The first trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seems to hide a sly costume change for the hero that's much more easily visible via photograph manipulation.
As spotted by The Direct, the image, which comes from the 1:18 mark of the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer, shows America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) and the titular hero standing in front of a door with Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams). When brightened, the image reveals a blue patch in the middle of Doctor Strange's Cloak of Levitation. The reason for the blue patch isn't totally clear at this time, though it could be related to the fact that the movie deals with alternate versions of Doctor Strange.
The concept of variants was officially introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2021's Loki, a Disney+ show following the titular God of Mischief after a version of him escaped from Earth's Mightiest Heroes in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Variants are, essentially, alternate versions of people from different universes. Originally, the Time Variance Authority sought to eliminate Variants so as to preserve the so-called Sacred Timeline, but that organization's relation to the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is not clear.
The original Doctor Strange released in 2016 and earned $677.7 million against a budget of between $165 and $236.6 million. The movie was well-received by critics and earned an 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes in addition to an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. Marvel Studios greenlit a Doctor Strange sequel following the movie's release, with director Scott Derrickson slated to return. However, Derrickson later left the project due to creative differences. Sam Raimi has since stepped in to replace him.
Much of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' plot remains unknown at this time. However, the movie takes place after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Loki and WandaVision, which all released in 2021. The movie's plot synopsis teases Doctor Strange continuing his investigation into the Time Stone when a former ally -- seemingly Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor)-- interferes. This causes a great evil to be released, and Doctor Strange will have to contend with such threats as an alternate version of himself and the eldritch creature Shuma-Gorath. The movie will also feature the return of Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch.
Directed by Raimi from a script by Jade Halley Bartlett and Michael Waldron, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is slated to release on May 6.
Source: The Direct