Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had a big task ahead of the film. The multiverse introduced in both the latest Spiderman film and Loki tv series can lead to endless possibilities in the MCU. Dr. Strange managed to expand on the multiverse in a digestible way while maintaining a coherent plot.
Elizabeth Olson’s performance stuck out of all the performances, and she had to show multiple sides of the character. Cumberbatch and Wong also had compelling performances as their established characters, and the supporting characters had satisfying performances.
I have always been a fan of alternate universe movies and timelines in established IP, for example, Justice League Crisis on Two Earth, Justice League Apokolips War, etc. Dr. Strange didn’t disappoint me from that front seeing alternate places with nonstop magical action giving me goosebumps. My only complaint was some cringeworthy dialog towards the end.
Spoilers Ahead
Seeing the alternate earth Illuminati was a massive highlight for me, with my favorite being seeing Patrick Stewarts Xavier and John Krasinski Mr. Fantastic. The film shows these people die in only a way a multiverse film could, with Peggy Carters and Blackbolts death being gruesome, especially by Disney standards. Having Xavier have his tv show pod and imagery of him entering Wanda’s mind from the cartoon put a smile on my face.
Elizabeth Olson’s performance as Scarlet Witch was the most standout. Her becoming the film’s antagonist was a direction I didn’t expect so early. The past battles and losses have taken their toll on her psyche, which was made clear by her motivations.
Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness entertaining film throughout. Though there was some cringe-worthy dialogue, and I wish we saw more alternate earth, the action was high tense, and the world we did see was satisfying. The film implications for the MCU could be anything, even leading to a full MCU reset with an incursion.