It's not hard to get excited over Marvel Studios' Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a film which will center on the multiverse and is rumored to feature plenty of exciting cameos. But that excitement level continues to grow, as now Disney CEO Bob Chapek has claimed that the upcoming sequel will "push the boundaries of storytelling."
Following the events of Loki season one and Spider-Man: No Way Home, the sequel will follow Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange through the alternate realities of the multiverse, as the sorcerer is forced to make new allies in order to defeat enemies such as the villainous Strange Supreme. The long awaited sequel will expand on the MCU's phase four storyline and comes six years after its predecessors' release, making it the longest gap for an MCU character's sequel.
During Disney's annual shareholders meeting, CEO Bob Chapek contributed his thoughts on Doctor Strange 2, hinting at the big impact it will have on the overall cinematic universe. "From Marvel Studios, we have the highly-anticipated feature Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which premieres in theaters on May 6," Chapek said. "With an extraordinary cast led by Benedict Cumberbatch, this film really pushes the boundaries of storytelling and connects pieces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in unexpected ways. I can't wait for you all to see it."
The film has a lot to juggle in its storyline, whether that is continuing Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch's story from WandaVision or fleshing out the multiverse, there are plenty of expectations to live up to. But going off of Chapek's comments and looking at all the exciting footage that has been released thus far, it's very unlikely that Doctor Strange 2 will fail to deliver on presenting a memorable and epic story that will change the MCU as we know it. Other than its multiverse mayhem, Elizabeth Olsen, who will return to play Maximoff, did confirm that Doctor Strange 2 almost resembles a horror film at times.
Olsen's comments are not too surprising, considering iconic filmmaker Sam Raimi, the man responsible for classics like Evil Dead and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man trilogy, is helming Doctor Strange 2 (replacing Scott Derrickson, who directed the first film). Still, it'll be interesting to see how dark of a film the MCU is willing to push for.
Joining Cumberbatch and Olsen in the sequel are Benedict Wong as Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, and Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer. Loki head writer Michael Waldron, who was praised for his work on the Marvel Studios series, was hired to rewrite the script along with newcomer Jade Bartlett.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will arrive in theatres on May 6, 2022.
Source: Disney