Doctor Strange 2 Already Has A Better Multiverse Than No Way Home

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness features a depiction of the Multiverse that will be much better than Spider-Man: No Way Home’s.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘s use of the Multiverse as a concept will be much more interesting than Spider-Man: No Way Home’s. Footage shows that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will see Patrick Stewart returning as Professor Xavier, with many other significant cameos also distinctly possible. In addition to the leader of the X-Men, names such as What If…?‘s Captain Carter and other existing or future variants of MCU heroes are also expected.

While No Way Home was a great Spider-Man story that lived up to expectations, its Multiverse was nothing more than a plot device to bring back villains and heroes from Spider-Man’s cinematic legacy. Compared to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, for example, Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s Multiverse felt more like a marketing gimmick. Except for the final battle where audiences can see a glimpse of the fabric between the different realities breaking down, the rest of the movie barely offers any visualization of the Multiverse.

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Thanks to significant delays in Marvel’s Phase 4, the Multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home also ended up being poorly explained. Peter talking too much during the spell or Ned having the ability to open portals out of nowhere were the best answers that the movie could come up with to explain the appearance of the classic villains and Maguire’s and Garfield’s versions of Spider-Man. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, on the other hand, deals with much more substantial concepts to sustain its multiverse plot. Elements such as the Darkhold, Chaos Magic, links to What If…? and the reckless actions of Wanda and Strange are already a much better justification for the Multiverse than anything that Spider-Man: No Way Home did.

Why Doctor Strange 2 Will Serve The Multiverse Better Than No Way Home

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness depicts a much larger and more fully realized Multiverse than the one shown in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Footage showing Strange and Wanda going through an animated universe or the presence of zombie versions of the characters indicate that the film will make the most of the Multiverse’s potential, rather than having it serve as a plot device. Likewise, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange himself is better suited to showcase the Multiverse’s chaotic potential than Peter Parker is, as his mind-bending episode of What If…? illustrates.

The main themes of Spider-Man: No Way Home were Parker’s struggles and what he could learn from more experienced heroes and their villains. However, the cost of this personal journey was a Multiverse that existed simply to serve the needs of the plot. The real details about why those specific villains were transported from those specific moments in their lives, or how and when the other Peter Parkers joined the MCU were details overlooked by the film that could have made Spider-Man: no Way Home‘s Multiverse way more interesting.

Why Sam Raimi Is Weird Enough To Carry The Multiverse Forward In Doctor Strange 2

Another important factor that makes Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘s Multiverse more exciting than Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s is its director, Sam Raimi. While No Way Home played to the novelty of the Multiverse, Sam Raimi’s eccentric, excessive, and gory style opens up the likelihood that Doctor Strange 2 will explore the terrifying implications and mind-bending implications of infinite universes. Interestingly, Raimi is also the director of the earlier, Tobey Maguire-starring Spider-Man trilogy. In contrast to some of the MCU’s other directors, Raimi has an extensive resume of weird horror movies under his directorial belt, which should be a fascinating and tonally appropriate perspective to bring to the Multiverse.

Doctor Strange’s character clearly has lots of dark potential, and throughout the Marvel comics canon, he faces some of the most disturbing foes and forces. Sam Raimi, who has worked on projects from The Evil Dead franchise to The Grudge, can actually make Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness more of a horror movie than other MCU entries, which would give this movie’s focus on the Multiverse the unique feel it deserves. While the Multiverse can also be fun and wacky, it’s an unsettling concept that warrants deeper and more balanced exploration than Spider-Man: No Way Home gave it.

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