This article contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been hyped up since its announcement as part superhero movie, part horror film. And with Sam Raimi of Evil Dead fame in the director’s chair, it certainly doesn’t disappoint in that regard.
On the one hand, Multiverse of Madness isn’t quite as frightening as a typical horror flick. But even so, it still has plenty of moments that sent chills down the spines of countless moviegoers. Here are just a few of the scenes from the new Doctor Strange film that put Raimi’s history with horror on full display.
The Scarlet Witch Attacks Kamar-Taj
Sam Raimi certainly front-loaded Multiverse of Madness with some of its creepiest moments, because the sequence of Wanda Maximoff (aka the Scarlet Witch) attacking Kamar-Taj was one bone-chilling scene after another. Right off the bat, Wanda’s entrance descending from a cloud of red smoke is plenty intimidating. However, things only get creepier from there.
First and foremost is Scarlet Witch breaking through the Sorcerers’ defenses by psychically attacking one of them. An illusory double of Wanda appears out of nowhere, looming over the hapless Sorcerer’s shoulder. She leans in and whispers a single word into his ear: “Run.” And in an instant, the Sorcerer is overcome with terror, barreling through his fellow mystics as he rushes towards the exit. Right away, Wanda establishes her overwhelming power and sinister new demeanor — thanks in no small part to a magnificent performance by Elizabeth Olsen.
And yet, that isn’t the most terrifying part of the sequence. After being trapped in Doctor Strange’s Mirror Dimension labyrinth, Wanda attempts to escape through the reflections in the next room. Strange, Wong, and America Chavez attempt to cover up every reflection they can, but they aren’t quick enough. Scarlet Witch crawls into the room through the surface of a gong, her body twisting and contorting in freakish ways as she emerges from the Mirror Dimension. It’s a downright horrific sight that looks like it was pulled right out of The Ring, and it perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the film.
Wanda’s Dreamwalking
The film’s next eerie moment is also courtesy of Wanda, and it’s a unique instance of Raimi choosing psychological horror over more physical scares. Scarlet Witch uses the Dreamwalking spell contained in the Darkhold to possess the body of one of her multiversal Variants, and watching the process play out is downright unsettling. The Variant Wanda begins to hallucinate as the two realities collide, until her body is completely controlled by Earth-616 Wanda. Once she’s assumed control, the Scarlet Witch looks directly at the camera, as if asserting her authority over the very audience of the movie. It’s a truly chilling shot, again due to Olsen’s tremendous ability to embody the character.
The Illuminati Massacre
One of the most highly anticipated aspects of Multiverse of Madness was the introduction of the Illuminati, a group of heroes from another universe that was teased in the film’s second trailer. Once fans heard Patrick Stewart’s Professor X voice, speculation ran wild as to what other Variant heroes might be appearing. In the end, the final roster didn’t disappoint, boasting not only Captain Carter of What If…? fame and Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel, but also the unexpected appearances of Inhumans’ Black Bolt and even John Krasinski as Mr. Fantastic.
However, fans didn’t get long to appreciate all these cameos before the Illuminati were ruthlessly slaughtered by a blood-splattered Scarlet Witch. Black Bolt is the first to die, and his death is by far the most grisly — Wanda makes his mouth disappear, and when he attempts to speak, his head explodes from the inside. Blood gushes down Black Bolt’s nose as his skull caves in, and his lifeless body falls limply to the ground. It’s by far the most graphic death yet in the MCU, but it’s rivaled by what immediately follows.
As Mr. Fantastic stretches towards Wanda, she causes his rubber body to unravel into countless tiny strips as Reed screams in agony. But soon, she puts him out of his misery by popping his head like a balloon. And while these first deaths are the most striking for both their creativity and their brutality, the rest are nothing to scoff at either. Captain Carter is bisected by her own shield, while Captain Marvel is crushed beneath a giant statue. Professor X even has his neck snapped by a psychic assault from Wanda, marking the fourth time that Patrick Stewart’s Xavier has been killed on film — after X-Men: The Last Stand, Days of Future Past, and Logan, of course.
The Death of Sinister Strange
The battle between Doctor Strange and his villainous, Darkhold-corrupted Variant is one of the highlights of the film, thanks to the brilliantly imaginative concept of the two Sorcerers duking it out using weaponized music. But while the fight itself is more cool than scary, special mention must go to the duel’s aftermath, in which Sinister Strange is impaled on the fence of his Sanctum Sanctorum. And though this brutal demise was already enough to earn a spot on this list, it’s immediately followed up by Sinister Strange’s third eye popping open one last time, giving Christine a fright. The “not quite dead” scare is a classic horror movie moment, and it’s utilized well here.
Strange Wakes the Dead
In the MCU’s most macabre climax yet, Strange uses Dreamwalking to possess the decaying corpse of his own dead Variant, turning him into a shambling zombie right out of the Evil Dead series. And while the visual of Zombie Strange crawling out of his grave is spine-tingling enough as is, it’s followed by Strange being attacked by a swarm of cackling ghosts who seek to drag his soul down with them. But thanks to Christine, Strange manages to control the ghosts, merging them into a living cloak that he uses to combat Scarlet Witch. The entire sequence is part awesome and part spooky, but it’s 100% Sam Raimi.