Charlize Theron Reveals She Binge-Watched the Entire MCU Before Joining Doctor Strange 2

This year, Charlize Theron finally joined the superhero landscape, beginning with an appearance as Clea in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Theron made a splash in the film’s post-credits scene, which seemed to hint at an ongoing story between her and Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). While we currently don’t know when Theron will next reprise her role, it sounds like the actress took a pretty detailed approach to joining the franchise. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Theron revealed that she actually sat down and watched all of the previous MCU movies, which gave her a significant appreciation for her role.

“The simple answer to it is that it’s everything that I’ve said about Old Guard,” Theron explained. “If I can find the anchor, then I’m never going to be a snob about, like, ‘Oh, does this make me less of a powerful actor?’ I was ignorant, I didn’t know those [Marvel] movies well enough until a family who I consider, like, my adopted family had me watch them. They’re crazy Marvel fans, and I always used to make fun of them. Like, ‘Oh my God, you guys are such f-cking nerds.’ Then one spring break we rented a house and our kids were in a camp and they were like, ‘You need to fucking sit down and watch.’ So, we watched all the movies, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, they’re so fucking good.’ And the kids got in on it, too, and it was such an enjoyable ride. And there’s a mythology around it and it’s been thought out over decades with Clea, and I’m challenged by that. Like, how do you reinvent that? So, I’m excited, but I honestly don’t know what the fuck it’s going to be.”

Will there be a Doctor Strange 3?

While Cumberbatch has not been confirmed to reprise his role as Doctor Strange in a future MCU project, there is definitely still a lot of canon left to be explored onscreen. Biggest among them might be the introduction of Clea, who literally cut through the multiverse to catch Strange’s attention for a quest.

“That’s the bill coming due. As Wong says, ‘You used the Darkhold to possess your own corpse.’ Surely, there must be some fallout,” screenwriter Michael Waldron exclusively told ComicBook earlier this year. “It was a little bit of a throwback to [director Sam Raimi’s] old Evil Dead, and that groaner of an ending, or it’s just like, ‘Oh my God, things turned out bad in the end.’ So, yeah. We’ll see what all that means for Stephen.” 

“The Multiverse has forced a mirror up in front of his face, and has made him do some self-reflecting, that I think he’s refused to ever do,” Waldron noted. “Even when he got into that initial [car] accident [in Doctor Strange], instead of really thinking about who he was, instead he went and just became the most powerful sorcerer alive. This is a guy who doesn’t want to go to therapy. I think now, there’s been some forced self-reflection over the course of this adventure, and I think he’s probably more capable than ever at working as part of a team.”

Directed by Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/the Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong as Sorcerer Supreme Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, and Charlize Theron as Clea. 

What do you think of this alternate scene from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!