The next film up on Marvel Studios’ slate is none other than Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The movie will be the Doctor’s first solo outing since his 2016 tale. This time, however, he’s joined by Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and newcomer Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez. Not only that, but Benedict Cumberbatch’s hero has to once again save all of reality.
The film’s second trailer was released during this year's Super Bowl, and it looks like it’s going to be one insane ride. That now-iconic Multiverse scene with the Ancient One in Doctor Strange is going to seem like a cakewalk after what Multiverse of Madness has in store for the sorcerer.
For one, Patrick Stewart can be heard off-screen, new Ultron Bots have taken Strange into custody, and Captain Carter’s broken shield can be seen on the movie’s theatrical poster.
The other big aspect of the trailer is Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, who seems to be losing it in the new footage. In fact, she looks downright terrifying at moments.
As scary as her turn to evil may seem, it was another relatively innocent moment that drew attention: apparently, she and Vision had talked about the Multiverse.
Wanda, Vision, & the Multiverse
In the new trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff was seen talking with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange when he asks her, "Wanda, what do you know about the Multiverse?"
Wanda responded that “Vis had his theories” and how “he believed it was dangerous,” something Strange shortly confirmed thereafter: "He was right."
But when would Wanda have talked to Vision about the Multiverse? Her experience with the concept is thin already. Most of her education surrounding it seemingly would have occurred between WandaVision and Multiverse of Madness, a gap of time where everyone’s favorite android was dead.
Then again, Wanda’s show revealed a moment before her introduction in Avengers: Age of Ultron, where she witnessed a vision of her future self—a glimpse through the Multiverse.
This experience would have been with Wanda as she and Vision were together. With an Infinity Stone in his head, maybe it was something the two tried to look into, however brief. Clearly, it couldn’t have gone too in-depth, seeing as Wanda would have been in a different place when going up against Agatha Harkness.
There’s another possibility, however: Scarlet Witch is lying.
The Scarlet Witch Sees Red
The apple orchard scene was first seen in the film’s initial teaser after Spider-Man: No Way Home. The exchange between the two seemed innocent enough, potentially being her introduction in the movie.
However, this new theatrical trailer gave audiences glimpses of that same scene, but in a different light (literally).
Looking closely, Strange can be seen in that same wardrobe, with those tree branches around him at a later timestamp. This time, however, everything is much redder and foreboding, and with Wanda all costumed up herself, she issued quite the dark accusation:
“You break the rules and become a hero. I do it, and I become the enemy. That doesn’t seem fair.”
What if Strange was visiting Wanda out of suspicion? Could Wanda have lied about her previous interactions with Vision to try and cover up her tracks with a believable and personal lie? Obviously, events take a turn for the worse in this scene, and she looks more than guilty of something—whatever that might be.
The Vision of the Multiverse
This conversation and scene could go either way, with both being realistic interpretations of what may happen.
If it’s a lie, it’s hard to think Vision, if the original were still around, would be happy with his partner trying to entangle him in her web of deceit. Her lying would also all but solidify her as a primary antagonist in the piece, which doesn’t seem all that out there given the trailer.
Now, if it’s all a genuine conversation and her reference to Vision is legitimate, it begs the question: why didn’t the Multiverse come up sooner? It’s a pretty big deal that would be odd to hide for long.
Maybe these conversations only started happening when the two were hiding away in Edinburgh, and there was never any time to bring it up with the Avengers being splintered and Corvus Glaive’s spear impalement right around the corner.
So many questions, all of which fans will have to wait to be answered until May 6, 2022 when Multiverse of Madness is released.
