Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness director Sam Raimi says the fast-approaching Marvel Studios sequel may very well be the most complex film he's ever made, due in no small part to the multiverse aspect itself.
"It's a really complex movie," Raimi said of Multiverse of Madness during an interview with Rolling Stone. "It's probably the most complex movie I've ever had anything to do with. Not just dealing with one character, or even five characters, but multiversal versions of those characters -- and each one has a storyline." The film underwent reshoots earlier this year, reportedly, in part, to help clarify the narrative.
As its title implies, Multiverse of Madness sees Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and company venture into the multiverse, encountering various alternate realities along the way. Characters like Strange, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Wong (Benedict Wong) will even encounter alternate versions of themselves. The film also features the Marvel Cinematic Universe debut of America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a Marvel Comics character who is synonymous with the multiverse, as well as new villains like Gargantos.
On top of that, the film is expected to feature some special guests from across the multiverse, including variants of existing characters. For instance, Patrick Stewart is expected to reprise his role as Charles Xavier/Professor X from 20th Century Fox's X-Men films, though the version of the character he plays in Multiverse of Madness actually appears to be inspired by X-Men: The Animated Series, in addition to being a member of the Illuminati.
Recent promotional material has all but confirmed that Professor X will be joined by Captain Carter, a variant of Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter who debuted in Marvel Studios' Disney+ animated series What If...?. A recent promo also offered a closer look at what appears to be a variant of Maria Rambeau, the mother of Monica Rambeau and close friend of Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. In the 2019 film Captain Marvel, Maria was portrayed by Lashana Lynch. That said, her variant's apparent involvement in Multiverse of Madness effectively debunks a popular theory that the film would feature a variant of Tony Stark/Iron Man played by Tom Cruise.
See what exactly the multiverse has in store when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases in theaters on May 6.
Source: Rolling Stone