With a countless number of alternate universes to potentially visit, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could possibly be the most interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe project since Avengers: Endgame.
Elizabeth Olsen’s return as the Scarlet Witch alongside Benedict Cumberbatch was already a sure sign that crossovers were abounding, but it seems that Marvel Studios has even more in store than one might expect.
After the Sacred Timeline-shattering finale of Loki, many wondered whether the God of Mischief would also be venturing into universes unknown. It seems that Tom Hiddleston might not be the only Loki appearing, as rumors suggest that Sophia Di Martino’s Sylvie may also be in the cards.
The Doctor Strange sequel may even seek to incorporate the animated side of the MCU, with What If…?’s Captain Carter rumored to lend her shield for the multiversal adventure. With rumblings of Fox’s catalog of Marvel characters suggesting that heroes like Wolverine or Professor X could be MCU contenders, the sky appears to be the limit in terms of who could join the Sorcerer Supreme on his travels.
Now, another army of past Marvel villains will find themselves back in the MCU spotlight.
Ultron Sentries to Return in Multiverse of Madness
After making their MCU debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ultron Sentries will return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The robots' rumored role in the sequel is unconfirmed by Disney and Marvel.
According to The Direct's sources, the Sub-Ultrons will come from a different universe that Stephen Strange visits during his multiverse adventure.
Doctor Strange’s Age of Ultron
Aside from mentions in projects like Thor: Ragnarok and WandaVision and a brief head cameo in Spider-Man: Homecoming, the Sub-Ultrons have been absent from the MCU’s live-action division ever since their debut in the second Avengers film.
The sentries did, however, make a recent reappearance in animated form through What If…?, when Infinity Ultron used the might of the Infinity Stones to expand his robotic army to an obscene degree.
Now, Ultron’s mechanical henchman will finally be brought back into a live-action project, ready to cause havoc for the Sorcerer Supreme. Doctor Strange has had experience fending off hordes of faceless beings, but he has yet to go toe-to-toe with Ultron’s own sentries. Since Benedict Cumberbatch’s hero likely only heard about the mechanical menace’s abilities through the grapevine and independent research, it will be interesting to see how Strange deals with this threat.
If Marvel Studios is willing to make use of long-dormant characters for Multiverse of Madness, it leads one to wonder what other past heroes and villains could potentially be on director Sam Raimi’s checklist. Even a character like Malekith might…actually, maybe that one’s still a bit far-fetched.
That said, Marvel still has the opportunity to delve into its archives to create Variants of long-forgotten characters like Laufey, Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader, or Helen Cho.
Fans will be able to see just what devilish deeds the Ultron bots get up to when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premieres in theaters on March 25, 2022.
