Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Producer Speaks Out on Ties to What If?

By Adam Barnhardt

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters in a matter of months, and will introduce fans to many different iterations of Benedict Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange. In the teaser for the highly anticipated sequel, fans were introduced to a version of the character that's since been dubbed "Sinister Strange." While some were holding out hope this would be the version of the Sorcerer Supreme that initially debuted in Marvel's What If...? on Disney+, it turns out that's simply not the case.

Just because that character doesn't happen to be Strange Supreme from What If...?, however, also doesn't mean the movie won't crossover with the animated feature. According to Marvel Studios producer Richie Palmer, those behind the film loved the What If...? episode and hope to replicate some of its plot twists in the sequel.

"Things get pretty trippy. We love that episode of What If...?, and we hope to do it justice," Palmer told D23 Magazine (via The Direct). "It shows another version of Doctor Strange – one who let the universe he lived in be destroyed because of his love for Christine. If he was capable of that, for a selfish reason, is that something that our Stephen would be capable of doing, too? We'd like to think, 'No, our guy's the hero,' but you never know."

On the "sinister" front, Avengers mainstay Elizabeth Olsen said she thought people will be surprised when they see just how scary the sequel actually is.

"I think it's scarier than Indiana Jones," Olsen explained to the Vanity Fair last year. "I think it definitely feels more Sam Raimi than that. So maybe that was the goal, but it definitely became something darker I think." She clarified, "Yea, not like [Raimi's] western [stuff]... Yes, the horror genre feeling of constant fear and thrill and misleads and playing with camera, playing with how the perspective of the depth of field in order to make the audience feel more anxious... It's more... I think it's more than like a glossy Indiana Jones movie. Which I love Indiana Jones, but I feel like it has a darker thing going on."

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters May 6th. What other characters do you think will end up appearing in the upcoming feature? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!

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