Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a cross-dimensional adventure. That much should be obvious based on the title. It’s also a sequel to Spider-Man: No Way Home in a way that also makes sense why Strange is getting entangled in another multiverse fiasco. It seems to be Marvel’s big new push.
There is a line in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that makes it seem like more time has passed than viewers might think. Strange remembers Spider-Man but he shouldn’t. Is there a movie or show that will help fill in the gaps or should fans just accept that Strange and Wong remember? Either way, there are various versions of Doctor Strange in the movie, the best of whom can be found below.
Warning. The following list contains spoilers!
5 America’s Strange
The universe where America and her Doctor Strange come from is never named. There are only two official universes named in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There is Earth-616 which is the reality in which the main MCU takes place. Then there is Earth-838, where most of this movie takes place. Wherever America found this version of Doctor Strange doesn’t matter. There are a few subtle differences between him and Earth-616 Strange.
America’s Strange can speak Spanish, which is a joke that comes back in the movie. He also has some alternate powers. This version of Strange is battling the demon that is chasing them with ice. It’s a cool power that hasn’t been seen that much in the MCU. The introduction of the X-Men in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness might change things to make ice more of a constant. America’s Strange is strong but not enough to vanquish evil. Ultimately, his distrust in America was his downfall.
4 Darkhold Strange
This version of Doctor Strange is the evilest of the pack. He uses the Darkhold irresponsibly, just like Wanda, and puts his reality at risk. When Christine and Earth-616 Strange enter this dimension, everything looks topsy-turvy. The sky is an endless void and cars and buildings are floating with rubble everywhere. It looks like an apocalypse has happened.
The only person they find alive is another version of Doctor Strange who wants more power despite what he already did to his reality. It’s not a good look for the sorcerer’s brand. He gets the most violent and deserved death in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Darkhold Strange gets thrown out of his own house and lands on a fence, thus impaling him. It’s a brutal way to go, but fans are wondering if that was it. Can a fence kill an MCU character? If so, maybe that’s what Captain America should be carrying around instead of a shield.
3 Earth-838 Strange
The main heroes of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness don’t get to meet Earth-838’s version of Doctor Strange. He is already dead because he was the one who heroically killed Thanos during the great war. That’s the story that the citizens of Earth-838 know, at least. In reality, Earth-838 Strange was also corrupted by the evil book, though held on to his sanity just long enough to destroy Thanos. He also knew he could no longer be kept alive in fear of the Darkhold’s power spreading too much.
His Illuminati comrades agree and decide to put Earth-838 Strange out of his misery. Black Bolt whispers, “I’m sorry” before blasting him into oblivion. While viewers don’t get to see Earth-838 Strange in action, they can sympathize with his plight. He was a good sorcerer who did what he had to in order to defeat Thanos and save the universe. He even gets a museum and a fancy set of statues for his service.
2 Zombie Strange
The zombie version of Doctor Strange is technically the same one seen at the beginning of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He is the version that dies as America jumps into Earth-616’s reality. He gets buried by Earth-616 Strange on top of a building’s garden. No one could have predicted that this corpse would be resurrected. It was one of the more surprising moments in the movie.
Since he behaves differently with a new set of powers, Zombie Strange will be considered his entity. He’s also one of the coolest versions in the movie since he is so different. He’s a zombie for one. Secondly, he harnesses the power of ghosts and demons to become some sort of Lovecraftian nightmare. He throws ghosts at Scarlet Witch to stop her, which is ridiculous, but awesome all the same. He may lose body parts in the fight but he goes on. It is the most Sam Raimi thing in the movie by far. It has to be a nod to his Evil Dead franchise.
1 Earth-616 Strange
The best version of Doctor Strange award has to go to Earth-616’s sorcerer. He’s the one that fans have been with the longest. Since 2016, when the first movie came out, Strange has made some huge strides as a person. He could be ruder than some of the other heroes in the MCU. He started to soften in Spider-Man: No Way Home. It was clear he started to care for Peter as sort of a surrogate guardian.
That guardianship mentality transferred into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as he decides to protect America from Wanda. He fumbles in the beginning, but, by the end of his journey, he has a satisfying conclusion. Strange learns that there are always options and that not everything needs to revolve around him. Other people can hold the knife.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is in movie theaters now.