Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has, unexpectedly, proved to be a divisive film for MCU fans. That’s probably due to the fact that trailers, and the rumor mill, conditioned many fans to expect the world, and more, from the film. And also the fact that the film is literally titled Multiverse of Madness. For better or for worse, the sequel to Doctor Strange turned out to be a more personal and self-contained film. And while it’s very entertaining, especially as a strong Sam Raimi film after decades of inactivity, it also has plenty of other flaws.
Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) ditches his ex Christine’s (Rachel McAdams) wedding to rescue a teenager named America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) from a monster. He finds out that someone is pursuing America because of her ability to cross multiverses, and he goes to Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) for help with protecting America. Unfortunately, that doesn’t go as well as Strange expected it to, and before long, he finds himself lost in the Multiverse with America as he scrambles to find a way to protect her and stop the dangerous entity pursuing her.
The best thing about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is how different this film feels from the usual Marvel fare.
At this point, even that’s not an uncommon sight: we have seen the likes of Thor: Ragnarok, the flawed Eternals, and TV shows like WandaVision and Moon Knight. The fact that Marvel Studios continues to innovate its filmmaking some thirty movies in shows that they are anything but complacent. Sam Raimi’s signature filmmaking flair is present throughout the film, especially in the case of horror elements, such as the twisted path Strange takes in the finale to confront the antagonist. This is a visually impressive film, and it also takes creative liberties with some fight scenes, such as an unexpectedly delightful scene where Doctor Strange fights using musical notes.
In terms of acting, Elizabeth Olsen is easily the standout.
She makes good use of difficult material and seems to be having fun playing a side of the character previously not seen in the movies. Xochitl Gomez is also noticeably good as America Chavez, though the story doesn’t give her much character development other than a two-minute-long tragic backstory. Cumberbatch is in cruise control as Strange by this point, and others, like Benedict Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor also turn in strong performances as supporting characters. Rachel McAdams is still underutilized, but there is more screentime for her character and we get to see more of the dynamic between Christine and Strange.
Unfortunately, the story in Multiverse of Madness is simplistic to a fault. Much has been made of the cameos for the film’s version of the Illuminati, and how they are easily dispatched by the antagonist. Also, the fact that Strange and America Chavez only travel to two different universes in the show, although the film utilizes the time spent in those universes decently enough to progress the plot. While many have criticized the film for relegating Doctor Strange into an almost supporting role, his emotional and moral character arc is as much a core part of the film as the emotional arc of the antagonist.
Speaking of whom, many have rightfully maligned Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness for streamlining its antagonist’s story so that it’s digestible for casual moviegoers who may not be as familiar with MCU TV shows as diehard fans. In fact, the writer, Michael Waldron, has actually apologized to fans for the way this character’s arc was handled. For what it’s worth, the character is redeemed to an extent in the climax and their fate is left open enough for them to return in the future.
There’s also the fact that the film is messy and cramped, and could have benefited from a longer runtime.
There were extensive reshoots and the movie was cut down to a relatively lean two hours from a 160-minute cut of the film. Unfortunately, unlike Zack Snyder’s Justice League, we are unlikely to ever see that version of the film.
As it stands, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is still a very entertaining and worthwhile addition to MCU’s phase four. Not all movies can be Avengers: Endgame or Spider-Man: No Way Home. Let’s hope we see the characters featured in this film taken in interesting directions in future MCU content.