Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to be a sequel that reaches far beyond Benedict Cumberbatch's franchise. Marvel Studios' May release will also address the plot of Elizabeth Olsen's WandaVision, and rumblings of Loki ties have been active since the God of Mischief broke the Sacred Timeline last summer. The presence of Benedict Wong's Wong also links his 2021 Marvel appearances, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: No Way Home, to Doctor Strange 2.
Out of all the Phase 4 projects fans have seen so far, the only one without a clear path moving forward is Chloe Zhao's Eternals.
The immortal ensemble was a game changer, but its placement in the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe remains unknown. With half the roster killed off and the active members splitting up, the futures of Sersi and company are still in question. Some have been brought before Arishem for judgement, while others are venturing in one direction through the cosmos.
The future of the Eternals franchise is not set in stone, but Marvel might be bringing the group's iconography into the greater cinematic universe sooner than later.
Doctor Strange 2 Includes Eternals Imagery
They were instructed not to interfere, but they did help shape the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The latest Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness TV spot featured Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch lecturing Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange to "try not to break the Multiverse."
Wanda utters these words inside a cauldron-lit castle, where Twitter user @GodEmperorBoss noticed a familiar pattern included on the background stone wall.
These circular patterns mirror those seen prevalently throughout Eternals, most notably in Olympia.
The same pattern can be seen on Ikaris' attire.
That design carries over to the Eternals' ship, the Domo, but comes more abstractly.
Eternal Influence on the Multiverse?
Nothing is off the table for Doctor Strange 2.
Since the film was announced at San Diego Comic Con in July 2019, feverish speculation has linked everybody from Patrick Stewart's Professor X to Tom Cruise's Iron Man Variant to the project. Bringing in the Eternals is a stretch, but with literally limitless possibilities, there's room somewhere for a member of the immortal ensemble.
That said, the likelier option is this circular pattern simply being a wink towards audiences. Considering the Eternals' story spans centuries and the group had their fingerprints all over numerous ancient civilizations, their style stamped on an old castle's structure lines up. The same way hieroglyphics indicate the presence of Egypt, these circular patterns could be Marvel Studios' way of leaving Eternal breadcrumbs in bygone locations.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6.
MCU Writer, Editor, Podcaster
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