After audiences watched the entirety of Spider-Man: No Way Home in theaters, they were all greeted by the surprise of a full-blown teaser trailer for Benedict Cumberbatch‘s upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The sneak peek showed how the sorcerer’s troubles were far from over, as was his entanglement with the Multiverse. As seen in the trailer, both Elizabeth Olsen and Benedict Wong are also set to return as Scarlet Witch and Sorcerer Supreme Wong, respectively.
New to the party is Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez, who is set to play an integral part in the story. Her ability to traverse the Multiverse is sure to be quiet for whoever is on her side.
But what’s the central conflict of the movie? It's still unclear after watching the initial teaser. Marvel Studios certainly seems to want people to think a darker Variant of Strange will be the main antagonist of the piece—but that seems far too simple, as does Gargantos.
Now, rumor has it that some lucky people have seen a version of the film, and the information has given some more insight into what fans can expect going into the movie this May.
The Witness of Death and Horror
Industry insider KC Walsh revealed on Twitter that he “know[s] someone who saw [Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness].”
He went on to tease the sequel's “impressive body count” and that he “love[s] what [he’s] hearing:”
“Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness will have an impressive body count and will use its Variants to great effect, love what I’m hearing.”
As for whether or not the movie will still be based on Horror, as originally marketed during its announcement, KC Walsh confirmed that it does stay rooted in that genre influence.
The Horrific Doctor Strange 2
Many fans are likely to be thrilled to hear how the film has potentially retained its horror elements. Many thought that the departure of Scott Derrickson was a sign Marvel Studios was going to ease up on those aspects of the movie.
The new director, Sam Raimi, is a horror veteran, so it’s no surprise that those would still be there. One of his most famous pieces of work outside of the original Spider-Man was the Evil Dead franchise.
The trailer certainly had that scary feeling to it; a foreboding sense of terrible events to come. If an “impressive body count” is one of the big teases Walsh felt the need to say, it’s obvious “things just got out of hand," like Cumberbatch’s alter ego teases in the trailer.
But who would be dying? Could Marvel be pulling all of these previously rumored cameos out of the bag just to have them killed off? And by who?
Obviously, it could be Dark Strange or even Gargantos. But, another option could be the former Avenger Wanda Maximoff herself. After all, the Darkhold isn’t known for its good influences.
Fans will have to wait until May 6, when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases, to know all of the answers.
