Doctor Strange 2 Writer Reveals How Multiverse of Madness Differs From the First Movie

After unleashing a multiverse of madness in the first season finale of Loki, writer Michael Waldron says director Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange 2 is a “hell of a ride.” Set after the mind-bending events of WandaVision and the time-twisting events of Loki, Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness pairs sorcerer Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) — now at the height of his power — with a chaos magic-wielding Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). Along with mystic arts master Wong (Benedict Wong) and the dimension-hopping America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), there’s multiversal cleanup to do before the time-defying warlord Kang the Conqueror (Loki‘s Jonathan Majors) wreaks havoc on the timeline in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“I think that Stephen Strange has been through so much between that first movie and now,” the Loki and Doctor Strange 2 writer told the Geek Vibes Podcast about the sequel to the Scott Derrickson-directed Doctor Strange. “That first movie was an incredible origin story of how he became a sorcerer, but now he’s been through that. He’s fought Thanos [in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame] and he’s on the other end of it, and he’s kind of at the height of his powers. So it’s an interesting place to catch up with him.”

Working with Spider-Man trilogy director and MCU first-timer Raimi “was a blast,” Waldron added. “That was the experience of a lifetime. We had a great time writing and developing that movie last year and then shooting it over in London at the end of last year and the top of this year. It was great. Sam’s an incredible director [and] the cast is unreal on that movie. So it’s a hell of a ride.”

Asked how it feels to script two Marvel Studios projects that are connected by way of the unraveling multiverse, Waldron said, “It was good, except for all the times in writing Loki that we were like, ‘Well, that’ll be Doctor Strange 2‘s problem.’ And then suddenly it’s your problem. (laughs) No, it’s great to just continue to expand the MCU and to just get to lay another brick in that amazing, ongoing story. It’s a privilege.”

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Xochitl Gomez, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens in theaters on March 25, 2022.