Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 2022

Introduction 

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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a 2022 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange. It is the follow-up to Doctor Strange (2016) and the 28th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, produced by Marvel Studios and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (MCU). Benedict Cumberbatch plays Stephen Strange in the movie, which also stars Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by Michael Waldron. Strange defends America Chavez (Gomez), a young woman who can travel around the multiverse, from Wanda Maximoff in the movie (Olsen).

By October 2016, Scott Derrickson, the filmmaker and co-writer of Doctor Strange had ideas for a sequel. When Cumberbatch's return was officially announced in December 2018, he agreed to return as director. The title of the movie and Olsen's participation were revealed in July 2019, and Jade Halley Bartlett was hired to write the script in October. In January 2020, Derrickson resigned as a director due to creative disagreements. The following month, Raimi and Waldron teamed together. They rewrote the script, incorporating aspects of the horror genre that Raimi had previously worked with and making Maximoff the movie's antagonist while continuing her Disney+ miniseries WandaVision plot (2021).

Filming commenced in London in November 2020 but was suspended in January 2021 due to the COVID-19 epidemic. By March 2021, production had resumed, and in Somerset, it had ended by mid-April. Los Angeles and Surrey both saw shootings. As part of Phase Four of the MCU, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had its world premiere on May 2, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and was then made available for purchase in the US on May 6.

The film got accolades for Raimi's direction, the visuals, the musical score, the production design, the photography, and Olsen's acting, while the writing received criticism. The movie earned $955 million worldwide, ranking fourth among all movies released in 2022.

Table of contents 

• Details

• Plot 

• Release Date

• Reviews

• Casting 

• Crew

• Character Analysis

• Music

• Behind the scenes

• Controversy

• Box Office Collection

• Awards

• Interesting Facts

Details

Plot 

A demon is chasing America Chavez and a version of Stephen Strange as they look for the Book of Vishanti in the void between realities. When Strange is slain, Chavez unintentionally constructs a portal that sends her and Strange's corpse to Earth-616, where the Strange from that universe uses Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme, to assist save Chavez from a monster. The reason the entities are after her, according to Chavez, is that she possesses the ability to traverse the multiverse.

Knowing that the attacks result from witchcraft, Strange visits Wanda Maximoff for advice but soon comes to the conclusion that she is to blame. Maximoff believes that by mastering Chavez's abilities after obtaining the Darkhold and assuming the identity of the Scarlet Witch, she will be able to reconcile with Billy and Tommy, the children she created while living in Westview.  Maximoff attacks Kamar-Taj and kills numerous sorcerers after Strange refuses to turn over Chavez. While Maximoff uses the Darkhold to "dream walk" and take control of her Earth-838 counterpart, who lives in a suburban community with her own Billy and Tommy, Chavez unintentionally moves Strange and the two of them to Earth-838.

A surviving sorceress makes a sacrifice to destroy the Darkhold and end the dream walk. Maximoff is so furious that he commands Wong to take her to Mount Wundagore, the source of the Darkhold's energy, to restart the dream walk.

Karl Mordo, the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-838, captures Strange and Chavez when they are looking for assistance. They are then hauled before the Illuminati, consisting of Mordo, Peggy Carter, Blackagar Boltagon, Maria Rambeau, Reed Richards, and Charles Xavier. They explain that Earth-838's Strange unleashed a universe-destroying "incursion" by carelessly using the Darkhold in their universe to confront Thanos. The Illuminati killed Strange after they had defeated Thanos to stop him from doing more damage. Mordo thinks that the Strange of Earth-616 is equally dangerous, but Maximoff resumes her dream walk at Mount Wundagore and shows up in the body of her Earth-838 counterpart before they can make a judgment.

All the Illuminati are mercilessly murdered by her, except Mordo, who Strange subdues before taking Chavez away. The two manage to escape with the aid of Christine Palmer, an Illuminati-affiliated scientist who was Strange's ex-fiance on Earth-838.

The Book of Vishanti, the antithesis of the Darkhold, is what Strange, Chavez, and Palmer look for when they cross the space between universes, but Maximoff shows up and destroys it. After taking control of Chavez, she uses her abilities to transfer the others to a dimension ravaged by an incursion.

Strange uses it to dream and walk into the body of his deceased counterpart on Earth-616 after defeating the corrupted Strange from the devastated universe that his universe's Darkhold had corrupted. With Wong's assistance, Strange stops Maximoff from stealing Chavez's talents while also encouraging Chavez to use her gifts. When she takes Maximoff to Earth-838, she finds Billy and Tommy flinching away from her and sobbing for their true mother. Realizing her mistake, Maximoff changes course and employs her abilities to bring Mount Wundagore to its knees, eradicating all instances of the Darkhold throughout the multiverse and, ostensibly, sacrificing herself in the process. Palmer and Strange are returned to their realities by Chavez.

Later, when Kamar-Taj has been repaired, Chavez and the remaining sorcerers continue their training. After using the Darkhold and dream walking into a corpse, Strange has a third eye. In a scene during the credits, a sorceress approaches Strange and informs him that he must work to stop the incursion that his acts have started. As she enters the Dark Dimension, Strange follows her.

Release Date

On May 2, 2022, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had its global debut in Hollywood at the Dolby Theatre. The movie was released in 4DX, RealD 3D, IMAX, Dolby Cinema, ScreenX, and Superscreen on May 5, 2022, in the United Kingdom, and on May 6, 2022, in the United States. It was initially intended for release on May 7, 2021, but owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was delayed until November 5, 2021. After Sony rescheduled Spider-Man: No Way Home for November 2021, it was pushed back to March 25, 2022. It was again moved to its current 6th May 2022 date in October 2021. Phase Four of the MCU includes the movie.

Reviews

According to 448 reviews on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film had a 74% approval rating and an overall rating of 6.5/10. "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness labors under the weight of the sprawling MCU, but Sam Raimi's distinctive direction casts an entertaining spell." the website's critical consensus states. Based on 65 reviews, the movie had a weighted average score of 60 out of 100 on Metacritic, which indicates "mixed or mediocre reviews." On a scale from A+ to F, audiences surveyed by CinemaScore awarded the movie an average grade of "B+." At the same time, PostTrak found that 82% of viewers gave it a positive review, and 69% said they would certainly recommend it.

Casting 

• Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange

• Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch

• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo

• Benedict Wong as Wong

• Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez

• Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West

• Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer

Crew

Sam Raimi directed doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. Michael Waldron wrote the movie. Based on Marvel Comics, it was Produced by Kevin Feige, and John Mathieson handled the cinematography. Edited by Bob Murawski and Tia Nolan. The music is by Danny Elfman. The Production company produces the movie. Marvel Studios. Walt Disney Studios and Motion Pictures distribute Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.

Character Analysis

• Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange

A neurosurgeon who experienced a career-ending vehicle accident before becoming a Master of the Mystic Arts. Writer Michael Waldron compared the character to Indiana Jones as a hero who can take a punch but with the intelligence of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, and claimed Strange was at the height of his powers in the movie. 

• Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch

A former Avenger who has turned rogue and is capable of using chaos magic, telepathy, and telekinesis, as well as changing reality. Using an accent more authentic to her Sokovian ancestry after some of the earlier MCU films had seen her employ a more Americanized accent, the movie continues Maximoff's "ownership of what makes her unique and the accountability of her life experience," which began in the series WandaVision.

• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo

The Illuminati member and Earth-838's Sorcerer Supreme. He is a different Mordo than the one introduced in the previous movie as a potential foe. Waldron explains that they were focused on the Earth-838 version of the character and decided it was more thrilling to leave the Earth-616 version for "another day." As a result, that version does not appear in the sequel since he did not fit into the plot. An early draught of the script had the Earth-616 version of Mordo dying in the first scene at the hands of Maximoff.

• Benedict Wong as Wong

The Earth-616 Sorcerer Supreme and Strange's buddy and mentor. The actor was delighted to learn that his Sorcerer Supreme persona will go "toe-to-toe with Doctor Strange," acting as the latter's voice of reason before suffering the consequences of disobeying Wong. The actor trained with former rugby league player Shannon Hegarty in preparation for the film's more action-packed scenes.

• Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez

A teen who can open doors to other dimensions and travel between them. She comes from the Utopian Parallel, a different universe. Despite portraying a younger version of the character than is depicted in the comics, Gomez said she wanted to stay true to the original material. She explained that the character's journey in the movie starts with her having been abandoned for a while and "running away from her individuality." By the movie's end, Chavez needs to accept her powers and learn to trust others. Before deciding on Multiverse of Madness, Marvel Studios had been searching for the ideal movie to introduce the character for a long time.

• Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West

A surgeon and Strange's previous coworker. Stuhlbarg was supposed to play his Earth-838 counterpart, but he could only film one scene (the original version) due to schedule issues. The Illuminati would have liked the Earth-838 version more, with the heroes discovering Maximoff's head in an elevator after he had been killed off-screen, much like Ray Arnold in Jurassic Park, who was killed by Maximoff (1993).

• Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer

An emergency physician who was Strange's friend and lover. In light of Palmer's impending marriage to someone else, the movie explores Strange's decision to safeguard the New York Sanctum at the end of Doctor Strange (2016), even though he is still in love with Palmer. Strange may later regret that choice. The Earth-838 version of the character, who worked for the Baxter Foundation and was once in love with Strange in that reality, is likewise portrayed by McAdams. This role, according to McAdams, was a "Multiversal expert" who permitted her to participate in more action sequences than in the original movie. Due to the corruption of the Earth-838 version of Strange, she carries "a lot more baggage" than the original version of the character, but her plotline with the Earth-616 Strange helps him end his romance with his version of Palmer.

Music

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By October 2019, when Derrickson was set to serve as director, Doctor Strange composer Michael Giacchino was expected to return for the follow-up. Danny Elfman, who had previously collaborated with Raimi on the films Darkman (1990), A Simple Plan (1998), Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), and Oz the Great and Powerful, was hired as the film's composer when Raimi took over (2013). Elfman stated that during working on Avengers: Age of Ultron, he would make relative references to Giacchino's Doctor Strange theme and Alan Silvestri's The Avengers (2012) theme (2015). Elfman started writing songs for the sequel's soundtrack in February 2021, but the actual score wouldn't start until a few months later.

Elfman disclosed in January 2022 that he was working on finishing the music, which involved leading an orchestra at London's Abbey Road Studios. Regular Elfman collaborator Steve Bartek collaborated remotely through Zoom on the composition. Along with Giacchino's Doctor Strange theme, the soundtrack also includes Silvestri's "Captain America March" from Captain America: The First Avenger and the song "WandaVision!" by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez from the WandaVision episode "Don't Touch That Dial" (2011). Three "spoiler tracks" that weren't included in the initial release were made available on May 20. Elfman's soundtrack album was made available digitally via Hollywood Records and Marvel Music on May 4.

Behind the scenes

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Are you curious about the level of crazy involved in constructing the multiverse? You can now put your questions to rest as Industrial Light & Magic reveals how they brought each Doctor Strange in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to life.

The visual effects studio provides a sneak peek at what went into creating a range of various sequences in the movie, as well as some of the more brutal conflicts, in a brand-new film. Examine the construction of Scarlet Witch's conflict with the Illuminati and learn more about Strange's third eye. Who wouldn't also be interested in seeing the special effects used to bring Dead Strange to life?

Controversy 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been entangled in issue after controversy with less than a week till its global premiere. On May 6, 2022, the Benedict Cumberbatch-starring film was scheduled to hit theatres, but until then, allow us to fill you in on some of the controversies it has sparked.

• China Controversy- China won't show Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness any longer because of a scene that includes a newspaper kiosk with Chinese characters for The Epoch Times. The magazine is renowned for its critiques of the Chinese Communist Party. This is causing a backlash against it, especially from government loyalists.

• Middle East Controversy- The movie has already been outlawed in a few nations, including Egypt, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, for including an LGBTQ+ role. Marvel has chosen not to ban the lesbian character played by Xochitl Gomez, America Chavez. Due to this, even though her character is homosexual in the comics, several fans hated the 15-year-old actor and blamed her for canceling one of the most awaited movies of 2022.

• Gargantos Controversy- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness encountered numerous legal issues and copyright alerts early in the development process. After extensive consideration and a protracted copyright struggle, Marvel rejected the original notion and reinvented the role. And this is "Gargantos," the big-eyed monster from the film. The antagonist of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was initially supposed to be Shuma-Gorath, the antiquated devil deity of the earth. On the other hand, Marvel only realized this character a timebomb once filming had started. Everything begins with Marvel's early origins. Contrary to popular belief, Marvel does not control the copyrights of many of its characters.
  

Box Office Collection

The worldwide total for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was $955.8 million, with $411.3 million coming from North America (the United States and Canada) and $544.4 million from other regions. It earned the fourth-highest box office total of 2022. According to Forbes, the movie earned $305.9 million. The movie earned $955 million worldwide, ranking fourth among all movies released in 2022.

Awards

Interesting facts

 

 

 

 

 

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1. According to writer Michael Waldron, it was "fun and different" to switch from writing Loki to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He also thought it was interesting to experiment with the multiverse concept in a TV program format rather than a Sam Raimi movie.

2. Sam and Michael worked to make sure Multiverse of Madness "deliberately" felt like a "campy" Raimi horror movie in many areas because Sam Raimi has such a distinctive voice in the horror film genre.

3. Michael placed a high priority on maintaining the story-driven nature of the movie despite its massive scope and multiverse-related subject matter.

4. To properly comprehend Wanda Maximoff's journey in that series, Michael studied "all the WandaVision screenplays" and watched "early cuts" of episodes while scripting the movie.

5. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness began filming while WandaVision was still airing. Thus the cast and crew were slowly seeing it become a "sensation" while working with Elizabeth Olsen and seeing everyone fall in love with Wanda Maximoff and her performance.

6. Michael was informed of the WandaVision plot, what would happen in Spider-Man: No Way Home, how it would impact the MCU as a whole, and the plotline for Doctor Strange.

7. Regarding Wanda's voyage in the movie, Elizabeth gave Michael and the other creative team members many comments and thoughts. They even changed several plot points and scenes due to her recommendations.

8. The cast of characters and performers who ended up on the screen was beyond their "wildest fantasies," according to Michael, who described it as an "ever-moving target" of who was available for the Illuminati scene appearances.

9. It was important to consider which individuals Doctor Strange might have invited and trusted to be a part of this exclusive group when deciding which characters would be in the Illuminati.

10. Although they appeared in every scene together, Patrick Stewart, John Krasinski, Hayley Atwell, Lashana Lynch, and Anson Mount were never on set simultaneously. The final product was assembled from multiple shootings with these performers.

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