Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to push the concept of alternate realities into the forefront, thus presenting all kinds of problems for Benedict Cumberbatch's titular sorcerer. Directed by Sam Raimi, the upcoming MCU sequel will showcase the first adventure with Strange and Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff teaming up, alongside some old and new allies like Wong and America Chavez.
Multiverse of Madness is set for a May 2022 release, but Disney has yet to get the ball rolling for its marketing push. Still, leaked concept art and LEGO sets from the movie have emerged online, giving fans an idea of what to expect.
As also expected, several rumors about Multiverse of Madness' intriguing narrative also surfaced, such as its potential villains named Gargantos and Shuma Gorath. Given that exact plot details are still being kept under wraps and no official synopsis has been released, it is unknown if these rumors are true.
Now, as the calendar year approaches 2022, more fresh rumors about the Doctor Strange sequel are appearing online, and a significant one has apparently caught the attention of a top-level Disney executive.
Disney Responds to Doctor Strange 2 Trailer Rumor
Twitter user @itsjustanotherx posted a rumor about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' first trailer. The fan stated that the trailer will reportedly be released as Spider-Man: No Way Home's second post-credits scene while also sharing some of its thrilling moments, such as Gargantos' attack against the titular sorcerer and Wanda's unexpected villainous act:
"The first trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is reportedly being released as #SpiderManNoWayHome’s second post credits scene and it features Gargantos throwing a bus at Doctor Strange and America Chavez. Gargantos is rumored to be summoned by Wanda."
The tweet above prompted Asad Ayaz, Disney's President of Marketing, to reply with an ambiguous "what."
This rumor was first reported by Cinema Reviewed and corroborated by Big Screen Leaks on Twitter.
When Will Doctor Strange 2's Trailer Release?
Asad Ayaz's latest response could suggest different meanings.
It's possible that the Disney executive's "what" could simply mean that he is curious to know how the user managed to get this spoiler-heavy information. On the flip side, it's also likely that his reaction could be referring to the plot details of the trailer description. Either way, it's clear that his one-word response is not debunking the rumor, thus dialing more hype ahead of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
This isn't the first time that top-level executives from Disney and Marvel Studios have responded to rumors online.
Marvel Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige is no stranger to interview questions regarding MCU films' major plot details. Just recently, the Marvel head shared a brief yet hilarious response about Jamie Foxx's spoilery social media post about No Way Home, admitting that he is now "numb to anybody tweeting anything about anything."
It is a given that the folks over at Marvel and Disney can neither confirm nor deny any rumor online, but many would agree that it's quite intriguing that they are responding to them.
At this stage, it looks like the only solution to find out whether this rumor is true or not is to watch No Way Home in theaters. By then, fans will be able to extract the meaning behind Ayaz's blunt response on social media.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is set to premiere in theaters on December 17, 2021 while Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will release on May 6, 2022.
