Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is coming to audiences soon. It’s already the most talked-about Marvel Cinematic Universe release of 2022 because the story promises even more multiverse and magic than ever before. As the film’s release draws near, new information floods out. Spider-Man: No Way Home dropped several hints at what might be going on in the movie, and another interesting leak came in the form of Doctor Strange toys.
The sequel Doctor Strange film will take place after No Way Home, and it’s believed that it will include variants and magic that fans have never seen. The events of WandaVision, Loki and No Way Home are supposed to play directly into the plot, including possibly running into different versions of fan-favorite characters.
There have been quite a few merchandise drops for Doctor Strange 2, and they can tell audiences a lot. There have been figurines, LEGO sets and even games. Booktopia, an Australian retailer, opened up preorders for an adult coloring book and puzzle. The puzzle’s box shows Doctor Strange facing an iconic villain, Shuma-Gorath -- an octopus-like demon with one eye. With several rumors swirling about the chaos in the second film, fans may see the good Doctor fighting the giant squid in Doctor Strange 2.
In fact, fans may have already seen the beast from another dimension as the tentacled monster in Disney+'s What If…? series. Another toy leak from LEGO shows the same one-eyed, tentacled demon, calling it Gargantos Showdown, and fans can see Doctor Strange, Wong and America Chavez battling the monster in the set. This Gargantos could be referencing a different creature from the comics controlled by the Lemurian villain, Naga. It’s unclear if the toys directly tie to the film, as LEGO sets are often loosely based on the movie’s plot.
The figurines that have come out in the Marvel Legends line also drop some potential spoilers, including a figure of Rintrah -- a green minotaur and disciple of Doctor Strange. The Legends set suggests that audiences could see him in the multiverse and potentially the other villains in the collection, Sleepwalker and D’Spayre. However, the biggest reveals from the figurines are the inclusion of a Master Mordo and a Defender Strange. Master Mordo’s description says that he’s never far behind Doctor Strange since going rogue, and he could be right on the tail of the hero in the new movie.
Stranger yet is, of course, the non-Doctor form of the film’s eponymous figure. Defender Strange looks to be a variant of Stephen Strange. The description of the figurine says that he is “Earth’s foremost magical defender” who can protect the universe from multiversal threats. His uniform and hair certainly do not look like those of the current Earth’s Doctor Strange and are more in keeping with Wong’s attire.
It is possible audiences will see more than one variant of Doctor Strange in the film, including this Defender Strange, Strange Supreme and an Evil Strange. As more information comes out and Marvel releases another trailer closer to the release date, audiences will undoubtedly see even more new faces and hints.
To see what the toys get right, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens in theaters on May 6, 2022.