The recent trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness gave us a ton of first looks at new characters. Star Benedict Cumberbatch is going to be busy in the film, as we saw him as Doctor Strange and “Evil” Doctor Strange from What If…?. However, what some might not have noticed, Cumberbatch will be playing a third Doctor Strange, Defender Strange.
Thanks to some new images via promotional merchandise, we get our first look at Defender Strange. His look is quite different from Doctor Strange as he is rocking a new outfit and an epic ponytail. You can check out the image that was shared by @DrStrangeUpdate on Twitter below:
The account also shared some merchandise that gives us better looks at all the Strange’s, Wong, Baron Mordo, and America Chavez:
Read: New Image Seemingly Confirms Tessa Thompson and Lashana Lynch For ‘The Marvels’
For those unfamiliar with Defender Strange, the character is based on his time as a member of the Defenders in the comics. The team created by Roy Thomas and Ross Andru in 1971 witnessed the collaboration of Doctor Strange with Namor and Hulk. They face various threats side by side, and although they don’t want to be a formal team like the Avengers, they continue to cooperate when necessary. The team of defenders eventually evolved to include Silver Surfer, Clea, Valkyrie, etc. There are rumors that Namor is the antagonist in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, so maybe we get a sneak peek at the character in Multiverse of Madness.
The film recently wrapped extensive reshoots that reportedly added more cameos and explored the multiverse even further. The multiverse started with Loki and most recently Spider-Man: No Way Home. The reshoots obviously spurred from these projects. Now, it’s unclear if secret test screenings were also a factor in the decision to go back and reshoot. Also, Due to constant and recent leaks on social media, it wouldn’t be surprising if the studio was trying to make major changes to the movie.
Set to continue the story arc that began in WandaVision (and that will continue in Spider-Man: No Way Home), the highly anticipated Doctor Strange sequel will follow the titular sorcerer supreme as he attempts to bring order to the multiverse once and for all. Directed by veteran genre director Sam Raimi, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, and Elizabeth Olsen will all reprise their previous roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As confirmed by Kevin Feige during Disney Investor Day this past December, Xochitl Gomez will make her MCU as America Chavez in the film too.
Spider-Man: No Way Home just had the second-biggest box office opening of all time, grossing over $260 million domestically. So, there are some high box office hopes for Doctor Strange next year as it follows the events of that movie, as well as the hit Disney+ series WandaVision. As the trailer shows, it is also tied into Marvel’s animated series What If…?. We recently shared this summer during our “Rumor of the Week” segment on The DisInsider Show that Haley Atwell’s Captain Carter will be making the jump to Multiverse of Madness.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens in U.S. theaters on May 6, 2022.
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