Doctor Strange 2 and Loki Writer Reveals the “Danger” of Multiverse-Centric Stories

Marvel Studios is looking to hit another home run with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The film has all things going for it. There’s a ton of mystery surrounding the plot, a bunch of rumored cameos, and some confirmed appearances. But, it seems as if the films writer thinks we should proceed with the multiverse very cautiously. While speaking with SFX Magazine via Gamesradar, Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness scribe Michael Waldron explained how Marvel Studios use of the multiverse is a double-edged sword.

“The danger is you can expand your scope too wide, and you can actually reduce the stakes if you don’t make it personal as you go bigger and wider,” Waldron explained. “But the opportunity in the multiverse is to have characters confront literal ‘What ifs?’ and alternate versions of themselves and perhaps others in their lives. It’s an interesting way to hold up a mirror to characters.”

“In every way, it shapes the emotional heart of the story. It has to. The multiverse isn’t just a MacGuffin where we’re like, ‘Okay, this is just a kitschy thing that we’re playing with in this movie.’ If you’re faced with alternate realities and with alternate versions of yourself that has to become the emotional heart, exploring who you might be if you were a different version of yourself, if you made other choices, the right choices or the wrong choices. It’s complex stuff, emotionally, and that’s exactly why it’s so thrilling and so great for a cast as dramatically talented as this one.” Waldron added.

Marvel Studios describes Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as follows: “To restore a world where everything is changing, Strange seeks help from his ally Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme, and the Avengers’ most powerful Scarlet Witch, Wanda. But a terrible threat looms over humanity and the entire universe that no longer can be done by their power alone. Even more surprising, the greatest threat in the universe looks exactly like Doctor Strange.” 

The film is directed by the legendary Sam Rami and will star Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Benedict Wong as Wong, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/ Scarlet Witch, Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to hit theaters on May 5th, 2022!

What do you think of Michael Waldron’s comments? Does this make you excited for the future of the MCU? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!