts its reader, and the Book of Vishanti, the Darkhold’s antithesis, which allows any good and pure magic wielder with enough magic defenses to defeat evil.

After Doctor Strange and Sorcerer Supreme Wong save a teenaged America Chavez from Gargantos, they learn that dreams are windows into the lives of their Multiversal selves. Whenever they dreamt, they were getting a glimpse of an alternate universe where their alternate selves existed. Dreams don’t allow you to impact your alternate self in any way.

However, within the pages of the Darkhold is a powerful spell — Dreamwalking — which does violate your alternate self’s will.

Marvel.com spoke to the creative team behind Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to learn more about the evilest spell within the pages of the Book of the Damned.

[Scott Taylor]

They’re judges? What do you think they do all day, interpret ancient religious doctrinal texts with little relevance to the modern world into law?

From the movie, it appeared that they don't hang out there but just teleport in as needed. Reed used a device to do that, and I presume the rest had similar technology.

They were judges in the movie, I don't know what they were going to do to Stephen but it was clear they were about to give a verdict when Wanda showed up.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Great point! In this case, would Wanda be in the right to kill them? I wasn't cheering for her but it didn't bother me really.

It's hard to say because we don't know enough about Earth 838 to judge. Plus I wouldn't be surprised if 838 Wanda has some backlash to deal with.

In hindsight it would've been better if the Illuminati was the Avengers under a different name. But watching Wanda kill Variants of her friends might've been too far.

[Kirby101]

The illuminati was a fun device to get characters the fans would want to see in the MCU, of course there might have been others that could have been more logical, but it wouldn't have been as fun.

[Jekyll]

I understand opinions and personal taste may very, but I FREAKING loved this film. My favorite Doctor Strange comics are the ones that lean into the horror, I also enjoyed Wanda more as a villian. Can't wait to see the next adventure with Clea in the dark dimension.

[AnakinFlair]

They got the Assembled... making of special for this movie on Disney+ right now, and of course it's hosted by Bruce Campbell.

Now I kinda want Bruce to start making cameos in all the Marvel movies a'la Stan Lee. Wouldn't make any sense, but I'd enjoy it.