Marvel Fans Remember Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on Another Missed Release Date

The date of March 25, 2022 may not mean much at first glance, but it was one of the previous release dates for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The sequel to 2016's Doctor Strange has unfortunately been forced to shift dates a couple of times, with the latest coming in October 2021. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, along with Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Marvels, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania all found themselves with new dates on the 2022-2023 calendar. Fans are now mourning March 25th as another missed opportunity to see Benedict Cumberbatch reprise his role as the former Sorcerer Supreme.

Instead of rushing to theaters to witness Doctor Strange 2, fans will have to settle for four new images from the Marvel Studios film. The photos offer new looks at Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch, Xochitl Gomez's America Chavez, Benedict Wong as Wong, and Benedict Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange. The runtime for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness also reportedly leaked, with the sequel clocking in at 148 minutes. Only four movies would come in longer than Multiverse of Madness should it hold onto its runtime. Avengers: Endgame takes the crown and is followed by Chloe Zhao's Eternals, and Avengers: Infinity War. At two hours and 28 minutes, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would have a runtime equal to that of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Benedict Cumberbatch commented on Multiverse of Madness' delays and the difficulty of filming during the COVID pandemic. "It's been tough. I'll be honest with you. It's had quite a journey, this film. But not in a kind of poor me way, just like the nature of where we're at," Cumberbatch told Deadline in an interview about his Oscar-nominated Netflix movie The Power of the Dog. "To try and make a massive film like that under the constrictions of a pandemic and the delays that have ensued, partly because of The Power of the Dog, but also because of everything that was lined up and had to be pushed back from Marvel. It's been tough for everyone. Also, incredibly enjoyable and no less enjoyable than the first one."

"I hope the results are as good [as the first movie], but yeah, I think it can't be underestimated. It's really… This is a film that has a lot of resources," Cumberbatch added. "It's nothing compared to the struggles of live performance. It's really, it's tough, but very rewarding, very fun." 

Continue reading to see what fans are saying on what would have been the release date of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The movie's new release date is May 6th.