New about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was included in the slew of recent updates from The Walt Disney Company during its Investor Day event. This includes the announcement that America Chavez will indeed be making her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the film, played by Xochitl Gomez, who will star alongside Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff and Rachel McAdams as Dr. Christine Palmer. While this is huge news for fans of America Chavez and a big step forward in representation within the MCU, it's fair to assume that some people may be unfamiliar with the character.
America Chavez made her debut appearance in Vengeance #1 in July 2011. She was created by Joe Casey and Nick Dragotta and is the second character to use the Miss America title after Madeline Joyce, who was a Golden Age hero from the 1940s. America Chavez was born in the Utopian Parallel, which is a realm beyond space and time. It's here that she gained her superpowers, which include the ability to fly, superhuman strength and speed, invulnerability and the power to create portals that allow her to travel through the multiverse. That last power, in particular, makes her particularly well suited for a Doctor Strange sequel that will see the Sorcerer Supreme doing the very same thing.
After her mothers, Amalia and Elena Chavez, sacrificed themselves to protect the Utopian Parallel, she adopted the moniker of Ms. America and traveled the multiverse to prove herself a hero. She has been a member of several different hero teams, including the Teen Brigade, Young Avengers, and the Ultimates. With the Ultimates, she teamed up with Captain Marvel and the A-Force to act on the visions of an Inhuman named Ulysses Cain who predicted crimes before they happened. Eventually, Miss America became suspicious of this course of action and stood against Captain Marvel, saying that her experiences in other universes made it clear that predictive justice is ineffective.
Due to her ability to travel through the multiverse, Chavez often has problems connecting to people. After James Rhodes died during the events of Civil War II, she did not talk to her friends about tragedy, opting instead to travel the multiverse to see other versions of Rhodey. This kind of behavior often complicates her relationships with people, as she sees all the different realities and versions of people as interchangeable.
America Chavez also identifies as a lesbian. If her role in the MCU touched on that down the line, it would make her one of the first LGBTQ heroes in the universe. In that sense, not only would she become a groundbreaking Latinx hero, but she would also serve as long-overdue representation on the big screen for the LGBTQ community.
It makes sense that America Chavez is being introduced to the MCU in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. With the film serving as a bridge between several Phase 4 properties, including Spider-Man 3 and WandaVision, the Sorcerer Supreme will need all the help he can get, and who better to come to his aid than a hero who knows a thing or two about multiverse travel.
Directed by Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Xochitl Gomez. The film is currently scheduled to hit theaters on March 25, 2022.