When Scott Derrickson took on the Doctor Strange franchise, his horror influences helped to establish a tone of mysticism and mystery. However, the scares he's known to cook up took a backseat to his skill in storytelling through the camera. That said, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was the first chance for the franchise to embrace its horror roots with Sam Raimi at the helm. Once released, the horror elements he's known for remained intact and balanced with the overall superhero element. But there was still something missing from the terror Raimi has always utilized.
Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of the film was Wanda Maximoff, who had grown corrupted by using the Darkhold and wasn't afraid to kill to get the family she had always wanted. That essentially turned her into a terrifying villain who was both ruthless and unstoppable. One of the film's best scenes involved her onslaught on Kamar-Taj to get America Chavez and steal her power. While at the location, she killed many sorcerers and set a precedent for how strong she'd become. But one cut action scene proved just how toned down the film's horror elements really were.
What Scene Was Cut From Doctor Strange 2?
The scene in question came after Scarlet Witch had broken the barrier keeping her from the courtyard of Kamar-Taj. During the battle, audiences were meant to see how dangerous the sorcerers could be as they used magically infused blades to try and cut Wanda down. But even though they were content to take her life to save another, they were still far too weak to face off against her.
What resulted was Wanda using her telekinesis to redirect the blades of the sorcerers into one another, killing as many as three with one strike. That was followed by one unlucky victim who got forced to decapitate themselves as she used the headless corpse as a puppet to kill more sorcerers. Finally, she crushed the head of one and turned to lift another in the air before destroying their body with her abilities. It was brutal even for a stunt rehearsal and showed how nimble and adept with her abilities Wanda had become.
Did Holding Back on Horror Hurt Doctor Strange 2?
Multiverse of Madness showed the Marvel Cinematic Universe's scarier side and made the most of its magical theme. That said, the real menace and terror came from Wanda, who truly embraced her role as a witch to create an utterly terrifying character. From the moment she killed the sorcerers to when she decimated The Illuminati, it was clear that she was someone who should be feared. However, the film still felt like it was missing something.
Perhaps because of the wide demographic, these characters have reached, it may be hard to see some of the scariest aspects of its characters. But thanks to the deleted action sequence, it was clear that Raimi was ready to go as dark as possible to ensure that fans knew the Wanda they knew was no more. While there were teases of her killing Mordo early in the film, they pale in comparison to her terrifying combat prowess. As a result, it's hard to say if holding back on horror hurt the film, but it's clear that there was still room to go further.
To see Wanda let loose, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is streaming now on Disney+.