Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness teaser unravels how the film abides with the timeline and causality from – Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel’s animated series What If, and a meticulous fusion of the events of WandaVison.
Wong’s words that echo at the initiation of the teaser warns Strange of not casting the spell, is from Spider-Man: No Way Home. These words clearly suggest that the events of Multiverse of Madness will be the direct repercussions of the Runes of Kauf-Kaul (the spell Strange uses to erase people’s memories of Spider-Man).
In Doctor Strange (2016), Mordo warned Strange that his dalliance with reality will have consequences. It seems that Strange’s deeds have finally caught up to him. It becomes even more intriguing when we contrast Wong in No Way Home with the Wong from the teaser of Multiverse of Madness. While the first is sympathetic with Peter and says, “Just leave me of this,” the latter warns about how dangerous it is.
We must also remember that Wong is the new Sorcerer Supreme. This is apparently because Doctor Strange “blipped” for five years. Hence, if Wong, as the Sorcerer Supreme, allowed Strange to cast the spell for the events of No Way Home, then it would make Wong a culprit too because he is accountable for all magic and spells. We can expect in the sequel to see if Wong faces punishment of any kind. This is because the cause and effect of the events will play their part in the causality of the future events in various flawed timelines. It silently sets up the path for Multiverse of Madness, as the cause of a broken multiverse that stems from WandaVison, and No Way Home. It breaks into the realms of a multiverse that is almost beyond repair.
The Signs of What-If
Throughout the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness teaser, we witnessed multiple signs that prove how much the film will borrow from the animated series What If. This establishes the significance of the events of What If in the MCU. Let’s talk about them.
The Broken Watch
The way Sam Raimi has shown broken timelines with the euphemism of mirroring Strange in the shattered glass of the watch symbolizes the broken timelines, i.e., the multiverse. Dr. Strange wants to “repair the watch,” which is symbolic of his struggle to repair the fractured timelines. Since Dr Strange already knows the consequences of tampering with the timelines, it all makes sense.
The broken wristwatch we see in the teaser resembles the one from the accident that led to his beloved Christine’s death. She hasn’t died in the MCU, but if we are to follow What If, then Christine’s death is imminent. That is what will take the movie further.
Just like the good Strange found his world on the verge of destruction due to a temporal paradox resulting from the dark Strange’s attempt to reverse the absolute point of Christine’s death, the teaser also shows Strange witnessing the end of the world. So, we can be quite certain that an absolute point will be involved.
America Chavez
We also get a glimpse of America Chavez, AKA Miss America with a star on her back. We know that she can create holes in reality through which she can travel through the multiverse. So it is not unusual for her to be in a film that will deal extensively with the multiverse.
Wanda Maximoff
Right after WandaVision, it was announced that we would next see the Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There was word that she would be the main antagonist in the film. However, from the teaser, it seems that Strange will take Wanda’s help in making amends to the fabric of space-time. Strange must have been aware of the events Wanda pulled off in WandaVision. Her ability to warp reality is what made Strange come to her. Also, the ending of WandaVision showed her reading from the Darkhold. So, Wanda’s knowledge will be helpful in ways hitherto undreamt of.
Beings from Other Dimensions
In What If, Strange had to absorb power from mystic beings from other dimensions in order to gain the power to break an Absolute Point. In the teaser, too, we get a glimpse of two such beings from other dimensions. While one is coming out of Strange, the other one is what Strange faces. Are these two Strange one and the same?
Doctor Strange Variant
Finally, we got what we wanted but didn’t expect. Evil Strange arrives, which absorbed hundreds of mystic beings and even the good Strange in What If. However, this one seems eviler. Or is it Mephisto? He was a long time coming to the MCU, after all. He was even expected in Loki.
There are lots of questions in our minds, right? Yet, we will have to wait for a trailer of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to base our questions on. This particular flick is Marvel’s first step to try its hands on the horror genre. It will be interesting to see what Sam Raimi has brought to the table and will he be able to make it the scariest movie in the MCU so far. The film will arrive exclusively in theaters on May 6, 2022.
