What does it mean for Strange to be a central Avenger?
2016’s Doctor Strange introduced the titular superhero to movie audiences as it explored how Dr. Stephen Strange went from an arrogant world-class surgeon to a still-over-confident Sorcerer Supreme. Since then, Strange has appeared in several other MCU films, including Spider-Man: No Way Home, where his attempt to help out Tom Holland’s Peter Parker ended with disastrous results for both parties. Now that he’s left to try and undo the damage that he caused, Strange will ask for help from Elizabeth Olsen’s character, Wanda Maximoff. Strange has played a key role in every MCU film since 2016. Perhaps it shouldn’t come off as a surprise that he’s now considered as a central Avenger. Or, at least, he will be once Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premieres on May 6, 2022. According to Cosmic Circus, the official synopsis for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in Japan describes Strange as taking on an “active role as a central figure in the Avengers.” In addition to this, the synopsis describes how a “terrible threat looms over humanity” and that “the greatest threat in the universe looks exactly like Doctor Strange.” As we’ve already mentioned, the effects from No Way Home’s events are still very much evident in Multiverse of Madness. Not to mention, we also saw reality being changed in the Disney+ shows, WandaVision and Loki. When you consider all the multiversal disasters that have happened in succession, it makes sense for Strange to step up in the absence of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel. Unfortunately, the synopsis barely scratches the proverbial surface of Multiverse of Madness. Given that Sam Raimi has shown in the past that he’s not afraid to deviate with his films, we can expect Multiverse of Madness to come with its fair share of surprises. Until it premieres, fans will just have to sit tight and wait. Or, if you haven’t watched No Way Home yet, make sure that you head to your closest cinema. The third Tom Holland-led film recently set a pandemic-era box office record and is now the highest-grossing Sony movie ever. But, if it’s not up to your speed, you can always keep on rewatching the official trailer for Multiverse of Madness and join in on all the online discussions about who’s who and what’s what.
