Spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home and WandaVision are included below.
The publication of the latest teaser for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness sparked outrage on the internet last week. The highly anticipated sequel to the psychedelic yet spiritual 2016 visual masterpiece following former neurosurgeon-turned-master of the mystic arts Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is the latest film entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – and the next feature film to come out of Marvel Studios following Spider-Man: No Way Home’s massive global success.
Multiverse of Madness promises to be an even bigger Marvel Cinematic crossover than No Way Home, reuniting Stephen Strange with unlikely ally (and potential foe) Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and introducing new Marvel Comics characters, including America Chavez, an inter-dimensional being endowed with superhuman strength, speed, and the ability to punch open star-shaped portals that lead to other realities. The new video includes various scenes from earlier teasers that have been filled up with new action sequences and dialogue. There was another subtle bit of speech that peaked fans’ attention, following a major disclosure that had geeks worldwide yelling at their screens (Professor Charles Xavier will surely be making an appearance).
The statement in question is from a conversation between Wanda and Strange in which Stephen asks the Scarlet Witch what she knows about the Multiverse, to which she answers that Vision had his theories before he died. This may seem like a little remark to some, but to die-hard Marvel fans, it’s an essential piece of the jigsaw worth delving into. Wanda’s statement of Vision knowing about the Multiverse meant that they had discussed it. WandaVision’s end-credits scene shows Wanda conducting a séance with the Darkhold (the MCU’s Book of the Damned, initially glimpsed in Agatha Harkness’ possession), searching the Multiverse for worlds where her children and husband are present. WandaVision’s end-credits scene shows Wanda having a séance utilizing the Darkhold (the MCU’s Book of the Damned, initially glimpsed in Agatha Harkness’ possession), searching the Multiverse for worlds where her children and hubby are still alive.
Wanda and Vision were pitted against each other in a new way in WandaVision’s conclusion, with the arrival of White Vision, Vision’s corpse reanimated by S.W.O.R.D. utilizing part of Wanda’s magic. Pitting White Vision and the created Vision within Wanda’s hex against one other was one of the season’s highlights, with the discourse spoken between the two Visions regarding the importance of identity and recognizing one’s place in the universe being some of the MCU’s greatest scene work. After disputing whether either of these ‘other’ Visions is the genuine Vision, the hex-Vision assists White Vision in unlocking the data in his head buried by S.W.O.R.D., exposing previously unknown memories. This is a lot for White Vision to absorb and analyze, and the last time viewers saw him, he vanished without a trace.
It’s possible that with Wanda’s reappearance in Multiverse of Madness, viewers may get a behind-the-scenes look at what White Vision has been up to since Westview. While Wanda was conjuring spells with the Darkhold in quest of her children, might White Vision be exploring the Multiverse himself, attempting to find his home among these vast new realities? This might result in a scene in Doctor Strange 2 that is similar to the one in Avengers: Age of Ultron, in which Thor takes a leave of absence after being enchanted by Wanda, only to return with knowledge and comprehension of the Infinity Stones. Perhaps we’ll see a scenario like this in Multiverse of Madness, when White Vision arrives when things are at their worst and gives a bizarre explanation of the Multiverse and how it works because he’s spent all this time trying to comprehend it.
It would be a good way to continue White Vision’s tale by making him a type of Multiverse herald, and fans would no doubt love to see him and Wanda reunited, working together to attempt to rescue a reality where they can be with their children while simultaneously keeping their present reality from dissolving. The title of Doctor Strange’s sequel suggests that it will be one of Marvel’s most vast films to yet, and with filmmaker Sam Raimi at the helm, there is little doubt that everything in the MCU is about to alter.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be aired on May 6.
