Thanos was defeated in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” but the MCU has somehow gotten more complex since then. The first of the three 2022 films, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (the second “Strange” film, the fifth film of The Multiverse Saga and the 28th MCU film overall), particularly might raise concerns among casual viewers.
Do you need to watch Disney Plus’ “WandaVision” to understand “Doctor Strange 2”? I heard yes from some people, no from others. The answer is indeed “yes and no.” Writer Michael Waldron, who himself worked on TV’s “Loki,” delicately crafts a film that can be understood by all audiences but it’ll be felt more by viewers of “WandaVision.”
Raimi joins the MCU proper
Director Sam Raimi enters the MCU for the first time, although – thanks to 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” — he has retroactively done MCU multiverse movies, his 2000s “Spider-Man” trilogy. “DS2” has a lot of sequences set in limbo, with rocks floating through space, or in universes that are “collapsing in on themselves.” As such, its reliance on CGI is more palatable than in DC’s “Black Adam.” The CGI is central to Strange’s world, and Raimi – despite cutting his teeth on practical effects — is at home in it.
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (2022)
Director: Sam Raimi
Writer: Michael Waldron
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Waldron’s story couldn’t have much bigger stakes (the fate of our own universe, plus others!). Yet this is one of those huge product movies that ends up more like enjoyable-enough Sunday couch viewing – and dozing. It reminds me of the latter films of Fox’s “X-Men” saga, albeit guided with a steadier hand.
Backed by his gothic home and a serious score from Danny Elfman, Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) makes expositional pronouncements about the rules of the multiverse (a person’s dreams are visions of other universes, for instance) and hard-won realizations about life.
The classic driven man who puts his work before his family, Strange is a master of magic but not interpersonal relationships. I like this very human line, told to one version of his ex-wife, Christine (Rachel McAdams): “I love you. I love you in every universe. It’s not that I don’t want to care or want someone to care for me. I’m just … scared.”
Dark Wanda
I’m somewhat surprised that Wanda/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) is “DS2’s” villain, as I’ve always thought of her as a good guy. But apparently her arc, which “Buffy” fans will recognize as a variation on the Dark Willow saga and “X-Men” fans will recognize as a variation on “Dark Phoenix,” began on “WandaVision.”
A line of Strange dialog explains that Wanda created two sons with magic. Apparently they died on “WandaVision.” (I guess I’ll have to watch that show at some point.) But they actually do exist in other universes. At any rate, she aims to steal the boys from an unfortunate alterna-Wanda. Although Olsen is good in dual roles, I was always watching Wanda as a plot villain more so than a characterized villain.
I have mixed feelings about the multiverse concept. It allows for a neat sequence where familiar faces are introduced (from other universes, but we more or less know them), then dispatched. It’s like “Buffy’s” “The Wish.” But again, here it’s more of a cool thing than a powerful thing.
Paving the way for the X-Men?
Consider the return of Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) from Fox’s “X-Men” films, now retroactively part of the MCU multiverse. Stewart is not playing our Xavier; he’s from another universe – one where he uses Captain Pike’s wheelchair, for some reason.
And in fact, this is how I’ve felt about most of Xavier’s returns to the screen after the core “X-Men” films. He died in one of them and is now randomly resurrected with hand-waving (something Strange would appreciate) whenever needed.
Sure, Stewart is always welcome, as are other familiar faces like Benedict Wong’s Wong, a narrative sidekick even though he’s as powerful as Strange and Wanda. New character America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who can open multiverse portals (but only when she’s scared), is fine, too. Before long, I’ll get her mixed up with the spunky teenage superheroes from “Deadpool 2,” “Birds of Prey,” and so forth.
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” represents an innovative way to tie things together more so than innovative storytelling or character arcs. A step down from “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (which benefits from the use of Raimi’s Spider-Man), it’s a multiverse of MCU boardroom competence. It’s far from madness.