Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Rating

Director

Sam Raimi

Screenplay

Michael Waldron

Length

2h 06m

Starring

Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Rachel McAdams, Jett Klyne, Julian Hilliard, Michael Stühlbarg, Hayley Atwell, Anson Mount, Lashana Lynch, John Krasinski, Patrick Stewart

MPAA Rating

PG-13

Original Preview

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Review

Staggering into its second decade, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been struggling to find the one idea they can latch onto that will unite audiences the way the Infinity Gauntlet did. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness tilts into their most successful idea, that of the titular multiverse.

The concept of the multiverse, a series of parallel universes coexisting across space and time has been around since 5th Century BCE Greek philosophers opined on the subject. That has manifested in multiple different ways throughout popular culture with perhaps the most famous of these being the Mirror Universe in the original Star Trek series and its subsequent offerings. It’s also been a key component of Marvel and DC comics for several decades. Fitting into the current story arcs of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), audiences have been given several instances of such cross-over.

The multiverse of the MCU has often been left to the animated medium as the envisioning of distinct and unique worlds are often better articulated in that more freeform style. There are few directors who could tackle the concepts associated with multiverse theory and bring them into live-action cinema. Sam Raimi is one such filmmaker and he brings to Doctor Strange his unique sense of style and visual inventiveness. The Doctor Strange of this particular film, consistently portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch, is no stranger to the multiverse, having first been a party to its exploration in the fascinating animated series What If…?. Therein, Strange appears in the third chapter, “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” as well as later episodes that bring together its disparate stories.

It’s thereby a little surprising that the core element of that episode dealt with the corruption of Dr. Stephen Strange over the loss of his girlfriend. That loss could have been a fascinating tie into the main narrative thread of this film, namely Wanda Maximoff as Scarlet Witch (Elisabeth Olsen) seeking a universe in which she had children with Vision (Paul Bettany). If you’ve seen what happens in the TV miniseries Wandavision and connect that to What If…?, you’ll see what a missed opportunity looks like.

Yet, what transpires in Multiverse of Madness is still generally riveting. It’s perhaps a bit far-fetched at times, but like daytime serials, it’s the nature of the comic book adaptation beast. The main gist of the premise is Strange trying to prevent Scarlet Witch from taking control of the powerful Darkhold and potentially destroying the multiverse thanks to her unwavering pursuit of a family. One of the potential victims of such a hazardous ploy is America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a multiverse-hopping superhero who is being planted into the MCU in hopes of introducing the Young Avengers at a later date. America has seen the danger posed by Scarlet Witch’s gambit, but being young and inexperienced and thus having trouble controlling her power enough to do anything about it, she relies on Strange as something of a mentor, a position he doesn’t relish being in.

After the events of the original Doctor Strange, Strange entered the Infinity War briefly before being waylaid by the Snap. The plot here is his first real return to the series and it’s a welcome one. His character has been one of the more consistently engaging ones, having the most dynamic plotting of the franchise. Multiverse of Madness doesn’t really know how to play with that and ends up being a cookie cutter dysfunctional father/daughter trope embellished by the outrageous events surrounding them.

Raimi does keep everything exciting, creating a wild and spectacular extravaganza that’s visually amazing even if the story is structurally formulaic. That keeps the audience engaged with the material and might help bolster the franchise as it wrestles with its ideas and tries to bring them together cohesively. The characterizations here are familiar, having been explored in other sources. The attempt to turn Wanda into the villain Scarlet Witch is hamfisted and predictable with the same platitudinous exhortations one would expect when trying to calm her down. Olsen does fine thanks to the complex character, but the story just isn’t strong enough to carry the day leaving the dazzling special effects to save it all. Newcomer Gomez does fine in the role of America Chavez, but isn’t given the kind of room to grow that Iman Vellani gets in her own streaming series Ms. Marvel. The visual effects are outstanding and mark a significant advancement in the form, showcasing the brilliance of myriad permutations on screen at one time, an array of effects that are crisp and focused without overbearing the action that’s taking place.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a step in the right direction for Disney and Marvel, but the excitement of the franchise has dimmed just enough to make it a pyrrhic victory. The audience is going to require something a bit more conclusive to feel like their attention isn’t being wasted. The regular attempts by superhero features to add more and more characters to an already expansive cast only makes these projects more challenging as each figure must be given enough to do in the film to justify their inclusion and this film adds so many characters that such an effort is impossible. Sure, established characters like Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch give the audience people who don’t have to be defined, but as a core part of the story, they take up all the oxygen and starve those around them. And that is perhaps the best metaphor to describe the continued adventures of the MCU as a whole and this film in particular.

Review Written

March 19, 2023