After educating audiences on the existence of the Multiverse through Loki and What If...?, the MCU brought a Multiversal tale to the big screen in the record-breaking Spider-Man: No Way Home; and while three, live-action Spider-Men was something fans never expected to see, Marvel is just getting started. In May of 2022, the MCU will dive deeper into this Phase 4 theme with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
In addition to Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Multiverse of Madness stars Xochitl Gomez as MCU newcomer America Chavez, as well as Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo, Benedict Wong as Wong, and Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer.
However, one of the film's most intriguing co-stars has to be Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch fresh from her Westview incident in WandaVision; and from what the upcoming film's early merchandise has shown, it looks like more trouble awaits Wanda Maximoff.
Doctor Strange 2 Merch Teases a Scarlet Witch Problem
While much of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness remains a mystery, fans have learned a few things about the sequel from its merchandise, including the ponytailed-variant "Defender Strange" due to Marvel Legends action figure packaging, as well as visuals of Gargantos from newly released t-shirts.
Now, a telling detail in Scarlet Witch merchandise for the film has hinted at Wanda Maximoff's future woes.
In this new t-shirt featuring the Scarlet Witch's new look, it appears that darkness is seemingly coming from Wanda's heart and bleeding through her costume.
This same detail can be seen in footage of the WandaVision star from the latest Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer.
Twitter user @itsjustanotherx not only pointed out this detail but also theorized that the Darkhold could be corrupting her heart.
After all, when fans last saw Wanda Maximoff in the WandaVision post-credits scene, she had retreated to a cabin where her astral form was seen reading the Darkhold before hearing her kids call for help.
Which Scarlet Witch Awaits in the Multiverse of Madness?
This darkness over Wanda's heart isn't the first clue about the Scarlet Witch's potential Doctor Strange 2 problems. In the same shot of Wanda from the trailer, her fingertips appear to be turning black, just like how Agatha Harkness' appeared when she attempted to drain Wanda of her chaotic energy in WandaVision.
Many have speculated that Wanda may, in fact, be the film's secret villain, especially if she's determined to find her kids. It also wouldn't be new territory for her since her semi-inadvertent actions in WandaVision made her somewhat of a villain, even though she was being manipulated by Agatha.
Also, since Doctor Strange 2 features more than one Doctor Strange, it's possible that this Scarlet Witch with the darkness growing out of her heart and fingers could be another version of Olsen's Wanda Maximoff or maybe her astral form?
While the MCU has only scratched the surface of the Multiverse, the same could be said of the Scarlet Witch, especially in light of her character's journey on Disney+ where - after suffering so much loss - she seemingly came to terms with her grief.
If Multiverse of Madness spells more trouble for her character or the formation of a new evil persona, it will be interesting to see how that evolution coincides with her WandaVision arc.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6, 2022.
