Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022): Cast, Plot and Ending Explained

In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Stephen Strange protects America Chavez, a teenager who can open doorways between universes, from a force hunting her power. A demon chases America, and a version of Strange from another reality tries to shield her. That Strange dies, and America lands in the main universe.

The main Strange, who recently attended the wedding of his old love Christine, helps her after a tentacled monster attacks New York. He learns that something is hunting her power, so he seeks help from Wong and from Wanda Maximoff.

The film is the sequel to Doctor Strange (2016), also starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and you can place it in the saga with the marvel movies in order list. Everything after the New York fight is covered in the spoiler-flagged plot summary.

The full plot turns on a reveal: the person Strange trusts for advice is the one behind the attacks. After the New York fight, Strange turns to Wanda, but she is the one hunting America. She has used the cursed Darkhold book and wants America's power so she can reach alternate versions of her sons Billy and Tommy.

Wanda attacks Kamar-Taj, kills many sorcerers and captures Wong. Strange and America escape into another universe, where they are taken in by that world's Mordo and brought before its Illuminati. Wanda follows, kills nearly all of them and nearly captures America. Strange and Christine's counterpart get away, and Wanda destroys the Book of Vishanti.

Strange then crosses to a ruined universe, defeats a corrupted version of himself and takes over that version's dead body to return. Back on the main world, he rescues America, whose power has awakened. America sends Wanda to the universe where her sons live, and the boys are frightened of her. Wanda sees what she has become, brings down Mount Wundagore on herself and destroys every copy of the Darkhold. What this costs Strange is explained in the ending.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opened in US theaters on May 6, 2022, after a world premiere on May 2, 2022 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. It reached UK and Australian theaters on May 5, 2022, and Disney UK confirms the UK date and announced a London photocall for the film.

The film is rated PG-13 in the US, 12 in the UK and M in Australia. Its runtime is 126 minutes, 11 minutes longer than Doctor Strange (2016).

The opening weekend was huge. Disney reported an estimated $450 million worldwide, the highest global opening of 2022 to that point. The film closed with $411.3 million domestic and $544.4 million international, for $955.8 million worldwide on a reported $414.9 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo. That is more than twice the reported cost. For the series comparison, see marvel box office.

The ending of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness closes Wanda's story and opens a new problem for Strange. Wanda gives her life to destroy the Darkhold everywhere, America is safe with Strange and Wong, and Kamar-Taj is rebuilt while America trains there.

Why does Wanda bring Mount Wundagore down on herself? In my opinion, the key is the scene in the other universe where Billy and Tommy are frightened of her. Olsen's Wanda has been through Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, and this is the first time the saga makes her face herself through the eyes of the children she wanted back. She does not lose a fight, she loses an argument with her own conscience, and destroying every copy of the Darkhold is her answer to it.

The third eye is the most telling detail for Strange. He has grown it as a side effect of using dark magic, and the film does not treat it as a trophy. It is a physical bill for borrowing a dead body from a ruined universe. It could be argued that this is the film's real answer to Wanda: she used forbidden magic and lost everything, while Strange used it and kept going, with a visible mark.

There is a useful comparison with Doctor Strange (2016), where the villain Kaecilius steals pages from a forbidden book and Strange is still learning from the Ancient One and Mordo. Here the forbidden book is the problem again, but Strange is the experienced sorcerer who has to decide how far to go with it. Grief as a motive also links forward to Thor: Love and Thunder, where Gorr, a father who loses his daughter, takes up a sword that kills gods.

The last beat is the Clea scene. She appears, tells Strange that his actions caused an incursion between universes, and he follows her into the Dark Dimension. That sets up consequences rather than resolving them. I read it as the film saying that surviving the Darkhold is not the same as being forgiven by the multiverse.

Behind the screen, the tone owes something to the change of director. Scott Derrickson left over creative differences and Sam Raimi took over, with Michael Waldron writing the script after Jade Bartlett's earlier draft, according to TheWrap. For where the saga heads next, see avengers doomsday.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has a mid credits scene featuring Charlize Theron as Clea. In it, Clea tells Strange that his use of dark magic has caused an incursion, and he follows her into the Dark Dimension.

The scene continues the thread from the ending, so it plays best straight after the final reel.

The film was shot in England and Los Angeles. UK shooting began at Longcross Studios in late 2020, and the Surrey studio held sets including New York street blocks and the Sanctum Sanctorum.

Several London sites appear on screen. The British Museum was used for the Illuminati scenes, with CGI added to the massacre sequence. Richmond Park supplied exterior scenes and Freemasons' Hall in London supplied interiors.

Burrow Hill Cider Farm in Somerset was used in the final week of filming, and reshoots took place in Los Angeles, California.

Production on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had its share of surprises:

• Scott Derrickson left the project over creative differences, and Marvel said he would stay on as an executive producer. Sam Raimi took over directing.
• Michael Waldron, head writer of Loki, was hired to write the script, replacing a previous draft by Jade Bartlett.
• UK shooting began at Longcross Studios in late 2020.
• Production used the working title Stellar Vortex.
• The Illuminati massacre scenes were shot at the British Museum in London, with CGI added.
• The film opened to an estimated $450 million worldwide, per Disney, the highest global opening of 2022 to that point.

For the film's place in the larger story, see the marvel timeline and marvel movies.