Other than just being a direct sequel to 2016’sDoctor Strange,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis a culmination of what has been building up in Marvel Studios' phase four. Now, one of the producers from the upcoming film has explained howLokihas a big influence on the story.
As the title implies,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswill follow Benedict Cumberbatch’sDoctor Strange through alternate realities of the multiverse as the sorcerer is forced to make new allies in order to defeat new enemies such as the villainous Strange Supreme. The long awaited sequel comes six years after its predecessor’s release, making it the longest gap for a MCU character’s sequel.
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Disney Plus’Lokiintroduced the concept of variants and really delved deeper into the possibilities the multiverse can present. According to the spring 2022 issue of Disney’s D23 Magazine,Doctor Strange 2producer Richie Palmer explained howLokiwriter Michael Waldron’s involvement on the seriesinfluenced the highly anticipated sequel. “It was really exciting. We found that we didn’t need to spend a lot of time recapping the rules; we felt the audience would get a lot of that by now,” Palmer said in reference to Waldron’s involvement withLokiand nowDoctor Strange 2. “With Michael, we could jump into telling a good story within what’s already been established.”
Loki’s season finale sees Loki and Sylvie confronting He Who Remains (a variant of Kang the Conqueror). After Sylvie sends Loki back to the TVA headquarters, she ultimately kills He Who Remains, unleashing a multiverse with alternate timelines, so it makes sense that those events will lead right intoDoctor Strange 2, a film which Palmer claims is where the multiverse is really going to get expansive. “We are going to be treading into new territories with this,” Palmer said. “At its heart, this is really a story about Doctor Strange entering the Multiverse for the first time. Through his experiences inSpider-Man: No Way Home, fans got to learn a little bit more about the Multiverse - but this movie is really where it’s going to get cracked wide open.”
While it’s nearly impossible to figure out which charactersDoctor Strange 2will include, rumors have been brewing for quite a while that the film will feature a wide array of cameos ranging from Fox’s Fantastic Four and X-Men groups toRyan Reynolds' Deadpool. Whether those rumors come true or not,Doctor Strange 2will no doubt still be one exhilarating film that will likely change the course of the MCU.
Other than Cumberbatch in the titular role, the film also starsElizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo, Benedict Wong as Wong, and Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer. Sam Raimi is in the director’s chair this time around, replacing Scott Derrickson who helmed the first film.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswill arrive in theaters on June 23, 2025.
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