While Doctor Strange has become a heavy hitter within the MCU in recent years, what truly piqued fan interest about Doctor Strange 2 was its reference to the Multiverse. Now, on the heels of Spider-Man: No Way Home, audiences are all the more curious, especially in light of rumors teasing the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and variants of Strange and his MCU companions.
Set to release on May 6, 2022, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, directed by the original Spider-Man trilogy's Sam Raimi, will be Marvel Studios' first theatrical film of 2022. While fans have already seen the film's first trailer, Marvel fans apparently hadn't seen anything yet.
To kick off Super Bowl LVI, Marvel Studios delivered a massive, new trailer for Doctor Strange 2 that already has the internet abuzz with its reveals and teases. In addition to the appearance of Ultron sentries as previously reported by The Direct, and a cameo from X-Men's Patrick Stewart, the teaser featured another surprise.
Captain Marvel Variant Revealed
While the latest trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness showcased more of this truly "strange" film's ensemble cast in action, fans also noted another new addition who appears to be a variant of Captain Marvel.
While fans know the 2016 sequel to Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Elizabeth Olsen, Xochitl Gomez, the inclusion of a version of Captain Marvel is a surprise; but from the trailer, her character's cosmic powers are on full display.
Following Carol Danvers' MCU debut in 2019's Captain Marvel, the heroine played by Brie Larson, then appeared in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. She also appeared in a post-credits cameo in 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Captain Marvel is set to receive her own sequel The Marvels, featuring her best friend Maria's daughter, Monica Rambeau, who most recently starred in 2021's WandaVision on Disney+.
The Marvels is also set to feature Ms. Marvel, played by Iman Vellani, following her own Disney+ series.
However, just because Brie Larson's Carol Danvers played Captain Marvel in the MCU, that doesn't mean she's playing the variant of her character in this sequel film; and if rumors are true, this Captain Marvel may be played by another MCU actress.
Who Is This Captain Marvel Variant?
Some rumors have suggested that Doctor Strange 2's Captain Marvel variant could be played by Carol Danvers' fellow pilot and best friend, Maria Rambeau. Meanwhile, others have implied that the variant is actually Maria's daughter and WandaVision star, Monica Rambeau, played by Teyonah Parris.
In WandaVision, audiences learn that Maria passed away from cancer during the blip while Monica received her own powers due to forcing her way into Wanda Maximoff's Westview hex.
The latter would certainly be interesting since Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda is set to play a huge role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, since Monica would be a variant, she wouldn't have a history with the MCU's Scarlet Witch.
The former, being Maria Rambeau, would give Lashana Lynch a new role within the MCU and possibly a new avenue to continue her story.
Regardless, the presence of a Captain Marvel adds yet another wrinkle to Doctor Strange's Multiversal dilemma; and since anything can happen in this sequel, it probably will.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will debut in theaters on May 6, 2022.
