Marvel Studios’ latest and potentially craziest release Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opened in UK cinemas this weekend.
The movie, directed by Sam Raimi, focuses on the titular hero Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) as he tries to stop a familiar foe, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), while travelling across the multiverse.
Check out our review of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness here.
Our legendary Director, Sam Raimi, joins the Madness at the World Premiere!🌀#DoctorStrange pic.twitter.com/mGZcbpEB4a
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) May 3, 2022
As he traverses different universes, Strange meets several new characters as well as variations of some who are already part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
If you are unsure who all these new faces are, then fret not, as this article will go through and explain these new characters.
If you have not yet seen Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, be careful as there will be MAJOR SPOILERS revealed below.
America Chavez
We are thrown right into the action at the start of the film as we meet one of the main protagonists, America Chavez played by newcomer Xochitl Gomez.
This character is relatively new in the comics, first introduced in 2011, and has the power to travel across the multiverse.
Chavez is unique in a few ways; she doesn’t appear to have any variants in alternate universes, she is the first MCU character to have same-sex parents and, if they follow the comic books, she will be the first Latin-American LGBT+ character in the franchise.
The movie ends with Chavez training with Doctor Strange and it looks like the character could have a big part to play as Marvel try to expand their universe of characters even further into a multiverse.
Punch star-shaped holes in reality and travel through the Multiverse in this exclusive interview with Xochitl Gomez, AKA America Chavez! ⭐ https://t.co/wj9QcN6kBA
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) April 27, 2022
Protector Strange
The other focus of the movie’s introduction is a variant of Doctor Strange, named in the promotional material as ‘Protector Strange’, with Cumberbatch also playing him.
This alternate version of the character seems more experienced than the original MCU version and was Sorcerer Supreme on his world, a position held by Wong (Benedict Wong) currently in the MCU.
The main physical differences this version of Strange has are a longer, ponytail hairstyle and a red and black costume rather than the blue one worn by the MCU’s main Doctor Strange.
It doesn’t look like this character will be returning though, as he is killed after betraying America Chavez and trying to steal her power for his own.
Karl Mordo
The ending of the first Doctor Strange movie promised a more villainous role for Chiwetel Ejiofor’s character Baron Mordo.
While Ejiofor does return for this movie, he is playing an alternate version of Mordo, who is the Sorcerer Supreme of the world Chavez and Strange travel to named Earth-838.
This character appears to have been close friends with Strange, greeting him as his brother but eventually kidnaps him and America Chavez to take them before a group of heroes called ‘The Illuminati’.
This version of Mordo does survive the movie, unlike his Illuminati counterparts, so could return in future movies but it is more likely the Earth-616 version will re-appear.
Ready to enter the Multiverse? 🌀
Check out the brand new character posters for Marvel Studios’ #DoctorStrange in the Multiverse of Madness. Experience it only in theaters May 6. Get Tickets: https://t.co/SJijOyGxXd
#Mordo pic.twitter.com/hOHI4IHwzZ— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) April 11, 2022
Captain Carter
The next member of the Illuminati introduced is Captain Carter, the variant of Captain America from Earth-838.
In this universe, the Super Soldier Serum was not given to Steve Rogers but Hayley Atwell’s character Peggy Carter, giving her the same powers as Captain America.
Carter doesn’t survive an onslaught from Wanda Maximoff (AKA the Scarlet Witch) though, as she has her shield thrown through her midriff.
We could see Captain Carter return though as she is not the only version we have seen – a variant of the character appeared in the Disney + series ‘What If’.
Captain Marvel
Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) is a variant of Captain Marvel and an Illuminati member from Earth-838.
Rather than Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) gaining the powers of the Tesseract like on the MCU’s main Earth, Earth-616, it was Rambeau who did on Earth-838.
She also doesn’t survive the attack from Wanda, putting up a good fight but eventually dying when a statue is dropped on her.
While we are unlikely to see Maria Rambeau in the MCU again, keep an eye out for her daughter Monica Rambeau played by Teyonah Parris in the upcoming series The Marvels.
Lashana Lynch in #MultiverseOfMadness
It was brief but I loved her as a Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers variant. pic.twitter.com/cov2xZ1vD1
— Alejandro Francis (Mex/ican) (@MexicanStoleJob) May 8, 2022
Black Bolt
A surprise inclusion to the Illuminati was Black Bolt, who has the power to harness soundwaves and can level cities with just a word.
The last time we saw the character, he was played by Anson Mount in the cancelled series Inhumans.
Mount’s return for this project doesn’t last long. During her attack, Scarlet Witch kills Black Bolt by removing his mouth, meaning his sound waves had no way to escape his head.
His appearance does open up the potential for the Inhumans to return, a possibility which looked unlikely to ever happen after their TV series.
I have to say it, but damn Blackbolt have a MIND-BLOWING performance in #MultiversOfMadness pic.twitter.com/gxeCJn3ppi
— Remmo46 (@orz_Remmo46) May 8, 2022
Mr Fantastic
Reed Richards, the leader of the Fantastic Four known as Mr Fantastic appears, portrayed by John Krasinski, a casting fans have been asking to see for years.
John Krasinski as Reed Richards was a dream come true for all us Marvel fans pic.twitter.com/QKAkAxklMi
— Mr Fantastic (@aleeeatif) May 8, 2022
He is called “the smartest man alive” as he is in the comic books and wears a comic accurate, blue Fantastic Four costume.
Importantly, Richards mentions a wife and kids, his wife being Susan Storm – a fellow member of the Fantastic Four known as the Invisible Woman.
Richards dies at the hands of Wanda Maximoff but Krasinski could re-appear in the upcoming Fantastic Four movie after Marvel re-acquired the rights for the characters from Universal Studios.
Professor X
The last member of the Illuminati is Professor Charles Xavier, leader of the X-Men, played by Patrick Stewart, as he was in the 2000s X-Men movies.
Stewart is the first character we have seen brought from the FOX X-Men movies to play the same role in the MCU.
Like the rest of the Illuminati, bar Mordo, Xavier dies at the hands of Wanda when she overpowers the Professor and breaks his neck.
His introduction could have big implications, though, as it suggests we could see actors from the FOX X-Men movies appear in the MCU.
Patrick Stewart says that "there might be an opportunity in which [Professor X] comes back" after #MultiverseOfMadness: "We'll see…" Full quote: https://t.co/To0f0dp7TC pic.twitter.com/lQYDhEyKbc
— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) May 6, 2022
Clea
Marvel’s movies are now notorious for their post-credit scenes and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is no different.
During the scene, Charlize Theron appears as a sorceress named Clea, who tells Doctor Strange she needs his help to fix an ‘incursion’ between two universes.
In the comics, Clea is an ally to Doctor Strange and the two are initially in a relationship, getting married in later stories.
She comes from the ‘Dark Dimension’ and the two appear to enter the Dark Dimension in the post-credit scene.
This opens up the possibility of Dormammu, the villain of the first Doctor Strange movie, returning in a future Marvel project.