As Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige recently announced, a mystery character will be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While the identity of the character is still a complete mystery, Feige hinted that Marvel Studios "always wanted" to use this character in some capacity for some time.
Of course, that kind of vague statement is only going to invite speculation. While fans have started speculating about characters like Mahershala Ali's Blade, Namor, or even Mephisto, this mystery character should be one of Strange’s oldest and most important allies: Clea.
Clea was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1964’s Strange Tales #126. Although she was originally introduced as a captive, Clea is famous for her formidable abilities as a sorceress as well as her off-and-on relationship with Doctor Strange. Clea was later revealed to be the daughter of Umar and niece of Dormammu, two of Strange’s most dangerous villains, and a descendant of the Faltine race. Over the years, Clea has been a disciple of Strange, a rebel leader, and even the Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension.
Despite her long history in the comics, Clea has rarely appeared in other media. Her only onscreen appearance comes in the form of the forgotten 1978 TV film Dr. Strange. Clea Lake, a woman with no powers who must be saved from Morgan le Fay, shares little more than a first name with her supposed counterpart. Where other Marvel heroes have thrived in other non-comics media, Clea has only earned the occasional mention and minor roles in games like Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Marvel: Future Fight, and Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2.
An MCU appearance would be a great chance to finally do Clea justice outside of comics. Between her natural mystical abilities and years under his tutelage, Clear legitimately rivals Strange's power, and she even took down the Asgardian Enchantress by herself in Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas and Jackson Guice's Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #12. Clea has sat on the throne of the Dark Dimension and lead rebellions against Dormammu when the tyrant took back control. Unfortunately, many of Clea's mos impressive feats took place while Strange was on Earth, which means her accomplishments were out of view. Despite her power and potential, Clea has been underrepresented for decades both in and out of the comics.
With Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch already confirmed to begin honing her mystical abilities and play a major role in Multiverse of Madness, Clea’s inclusion would make her the second female magic-user in the film. Clea and Wanda’s powers are innate to them, which sets the two apart from Strange and the other students of Kamar-Taj. Unlike Wanda. Since Feige also claimed that the Scarlet Witch was the MCU's strongest Avenger, Clea and her own formidable abilities could provide an intriguing counter to Wanda Maximoff.
Clea’s introduction could also bring out a new side of Doctor Strange himself, too. Stephen and Clea’s relationship has played an important role in the comics, and their marriage was a key part of what convinced Umar to help the duo defeat Dormammu.
Up to this point, we have not seen Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange pursue or engage in a romance. While Christine Palmer, played by Rachel McAdams, was a love interest for Stephen, the actual romance of their relationship took place before the events of the first Doctor Strange. Throughout the movie, we see the two as friendly exes, with Christine supporting Stephen during his recovery and helping him even as she struggles to understand his new life. By the end, it is clear that Strange’s new beginning as a sorcerer means that they work best as friends.
Given the person Stephen was before his accident, it is safe to assume he was not the best boyfriend. A romantic subplot in Multiverse could add a new aspect to this cinematic character and highlight how much he's grown since audiences first met him. A relationship would also humanize the character, whose supporting appearances in Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame have cast him more as a plot device, walking exposition drop and a powerhouse force than a human being.
In Feige’s original comments, he says that the mysterious character is someone that Marvel has wanted to use for a long time. Since Clea was considered for the first Doctor Strange before Christine was ultimately chosen, she certainly fits the bill on that account.
In that CBR interview, Doctor Strange screenwriter Jon Spaihts says that Clea comes with more backstory than they would have been able to incorporate in that film. With Strange and the basics of Marvel's mystical world established, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could have plenty of room to do justice to Clea and bring this underrated sorceress to life in the MC.
Directed by Scott Derrickson, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen. The film hits theaters on May 7, 2021.
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