It’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness that shows Doctor Strange becoming the on-call doctor when Spider-Man’s wish for forgetfulness in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Wanda Maximoff’s grief over the Vision in WandaVision break the fabric of reality and into the multiverse itself. And when America Chavez, multiple Doctor Stranges, and an enigmatic Illuminati get dragged into the center of a multiversal conspiracy, just how will this Marvel film affect the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Fans and viewers who see Multiverse Of Madness will most likely have mixed reception due to the new formula the film took - taking cues from WandaVision and away from the “typical” Marvel and MCU formula. And even with this unique approach, some quotes from the film definitely stood out among the rest.
This article contains spoilers for Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness!
10 “Your Sacrifice Is Greater Than Your Power”
Upon reaching what seems to be the ancient Book of the Vishanti in the early parts of the film, Doctor Strange tries to subdue the monster but to no avail, having resorted to try and “absorb” the powers of the girl with him. This girl, America Chavez, claims to not know how to use her powers, and her Doctor Strange seems to have no qualms killing her in the process of obtaining her powers, which he claims he could better control.
“Your sacrifice is greater than your power,” he said, adding that her life is meaningless when compared to the grand calculus of the universe. The monster (the Gargantos from another ancient civilization like Atlantis) manages to kill her Doctor Strange, and America opens a star-shaped portal, sending her to Doctor Strange’s universe. While this line won’t be repeated in the film, it’s a sign of things to come - that if America can’t control her universe-hopping power, perhaps killing her can stop this power from falling into the wrong hands.
9 “But You Still Didn’t Get The Girl”
After the horrific introduction, Doctor Strange is seen in formal attire sitting in a church, where his former neurosurgeon rival Nicodemus West sits beside him. While conversing about Doctor Strange’s decisions in finding ways to defeat Thanos and save the universe, Nicodemus drops a bomber of a line: “But you still didn’t get the girl.”
This pans into a shot of Christine Palmer being married, with Doctor Strange clearly distraught in how things never have seemed to work out between them. His slow acceptance of this fate is reflected throughout the film, where an alternate Christine in the Illuminati Universe has come to terms with the loss of her own Stephen, and how Darkhold Strange struggled with the same loss. After expressing how he’s loved her in the same universe and how he’s simply afraid, Illuminati Christine tells original Doctor Strange to face his fears. He may not have gotten the girl, but Doctor Strange may have gotten a real path towards happiness.
8 “I Made The Only Play We Had”
During his short talk with Nicodemus in the church, Strange’s neurosurgeon rival expressed how he’s lost both his cats and his brother after the Blip, and wonders if there would’ve been a way for Strange to find another way. “I made the only play we had,” he said, implying there would’ve been no other way to defeat Thanos except for his method.
This was an interesting point throughout the film, as it’s highlighted that Doctor Strange had indeed explored a lot of options to try and defeat Thanos in various universes. In the Illuminati Universe, for example, Illuminati Strange had apparently resorted to the Darkhold and dream-walked to find the perfect solution. A corrupted Supreme Strange seems to have succeeded just the same, only for his Supreme Universe to be destroyed during an incursion.
7 “That Hardly Seems Fair”
Already a notable line in the trailers, Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange had a short discussion with regards to “changing fate” through traversing the multiverse. When Doctor Strange insisted his personal call to save the universe was the “right” one, Scarlet Witch retorted with something she’s noticed about making a personal call that involves breaking the laws of physics: “You break the rules and become a hero. I will do it and become the enemy.”
And while Strange retorts they were in a state of war and the greater good was at stake, Scarlet Witch was quick to point out this hypocrisy. She once again informs Strange of her distaste of this rather hypocritical take when Strange, too, uses dream-walking from the Darkhold as a means to fight her, just when he chastises her for resorting to its methods to achieve her own goals.
6 “This Is Me Being Reasonable”
When Doctor Strange confronts Scarlet Switch of her chasing an alternate Doctor Strange and America Chavez to acquire her and her powers, she said “This is me being reasonable.”. She once again says this line when she herself proceeds to the front lines and tries to forcibly take America in a magical battle in Kamar-Taj. While much of Kamar-Taj is devastated after the ensuing battle, this line becomes all the more apparent when Scarlet Witch becomes more desperate to acquire America.
This is seen when Scarlet Witch begins mercilessly killing the Illuminati, a group of supposedly the most powerful Avengers in Earth-838. Her “extreme” methods were also revealed back in WandaVision in her overtaking of Westview, and even as far back as Endgame when she was able to fight Thanos by herself when it took the Big Three (Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor) to barely even make a dent on the villain. She even emphasizes this to Wong later in the film, when Scarlet Witch possesses the power to try and take over the world - but all she wanted was to be with her children.
5 “What Happens To Their Wanda?”
When Scarlet Witch finally catches up to America, Doctor Strange, and Wong inside the halls of Kamar-Taj, she shows them exactly what she was aiming for. After showing them glimpses of the universe with the Darkhold, she says she knows there are universes where she’s with her children as she sees them in their dreams - and waking up without them has become nightmares. All she wanted was to be in a universe where she could be with them.
It was then that Doctor Strange asked the next logical question: “What happens to their Wanda?” As after all, Scarlet Witch would have to kill another Wanda to ensure she could be with her children. She doesn’t answer this, as Doctor Strange engages her in a magical duel almost immediately.
4 “Just Because Someone Stumbles”
By the time Doctor Strange is brought to the Illuminati for an interrogation, they reveal that their version of Doctor Strange assembled the group to make the toughest calls. One such call was the decision to execute Doctor Strange after the team realized he’s their universe’s biggest threat after having depended on the Darkhold to learn of ways to defeat Thanos.
And while Illuminati Mordo has stated his hesitation to trust Strange amid the Scarlet Witch’s attack against Black Bolt and the like while inside Illuminati Wanda’s body, Illuminati Charles Xavier says, “Just because someone stumbles and loses their way doesn’t mean they are lost forever.” While this implies his peculiar trust in this new Doctor Strange, it’s also a neat callback to X-Men: Days Of Future Past, when an older Professor X converses with his younger counterpart regarding the nature of hope.
3 “Trust Yourself, Trust Your Power”
When Scarlet Witch finally manages to subdue America and begins stealing her power, Doctor Strange pulls off a last ditch effort by dream-walking through his dead counterpart and fighting Wanda with the powers of the damned. While Wong is struggling to keep Wanda captive, Strange goes to America with the intent of stealing her powers. America doesn’t struggle this time, finally understanding her role. However, Strange falters and instead tells her to “Trust yourself, trust your power - that’s how you stop it.”
While America retorts to not knowing how to control her abilities, Strange counters her by reminding her that her “accidental” slips always brought them to where they needed to be. This gives America a renewed sense of self, finally coming to terms with her abilities.
2 “Know That They’ll Be Loved”
When America realizes that she cannot defeat the Scarlet Witch in terms of power, she simply says “I can’t beat you, so I’ll give you what you want” and sends her to another universe where an Alternate Wanda and her children are enjoying television. The children are scared of her presence and begin calling her names, to the point of throwing objects at her until she curses at them. She insists on being their mother, even overpowering the Alternate Wanda in terms of power.
The realization of her children being scared of her presence breaks the Scarlet Witch, with Alternate Wanda coming up to her and telling her, “Know that they’ll be loved.” This seems to snap Scarlet Witch back to reality, realizing that while she herself cannot be with children to call her own, her love for them must be how other Wandas feel towards their own children. Perhaps even more, considering that these Alternate Wandas actually spent years raising these children. It’s with this realization that Scarlet Witch retreats and ends her rampage.
1 “Are You Happy?”
At the end of their trials, Doctor Strange is seen accompanying Wong while Kamar-Taj is being repaired, with America being trained in the sorcerous arts. While talking, Doctor Strange suddenly asks Wong - “I do want to ask something: are you happy?” Wong admits that while he certainly wonders if his other selves are happier than him, he is happy with the life he’s given. Doctor Strange seems content with this answer and leaves.
In the next scene, Doctor Strange is seen gleefully walking on a street before collapsing to the ground, with the same third eye awakening similar to that of Darkhold Strange. While this might imply Darkhold Strange possessing Strange, this could also refer to Strange finally unlocking the Third Eye of Agamotto. Regardless, defining happiness is a key theme of the film - with both Wanda and Strange coming to terms whether happiness is a “perfect” state of reality in the multiverse or a state of being they should come to accept.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness premiered on May 6, 2022.