Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Trailer Analysis & Theories

A few hours ago, Marvel Studios released the second trailer for the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The video debuted during the latest Super Bowl, bringing back familiar faces and introducing new characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now that the multiverse is official, the possibilities are virtually unlimited. As always, Marvel Studios likes to keep their card close to its chest and reveal just tiny details about what’s next. Even so, it’s pretty sure that Marvel fans are in for a treat on May 6. Let’s break down the trailer and see what’s coming next in the forthcoming movie by Sam Raimi.

RELATED: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Trailer Features Professor X

Doctor Strange Variants

The trailer opens with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange dreaming about the destroyed version of Sanctum Sanctorum. It’s not clear what caused the destruction, but it appears that the building is dissolving. It seems that something is going on with Strange’s mind as he sees the fate of his variants before waking up covered in sweat.

While the Super Bowl trailer only offered a brief glimpse at Defender Strange, a later released promo featured a better look of him. The Master of the Mystic Arts will have a lot on his plate as he also deals with Sinister Strange and Zombie Doctor Strange variants.

America Chavez

Some footage shows America Chavez taking on a multiverse monster, which seems to be having the best of her. In the upcoming movie, the young superhero is portrayed by Xochitl Gomez. We know little about her, safe for she is not from the MCU. Her powers include traveling across the multiverse through star-shaped portals, in addition to a wide array of extraordinary powers like super strength, invulnerability, and more. Chavez and Doctor Strange will visit different realities, including one where dinosaurs still exist. 

Wong, Kamar-Taj, and Rintrah

In the Multiverse of Madness trailer, a significantly battered Wong warns Strange that he can’t control everything after opening the door through universes. It follows an epic battle going down in Kamar-Taj, the headquarter of the Masters of the Mystic Arts. The video also introduces Rintrah, a giant green Minotaur who used to be Strange’s apprentice in the comics.

Rintrah is fighting side-by-side with his fellow sorcerers against a dark cloud. The clash doesn’t seem to bode well for the good guys as Kamar-Taj is almost destroyed. We also got a brief look at Hamir, the elderly man Strange mistook for the Ancient One in the 2016 movie.

Wanda Maximoff

Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff laid low after the events of WandaVision, but now she is back, and she doesn’t seem to have completely given up her dreams of having a family with Vision. In fact, Scarlet Witch might not even be an ally of Doctor Strange at all. She doesn’t seem to be appreciating the fact that people regard Strange as a hero after breaking the rules while she is seen as the villain.

Also, the movie’s title might imply that Wanda’s mental instability might play a pivotal role in the story. In the comics, Scarlet Witch is powerful enough to rewrite reality. She created the House of M event’s universe, where mutants ruled supreme. The MCU’s Wanda was much more mentally stable than her comic book counterpart, but that might change soon.

Professor X

Finally, fans will see some of Fox’s Marvel characters in the MCU. The first one to make his appearance in a movie is none other than Professor Charles Xavier. The images showed a handcuffed Strange escorted by Tony Stark’s Iron Legion drones in front of a council composed of some powerful heroes, including Professor X. Sir Patrick Stewart reprises the role for the occasion.

Apparently, the founder of the X-Men is involved in a sort of council who presumably is defending the mainstream universe. It appears that there is a higher force than the Time Variance Authority to protect the multiverse and the timeline. The new authority also involves Karl Mordo, who is still holding some grudge against Strange and will have the chance to clash with him once more. Might this be a hint for the Illuminati’s debut?

Gargantos and that Glaring Figure

Strange’s actions seem to take a tremendous toll on New York, which is falling apart in the trailer. Apparently, the effects of the spell cast by Strange in Spider-Man: No Way Home are still ongoing, and monsters from the multiverse are attacking the Big Apple. The footage sees a pretty angry Gargantos throwing a bus at Strange and Chavez. The tentacular monster is a Namor villain in the comics, but the MCU might change his origin story to come from another dimension.

There is also a fascinating glaring figure that no one has identified yet. In the trailer, this figure speeds toward and attacks Wanda. While it looks very much like the Human Torch, it’s more reasonable to believe that it’s Captain Marvel. The most popular theory says that it’s not Carol Danvers but Monica Rambeau who locks horns with Wanda in the rematch of their encounter in WandaVision.