All 3 Versions Of Doctor Strange In Multiverse Of Madness Explained
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be continuing MCU's Phase 4 variant trend with several different versions of Stephen Strange appearing in the movie. The first trailer for Doctor Strange 2 showed one of those variants, and merch for the film had previously revealed another. Although these two variants—also known as Strange Supreme and Defender Strange—are confirmed for the movie so far, it's possible that even more versions of the sorcerer will show up to either help or hinder the MCU's Doctor Strange.
The Disney+ Loki series introduced the concept of variants into the MCU with numerous different versions of Loki appearing throughout the show, some very similar to the character audiences know, and others drastically different. This multiverse of countless diverged timelines and variations on iconic characters was again explored in Marvel's What If...? series and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Doctor Strange 2 will be diving into the after-effects of No Way Home and the larger multiverse as a whole.
After Loki and Peter Parker, Stephen Strange is the next MCU hero to face alternate versions of himself in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It will be exciting to see how the sorcerer handles the experience, especially considering that one or more of the variants will seemingly be one of the villains of Doctor Strange 2. Here are the three confirmed versions of Doctor Strange in the sequel movie, as well as which other variants might show up.
Although some fans had been speculating that the MCU's Doctor Strange—who had previously appeared in Doctor Strange, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, as well as Spider-Man: No Way Home—would be embracing his darker side for Doctor Strange 2, the trailer dismisses that theory. Stephen Strange appears to remain more or less his usual self in the sequel, supporting Wong's efforts as the next Sorcerer Supreme, among other things. Following No Way Home, Doctor Strange will have forgotten about Peter Parker and will be trying to pick up the pieces from the imminent disaster that almost befell Earth. Despite Peter's sacrifice, the stability of the multiverse is still in question, and Doctor Strange will have to work with other heroes, such as Scarlet Witch, and other variants of himself in order to fix whatever went wrong.
The first trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness reveals an evil Doctor Strange whose MCU introduction took place in Marvel's What If...? series. In the Disney+ show, the event which put Stephen on the path of becoming a sorcerer was not injuring his hands in a car accident but losing Dr. Christine Palmer in the crash. Overcome with grief, this variant of Doctor Strange studied dark magic to try to bring her back to life, eventually absorbing a great number of mythical beings to become more powerful. The power altered him in more ways than one, however, and What If...? episode 4 showed Doctor Strange turn as evil as the creatures he absorbed, all in a desperate attempt to change something that could not be undone. His actions caused reality itself to break apart, complete with buildings and other surroundings melting into a kind of black goo, which also occurs in the Doctor Strange 2 trailer.
These sacrifices that Evil Doctor Strange—also known as Strange Supreme—made end up being for nothing in What If...? since Christine was horrified by what he'd become and the state of the world around them. By the time he finally returned to his senses, it was too late, and Strange Supreme was forced to live out his existence in a prison of his own making. Multiverse of Madness likely finds this Strange variant suffering his fate alone when he discovers a way to travel to another universe. Evil Doctor Strange had made a deal with the Watcher at the end of What If...? season 1 to help defend the multiverse from danger, and it's possible that he would consider the MCU's Doctor Strange to be one such threat. Although he has already fought and defeated another version of himself in What If...?, this time he would also have to contest with Scarlet Witch and any other allies Doctor Strange has acquired in the meantime.
Merchandise for the upcoming Doctor Strange 2 shows a clear look at another Doctor Strange variant — Defender Strange. Packaging for Defender Strange's Marvel Legends figure reveals the character's black and red costume, with a description that states: "Doctor Strange is earth's foremost magical defender, safeguarding our dimension against supernatural threats from across the multiverse." This Defender Strange variant is most likely a version of the hero who had teamed up with the original Defenders from the comics. His role in Doctor Strange 2 is unknown, but he has the potential to greatly shake up Doctor Strange's future in the MCU.
Although Marvel had previously debuted a Defenders group on Netflix consisting of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, the original comics team from the 1970s and 80s included Doctor Strange as the unofficial leader, along with Hulk and Namor the Sub-Mariner, with the Silver Surfer added not long after. Other heroes who joined the Defenders throughout their original comic run include Valkyrie, Nighthawk, Beast, Gargoyle, and Hellcat. Many of these characters are already, or will soon be introduced in the MCU, meaning a version of this group could conceivably be formed for the big screen. Unlike the more permanent status of the Avengers, the Defenders were only meant to team up when absolutely necessary. The MCU's Strange meeting this Defender variant could give him the idea to start his own such group.
Just like the Disney+ Loki series, which incorporated numerous variants of Loki such as Kid Loki, Classic Loki, Boastful Loki, President Loki, and Alligator Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could reveal countless other versions of Doctor Strange. Some of these may not even be Stephen at all, but another character who takes up the mantle in his stead. For instance, other versions of Doctor Strange who made brief appearances in comics include Sir Stephen Strange, the court magician for Queen Elizabeth I; a female Strange, who secretly shared her body with a demon; and Stephen Strange, Jr., the son of Doctor Strange.
The possibilities are truly endless, and director Sam Raimi could have fun inventing as many different variants as he can think of. One could even be the character mentioned in another Raimi project, which was released almost two decades earlier. In Spider-Man 2, J. Jonah Jameson debated possible names for Dr. Octavius’ villain persona with Ted Hoffman, who suggested, among other things, Doctor Strange. "That's pretty good," Jameson replied, "but it's taken." This throwaway line was never referenced again in Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy but does confirm that some version of Doctor Strange existed in that world. Perhaps Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness can finally reveal that variant of the hero.