Despite being just two weeks away, the plot of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness remains vastly mysterious. Fans know the film will feature Benedict Cumberbatch's titular hero teaming up with Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and Xochitil Gomez's America Chavez as they navigate the Multiverse, but the specificities of the dangers that arise are still up in the air.
Olsen's Scarlet Witch has been rumored to walk the line between good and evil, while trailer footage has spotlighted the tentacled titan Gargantos as a Kaiju that the heroes will have to do battle with. From there, speculation takes over. How will Patrick Stewart's Illuminati factor in? Is there a Captain Marvel Variant flying around? What does Kang the Conqueror think of all this?
Uncertainty stays at the forefront of Doctor Strange 2, but new footage has begun to steer fans in the right direction.
Doctor Strange 2's Book of Vishanti
Are you seriously leaning on the Cauldron of the Cosmos?
Doctor Stephen Strange has never been shy about flexing his mystical trinkets since he entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2016, and the latest Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness TV spot showcases a new one.
Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange is left mesmerized by this mysterious text.
This latest magical MacGuffin is the Book of Vishanti, the antithesis of Wanda Maximoff's Darkhold. Unlike the Darkhold, which corrupts those who use it, the Book of Vishanti is used purely for good.
In the comics, the Book of Vishanti cannot be used for attacks, as it is only able to cast defensive spells.
Book of Vishanti vs. Darkhold
Does the final battle in Doctor Strange 2 take place in a library?
In all seriousness, the Book of Vishanti's place in the sequel's plot aligns with what fans have known since last year. WandaVision wrapped with the Scarlet Witch studying the shady secrets of the Darkhold, possibly tapping into dangerous territory in order to get her twin sons back.
The MCU has had enough MacGuffins to fill a museum. Some of these plot-moving objects come with fleshed out lore, like the Tesseract, while others have the sole purpose of giving the film's characters a one-off narrative, like the Orb. Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum is filled with these fancily-named yet unproven items, such as the aforementioned Cauldron of the Cosmos, but the Book of Vishanti seems teed up to serve a prominent purpose.
If Strange is going to match Maximoff's sorcery strength, he needs what's inside the Book of Vishanti. Strange has never been one to shy away from nefarious means, but chasing this text indicates the good doctor is focused on resolving the Multiverse of Madness issues the right way.
In other words, his days of proclaiming that he'd watch a 15-year-old kid die before giving up his emerald necklace are in the past.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6.
MCU Writer, Editor, Podcaster
