Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Trailer Reveals First Look at Defenders Costume

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness released a big Super Bowl trailer, and like every other Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel, this new chapter in Doctor Strange’s story includes a major costume change. In the case of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the new costume that we’re going to get in the film is the Doctor Strange Defenders costumes that fans love from the comics. It only appears for a quick moment in the new footage, so be sure to look closely. It’s easy to miss in the midst of the many Marvel movie cameos that this Doctor Strange 2 Super Bowl trailer throws at us! 

The Doctor Strange Defenders costume was made famous in Hawkeye writer Matt Fraction’s Defenders series with Terry Dodson during the 2010s. Strange kept the look in Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting’s New Avengers run, and that could be a key tie. Patrick Stewart also made a cameo in the Doctor Strange 2 trailer, and fans are all but certain he’s going to be playing Professor Xavier once again, in the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse. 

There are two versions of the new Doctor Strange costume in the trailer: one with the full red is seen on Stephen Strange when he’s looking beat-up and near-death – that costume was actually revealed in action figure leaks awhile back. A TV spot for Doctor Strange 2 showed another version with a yellow imprint, seen here: 

In fact, the theory goes further to say that MCU Xavier is really part of a MCU version of Marvel’s Illuminati; well, Doctor Strange’s time in this particular costume also coincided with his dealings in The Illuminati – a secret cabal of Marvel leaders whose ranks have included Iron Man, Reed Richards, Professor X, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Black Panther, Captain America Doctor Strange – among others. If Doctor Strange is suiting up in his Defenders costume, could he graduate from being just Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme to a member of the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse Illuminati? 

Right now, Marvel fans are looking for some form of The Defenders to take shape, as well as some form of Marvel’s Illuminati group. Both avenues open all kinds of new storytelling doors that Marvel fans have been wanting to see in the MCU (Secret Wars), as well as potentially helping to tie-in all sorts of new characters that could later debut in the MCU (from Young Avengers to the X-Men). 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be in theaters on May 6th.