[192], In April 2022, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the film would not be released in Saudi Arabia due to the inclusion of America Chavez, a gay character, given the region's censorship of LGBTQ references. Chavez explains that the beings are hunting her because she has the power to travel through the multiverse. There's so much progress that can be made."
[93] While writing his first draft, Waldron felt the film needed to "get drunk [and] find the madness in the multiverse" by introducing alternate universe versions of known Marvel characters. [79] Olsen was hesitant about playing the villain after believing that she would just be "in an ensemble thing", but she came to feel that the combination of WandaVision and Multiverse of Madness gave her an opportunity to create a sympathetic character in the series who the audience would therefore have conflicted feelings about when seeing the film. Waldron and Raimi joined the following month and started over, adding elements of the horror genre that Raimi had worked with previously and making Maximoff the villain of the film, continuing her story from the series WandaVision (2021). He wanted to do something similar with Maximoff by introducing the Illuminati as a group of characters that fans would be excited to see and then have Maximoff kill them all. This change had a "knock-down effect" on the rest of the script. [186], Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness held its world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on May 2, 2022. The idea of Strange taking control of a dead body for the end of the film came from Waldron and Palmer discussing how he would be able to confront Maximoff from a different universe, with the corpse of another version of Strange having been already established at the start of the film. Doctor Strange in 'Multiverse of Madness' Super Bowl Trailer", "The New Doctor Strange 2 Poster Teases A Connection To The What If? [137] By the end of the month, Raimi had assembled a cut of the film that would be presented to test audiences, and said there was potential for more reshoots to occur if the test screenings found that clarification or improvement were needed;[138] Cumberbatch was working on further reshoots in the United Kingdom by March 13. [80] The COVID-19 pandemic began to impact film productions during those first three weeks,[79] and pre-production started taking place remotely. Strange develops a third eye as a result of using the Darkhold and dreamwalking into a corpse. He believed this was Doctor Strange Supreme, an alternate version of the character introduced in What If?. [18][59] Additionally, the concept of the multiverse was introduced to the MCU in the first season of Loki (2021),[60] and explored further in the film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), which is set before Multiverse of Madness and sees Cumberbatch reprising his role as Strange. The film grossed $27.2million from 20 markets on its opening day, surpassing the first-day overall results of Doctor Strange (2016) by 153% and The Batman by 210%, but falling behind No Way Home by 4%. [107] McAdams soon signed on to return as Palmer,[36] shortly before Feige officially confirmed her involvement on December 10 along with that of Ejiofor, Wong, and Gomez. [198], The film began streaming on Disney+ on June 22, 2022,[199] with the option to view the theatrical version of the film or an IMAX Enhanced version.
[26], Julian Hilliard and Jett Klyne portray the Earth-838 versions of Maximoff's sons Billy and Tommy, reprising their respective roles from WandaVision,[41] while Topo Wresniwiro reprises his role from the first film as Hamir, a Master of the Mystic Arts. [42][43] Also appearing in the film are Sheila Atim as Sara, a Master of the Mystic Arts,[44] and Adam Hugill as the voice of Rintrah, a minotaur-like being from R'Vaal who is a student at Kamar-Taj. [15] A poster for the film, released at the same time, additionally teased the inclusion of Captain Carter, a character who was introduced in What If?. [54] In April 2017, Derrickson was reported to be returning for a sequel, beginning work after fulfilling his commitments to the television series Locke & Key. After defeating Thanos, the Illuminati executed their Strange to prevent him from causing more harm. [132] The film is part of Phase Four of the MCU. He concluded his review by saying that "infinite realities tend to reduce the dramatic impact of any one single reality, and reduces what there is at stake in a given situation. Derrickson said the first film was "the tip of an iceberg. They explain that through reckless use of their universe's Darkhold in an attempt to defeat Thanos, Earth-838's Strange triggered a universe-destroying "incursion". Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to Doctor Strange (2016) and the 28th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). [55], By December 2018, Derrickson had quietly finalized a deal to direct the sequel, with Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, and Rachel McAdams reprising their respective roles of Dr. Stephen Strange, Wong, and Christine Palmer. [215] Owen Gleiberman of Variety felt that the film was "a ride, a head trip, a CGI horror jam, a what-is-reality Marvel brainteaser and, at moments, a bit of an ordeal. [94] In October 2021, it was shifted once more to its current May 2022 date. [82] Raimi was relieved by this delay,[80] which gave him and Waldron the opportunity to start writing the script from scratch in a reasonable time, and make the film their own. He also wanted to avoid the film getting "overstuffed" by adding a different multiverse-related villain such as Kang the Conqueror,[90] and felt that this would create a "watered-down version of Wanda [who] wouldn't be the protagonist, and she wouldn't really be the antagonist". [50] Derrickson revealed in October that he had plans for a sequel, expressing his love for the character and the visual possibilities that come with him. [204][180] Its worldwide opening weekend of $452.4 million was the ninth-largest opening ever, and marked the highest May debut of all-time for IMAX ($33 million). [206] In its second weekend, the film grossed $61 million, becoming one of the MCU's biggest second-weekend box office drops. He also looked at how the character had developed through his other MCU appearances,[88] and Raimi praised how Waldron's imagination and knowledge of Marvel history contributed to the script. [90] There had been early plans to include America Chavez in No Way Home. [92] For consistency with the Darkhold's appearance, the film's props department designed the prop that was used for WandaVision and then reused it for the film. [207] In its third weekend, the film grossed $31.6million. The film was directed by Sam Raimi, written by Michael Waldron, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. [6] Gargantos' eye was modeled after that of Olsen's in order to foreshadow her role as the film's antagonist. That Strange is killed and Chavez accidentally creates a portal that transports herself and Strange's corpse to Earth-616,[N 1] where that universe's version of Strange rescues Chavez from another demon[N 2] with help from the Sorcerer Supreme, Wong. Strange follows her into the Dark Dimension. [99], Principal photography began in November 2020 in London,[100][101] under the working title Stellar Vortex. [72] In mid-March, Cumberbatch said they were in the middle of production,[110] and Ejiofor had begun filming his scenes in London by then. Then she gets the Darkhold and learns that there is a real version of her children out there. Waldron expressed interest in the idea, but Cruise was never approached due to his filming schedule for Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) and Part Two (2024). Sometime later, Kamar-Taj is repaired and the surviving sorcerers, joined by Chavez, continue training. [230], 2022 superhero film produced by Marvel Studios, The film gives the name Earth-616 to the main reality depicted in the, surge of COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom, Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (12A)", "Box Office: 'Doctor Strange 2' Aims for Massive $175 Million-Plus Opening Weekend", "Why that number in Doctor Strange 2 got cheers in the cinema", "Doctor Strange 2: The Reason Marvel Is Unable to Use Shuma-Gorath Revealed (Exclusive)", "That Doctor Strange 2 cameo no one saw coming, explained", "Scott Derrickson Returning to Direct 'Doctor Strange' Sequel (Exclusive)", "Doctor Strange 2 Writer Reveals How Multiverse of Madness Differs From the First Movie", "How the Man Behind Loki Is Shaping Marvel's Phase 4 and Beyond", "Sam Raimi Teases How Multiverse Of Madness Will Change Doctor Strange", "How Spider-Man: No Way Home sets up Doctor Strange 2", "Multiverse of Madness Trailer Shows a Horrifying Doctor Strange Variant, Teases Professor X", "Doctor Strange 2: Every Stephen Strange Variant in Multiverse of Madness", "Multiverse of Madness Director Reveals Which Universe Defender Strange Is From", "WandaVision: Season 1, Episode 8 Review", "Elizabeth Olsen Talks Wanda's Shocking [Spoiler] in 'Doctor Strange 2,' and the Hardest Scene for Her to Play", "Elizabeth Olsen Reacts To Wanda's Arc In 'Doctor Strange 2': 'It Needed To End Where It Ends', "Multiverse Of Madness Will Feature Sinister Strange, Defender Strange, And Zombie Strange Variants", "The Illuminati members in Doctor Strange 2, listed and explained", "Tom Cruise as 'Multiverse' Iron Man, Lady Gaga and a deleted death scene 'Doctor Strange' screenwriter spills what might have been", "Doctor Strange 2 Cut Scene Saw Scarlet Witch Decapitate 616 Mordo", "New Doctor Strange detail revealed in Spider-Man: No Way Home", "Sam Raimi in Talks to Direct 'Doctor Strange 2' (Exclusive)", "Doctor Strange 2 Producer Discusses America Chavez's Multiversal Powers", "Exclusive Interview: Xochitl Gomez on Embodying America Chavez and Journeying into the Marvel Cinematic Universe", "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Trailer Breakdown: Things Just Got Out Of Hand", "Rachel McAdams Returning For 'Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness', "Doctor Strange Producer Discusses the Avenger's Current Relationship Status", "Doctor Strange 2 Writer Explains Intro Of [Spoiler] As Love Interest", "Marvel Universe 838 Timeline & Every Difference To The MCU", "Benedict Cumberbatch Films A Stunt In Doctor Strange 2 BTS Images", "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Trailer Analysis & Theories", "Marvel's Victoria Alonso & Xochitl Gomez On Bringing Hope And Visibility To LGBTQ+ Community With America Chavez", "12 Biggest Mysteries in the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Trailer Smoke on the Horizon", "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Easter Eggs & MCU References", "Writer Michael Waldron Tells Us Exactly Where You Can Spot His Doctor Strange 2 Cameo [Exclusive]", "Doctor Strange 2 Easter eggs: The biggest Marvel references", "Scott Derrickson Discusses 'Doctor Strange's Comic Book Influences", "Doctor Strange 2 Producer Teases Meaning of 'The Multiverse of Madness', "Honey, I'm Chrome: Marvel prepares to take over TV with WandaVision", "Marvel Releases Official Updated MCU Timeline", "Why Loki Isn't In Doctor Strange 2 (Despite Breaking The Multiverse)", "Exclusive: Marvel Taps Jade Halley Bartlett to Write 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness', "Kevin Feige Says 'Doctor Strange 2' Isn't Quite a Horror Movie; Teases Surprising New Characters", "America Chavez Co-Creator Declines Marvel's "Insult of an Offer" for 'Doctor Strange 2', "Exclusive: 'Doctor Strange 2' Writer Michael Waldron Teases the Continuation of Wanda's Storyline in Marvel Sequel", "Doctor Strange 2: Why Scott Derrickson And C. Robert Cargill Left The Marvel Sequel", "Wow, 'Doctor Strange' Writer Says He Never Even Got To Write A Draft For The Sequel", "Kevin Feige Addresses Scott Derrickson's Departure From Multiverse Of Madness", "Explore Sam Raimi's Mind-Bending Vision for 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness', "Sam Raimi Gets Candid on Why He'd Make 'Doctor Strange 2' After "Awful" Reaction to 'Spider-Man 3', "From 'Spider-Man' to 'Doctor Strange': How Sam Raimi Conquered the Superhero Multiverse (Again)", "Hollywood's Biggest Movies Are Stuck in Limbo as Start Dates Remain Uncertain", "Loki Writer Teases "Scarier" Doctor Strange 2 With Sam Raimi", "Doctor Strange 2 Writer Watched Raimi's Spider-Man Movies To Prepare", "Doctor Strange 2 Producer Explains How Loki Affects the Movie", "Doctor Strange 2 Writer Michael Waldron Is Not Tired Of Talking About Doctor Strange [Interview]", "Doctor Strange 2 and Loki writer explains the pitfalls and opportunities of the multiverse", "What If? The preview was the second-best preview during the pandemic behind Spider-Man: No Way Home and the overall eighth-largest preview performance, while the opening-day gross was the seventh-highest in industry history. [209][210], Outside the United States and Canada, Multiverse of Madness grossed $265 million from 49 markets within its opening weekend, landing at number one in numerous markets. Mordo believes that Earth-616's Strange is similarly dangerous, but Maximoff reestablishes her dreamwalk at Mount Wundagore and arrives in her Earth-838 counterpart's body before they can pass judgment. "[213] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 60 out of 100, based on 65 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". The film had the highest opening day gross for a film released during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines and Thailand, with $1.2million in both markets, and the second-best ditto in France ($3million), Italy ($2.2million), and Germany ($1.8million). Waldron watched Doctor Strange several times, saying he became a "student" of that film, to understand Strange's story in the original. The home media includes audio commentary, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and various behind-the-scenes featurettes. [35] It also revealed that Cumberbatch would portray multiple versions of Strange in the film. [214] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported 82% of audience members gave it a positive score, with 69% saying they would definitely recommend it. [128], Bob Murawski and Tia Nolan served as editors of the film. In a mid-credits scene, Strange is approached by a sorceress[N 4] who warns him that his actions have triggered an incursion that he must help fix. Disney reported 143 million online views across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Google searches, and 55 million broadcast views. [22] Waldron worked closely with Olsen and WandaVision head writer Jac Schaeffer to ensure Maximoff's story was a satisfying continuation of the series, while Raimi also studied the series to make sure the film maintained "a proper through line and character-growth dynamic" for her character. Waldron said they wanted to include her in the film but felt they needed to resolve Strange's relationship with Christine Palmer first, so the character's introduction was saved for the mid-credits scene to set her up as a potential new love interest in a future story. [72] Some reports suggested that Derrickson left the film because he wanted to make a "no-holds-barred weird, gnarly, scary movie" similar to A24's films The Witch (2015) or Hereditary (2018), and Marvel Studios did not want to go in that direction, but Feige denied this and said the studio loved that idea. To justify the many people that Maximoff kills in the film, Olsen focused on the character's perspective of those people being in her way and not listening to her after the loss of her children in the series. The film has grossed $954 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2022. [201], Following the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, viewer tracking application Samba TV reported that 2.1 million U.S. households watched the film within its first five days of being available on Disney+, comparable to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) and Eternals (2021). He praised Raimi's directing style of the film that he regarded as one of "the most singularly identifiable vision of an MCU director". In the film, Strange protects America Chavez (Gomez), a teenager capable of traveling the multiverse, from Wanda Maximoff (Olsen). [131][114] The film was once again delayed in October, this time to May 6, 2022. [150] Waldron said the final line-up of the Illuminati was similar to the one in his first draft,[79] but with some other suggestions coming from Feige. [64] In December, Feige described the multiverse as "the next step in the evolution of the MCU", and said this film would "crack it wide open" in a way that would have repercussions for the Disney+ series and the next films in Marvel Studios' Phase Four slate. Waldron considered including Namor, a member of the Illuminati in the comics, but Marvel had other plans for him in the MCU. [208] The film grossed $17million in its fourth weekend for a running total of $376.1million, passing The Batman's $369.3million to become the highest-grossing film of 2022 (later surpassed by Top Gun: Maverick). [159] A soundtrack album featuring Elfman's score was released digitally by Hollywood Records and Marvel Music on May 4,[160] with three "spoiler tracks" that were excluded from the initial release being made available on May 20. [202], As of July24, 2022[update], Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has grossed $411.3million in the United States and Canada and $543.4million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $954.7million. He criticized the characterization in the film, and felt that "the story keeps coming back to incredibly shallow character traits like Wanda's grief, Strange's unspoken love for Christine, or America's uncertainty about her own powers" instead of focusing on the potential of the multiverse, and criticized the use of CGI, though he added that the film did contain Raimi's "visual flair". [219] Nicholas Barber of BBC.com called it "as gleefully outlandish as any independent cult movie". He signed to return as director in December 2018, when Cumberbatch was confirmed to return. [179] Later that month, Disney showcased the opening sequence of the film at CinemaCon. It's a somewhat engaging mess, but a mess all the same." [146] Discussing Stewart's involvement, as well as assumptions based on the trailer that the Illuminati would be appearing in the film, Palmer said returning actors would not necessarily be portraying characters that had been seen before, and if Marvel Studios were to introduce the Illuminati they would do a "more MCU-driven" version of the group. [45] Ross Marquand voices the Ultron drones that appear on Earth-838. [14] The reshoots reportedly wrapped during the week of December 13,[136] but additional filming continued in early January 2022. multiverse raimi bosslogic nomoremutants possibilities [152][153][154] Framestore worked on the multiverse jumping sequence with Strange and Chavez, while Luma Pictures worked on the Gargantos fight scene. After acquiring the Darkhold and becoming the Scarlet Witch, Maximoff believes that controlling Chavez's powers will allow her to reunite with Billy and Tommy, the children she created during her time in Westview. He called the film an "alternately goofy and grisly story that pauses every so often to unleash a tidal wave of grief". [65] Later in the month, he clarified that the sequel would not be a horror film, as some reports had described it following the Comic-Con announcement, but it would be a "big MCU film with scary sequences". Shooting also occurred in Surrey and Los Angeles. He wanted to follow the example of The Dark Knight (2008) and introduce a villain in the sequel that would allow them to "go deep [and have] a more visceral experience".
