Darrell J. Warner, a concept artist who worked on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, shared sketches of a tragic sequence cut from the final product.
The images, posted to Instagram, depict a much-younger version of Stephen Strange and his sister Donna. The sequence would have shown the two siblings playing on a frozen lake and Donna tragically falling through the ice, eventually drowning. According to Warner, the idea originated in Scott Derrickson's script for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness but was largely removed when the screenwriter left and director Sam Raimi joined the project. This defining moment in Doctor Strange's life would be referenced in the final movie during a conversation between the titular master of the mystic arts and a darker, alternate dimension of himself.
A sequel to 2016's Doctor Strange and the 28th feature film in the MCU, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness made its debut in theaters earlier this year on May 6. The story sees Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) attempt to protect a young woman named America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who has the ability to travel the multiverse freely, from a powerful witch, who seeks to steal her powers.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the MCU's first official foray into horror, and stylistic tributes to iconic titles in the genre like George A. Romero's Day of the Dead and Gore Verbinski's The Ring, are made throughout the film. Raimi, who is a veteran of the horror genre with classics like Drag Me to Hell and the Evil Dead franchise under his belt, explained his excitement about directing the project, stating, "I was able to take those horror films that I made in my youth and [use] what I had learned from them building suspense sequences, titillating the audience."
The movie earned an astounding $90 million on its opening day, crossing the $500 million mark after only four days in theaters. Alongside Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of only ten films in the MCU that earned over $400 million at the box office.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is streaming on Disney+ and available to purchase on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD.
Source: Instagram