Spider-Man: No Way Home broke the Multiverse wide open, giving fans a preview of the concept of alternate realities. While Peter Parker's identity crisis has already been resolved, the problem now shifts to Benedict Cumberbatch's titular sorcerer. Upon helping the young Marvel hero, Doctor Strange unknowingly destabilized the Multiverse, thus leading to the events of Multiverse of Madness.
Given the two films' strong connections, there's a chance that the sequel will include references to the Tom Holland-led movie.
In the months leading to the film's premiere, Cumberbatch defended Doctor Strange casting that reality-breaking spell for Parker, pointing out that the teenage web-head did interfere with the spell "something like six times" while also admitting that "it's not all arrogance" and it's a "very calculated risk."
The MCU veteran also commented on how the Doctor Strange sequel would match the performance of No Way Home, saying that if the project “brings off the level of ambition" it exudes, then their movie will “have a success on the level of Spidey.”
Now, as tickets for the sequel are available, an important tidbit about Multiverse of Madness has been unveiled.
Doctor Strange 2's Place in the MCU Timeline
Fandango shared in a report that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness "picks up roughly a few months" after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Alongside the reveal, Multiverse of Madness director Sam Raimi sat down with the outlet to talk about the surprises or cameos that the sequel has in store for fans.
The Spider-Man and Evil Dead director openly revealed that the sequel will mark the first time that "characters from our universe will go out into the Multiverse" to experience other universes:
"I guess I would say that ... Spider-Man [No Way Home] broke open [the idea that] characters from the multiverse could visit our universe. But this is the first time that characters from our universe will go out into the multiverse and experience other universes. So, it's going to be a continuation, but that, I think, is one of the biggest appeals. Finding other realities, and how they rhyme with our own, or how they are completely the opposite, or variations thereof. I think therein lies the interest of this picture."
Doctor Strange 2's Multiverse-Hopping Adventure
The timing of the events of Multiverse of Madness after No Way Home allows Doctor Strange to have some breathing room in-between universe-shattering scenarios.
While it's already a given that Strange doesn't remember Peter Parker, the character might have been aware of the spell that he cast to (temporarily) fix the Multiverse during No Way Home. This could explain Strange's dialogue where he tells someone that he "never meant for any of this to happen," a line that can be heard in the film's first teaser.
It's possible that Wong would help Strange remember the events of No Way Home, especially considering that the former is the current Sorcerer Supreme. A few months after the threequel would be enough time to utilize a new spell for Strange to remember.
Meanwhile, Sam Raimi's confirmation about the characters' journey into other universes could hint at what to expect about the movie's intriguing narrative. From Tobey Maguire's rumored inclusion as Spider-Man to an animated world, it seems that the Doctor Strange sequel is pulling out all the stops to give fans a unique MCU entry filled with surprises.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to premiere in theaters on May 6.
