'Doctor Strange 2' Villains Explained: Who (or What) is the Sequel's Villain?

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the 28th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the sixth appearance (or seventh if we're counting her appearance in the mid-credits scene for Captain America: The Winter Soldier) of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen). The Doctor Strange sequel shows multiple versions of Wanda, both good and bad. We break down everything you need to know about the Scarlet Witch’s dark side and every single villain on this side of the multiverse.

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Who is the Scarlet Witch?

During the events of WandaVision, we learn that Wanda Maximoff is the Scarlet Witch, not just by name but by the power she wields. The Scarlet Witch is a being that possesses an incredible amount of energy, specifically chaos magic. This form of witchcraft can bend reality to the user's will, making them nearly unstoppable.

“You have no idea how dangerous you are. You’re supposed to be a myth. A being capable of spontaneous creation… This is Chaos Magic, Wanda. That makes you the Scarlet Witch.” - Agatha Harkness (WandaVision)

Initially, we thought Wanda received her power from the mind stone, but that was only a small part of the equation. From birth, Wanda’s power was there, making her the first unofficial mutant in the MCU. Loki’s scepter only unlocked what was already there.

Wanda is a nexus being in the comics, and her hex powers allow her to control and manipulate the multiverse to her will. We see this in the infamous House of M storyline. Wanda’s grief pushes her to change the universe as we know it, wiping mutants out of existence.

We see MCU Wanda in a similar state of grief in the WandaVision series, where she unknowingly takes over WestView and creates her perfect life. After the events of the Disney+ series, we discover that she is reading the Darkhold, the book of the damned, and its corruption takes over her mind and spirit.

What is the Darkhold?

The Darkhold is an ancient book containing spells of unspeakable power. We see the Darkhold during the final moments of WandaVision and know that she’s using it to find her children, Billy and Tommy Maximoff. The book of the Damned makes its first MCU appearance in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4. Ghost Rider helps the agents understand the immense power and dark magic the book entails as they attempt to stop the world's end. We also hear of The Book of Spells in the series, Runaways where Morgan le Fay (Elizabeth Hurley) attempts to use its power to conquer the Earth. The Book of the Damned has massive effects on its reader and can corrupt their mind.

“It's Pandora's Box, and you don't know the consequences." - Alphonso “Mack” Mackenzie (Agents of SHIELD)

The Darkhold contains infinite knowledge and can show the reader spells, coding, and other dimensions to achieve their goal. The book can read the reader and instantly show them how to make their dreams a reality. However, this power comes with a massive price. It will corrupt the possessor, and their lust for power only grows. Simply flipping through the pages can affect the mind. The book’s magic can explain some of Wanda’s more ruthless antics in Multiverse of Madness.

Lastly, the book will also amplify the reader’s power. Agatha used the Darkhold to break free from Wanda’s chaos magic and manipulate the Hex over Westview. This is why Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) could go toe-to-toe with her in WandaVision and why Wanda is nearly unstoppable in Doctor Strange 2. According to Agatha, The Darkhold has an entire chapter dedicated to the Scarlet Witch and the power that she possesses. Combining the power of Wanda’s chaos magic with the knowledge of The Darkhold is more than enough to shatter the multiverse. We have an article dedicated to The Darkhold here.

The Knights of Wundagore

The Knights of Wundagore are Marvel Comics deep cut. When Wong (Benedict Wong) and Scarlet Witch travel to Wundagore, they discover a group of giant monsters. These creatures are known as The Knights of Wundagore and serve the High Evolutionary.

In the comics, Dr. Herbert Wyndham was given the knowledge and resources to create an advanced research lab on Mount Wundagore. Wyndham (who is later known as High Evolutionary) was a scientist during the 20th century and was gifted the skills to build this laboratory by the Deviant Phaeder. Here, Wyndham conducts experiments and learns more about advanced genetics and evolution.

Later on, High Evolutionary received a warning about the arrival of Chthon, the demon. At this point is when he created the New Men. Animals that evolved into humans in both body and mind. He trained a select few New Men and made the Knights of Wundagore. A group that fought against Cthon alongside Thor Odinson.

The Multiverse of Madness’ Knights of Wundagore bears little in common with their comic book counterparts. They stay atop the mountain and serve the Scarlet Witch. We don’t know where they come from or if they were a product of the High Evolutionary. It’s likely a reference to Marvel’s storied comic book history.

Multiverse Mordo and the Illuminati

We first meet Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Karl Mordo in Doctor Strange (2016). He is the one who brings Stephen to Kamar-Taj and introduces him to the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). The two started as decent colleagues but had a falling out after the battle against Dormammu. Mordo believes that Strange’s arrogance and lack of respect for the mystic arts are dangerous. The world would be better off with fewer sorcerers using their abilities without repercussions. We last see Mordo hunting down sorcerers as he believes this to be his new mission.

The Mordo we see in Doctor Strange 2 is from Earth 838 and became Sorcerer Supreme after his Doctor Strange died. As a member of the 838 Illuminati, Mordo strives to bring peace and still believes Strange will be the multiverse’s downfall. Like their comic book counterparts, the Illuminati serves as a foil even though they have good intentions. Mordo’s jealousy and hatred of Stephen Strange seem to be constant no matter the reality.

The rest of the Illuminati: Mr. Fantastic (John Krasinski), Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch), Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Black Bolt (Anson Mount) and Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell) all pushed back on helping Stephen but were not nearly as antagonistic as Mordo. If you are interested in learning even more about the Illuminati, click here.

Gargantos

Garnatos is the one-eyed tentacle monster we see Doctor Strange fight at the beginning of the film. The creature is inspired by the comic book villain Shuma-Gorath, a classic Doctor Strange foe. Gargantos is one of the many monsters sent after America Chavez as Wanda tries to steal her power. The brief battle was a fun Easter egg for the die-hard Doctor Strange fans. If you want to know even more about Gargantos and its connection to Shuma-Gorath, click here.

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