The One Change That Can Fix 'Multiverse of Madness'
As someone who is no stranger to comic books and comic book media, I am always excited when a comic book film makes its way onto the silver screen. I love seeing these adaptions of famous stories and compelling characters come to life in front of my eyes. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has done an incredible job bringing these stories to the forefront of popular culture, delighting those dedicated to the medium and those just looking for a good movie.
Recently the MCU dropped its 28th feature film, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, and unlike many of its predecessors, the film has divided audiences. A lot of digital ink has been spilled, trying to convey what people liked and didn't like about the film, but I think a simple change could have ultimately pleased both parties, and it isn't as big of an alteration as one might think.
Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness is the 28th film in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe!
First, I'd like to discuss what I enjoyed about Multiverse of Madness. I love Sam Raimi's eye for direction, particularly in the horror genre. We have evolved past the cookie-cutter formula of the generic comic book movie, complete with tired tropes and uninspired dialogue, and that freedom allowed Raimi to leave his unique mark on this film. I thought Danny Elfman was a welcome addition, composing his first Marvel film since the first Spider-Man trilogy just like Raimi. Benedict Cumberbatch was a delight and seemed to enjoy embodying the more sinister versions of his beloved Doctor Strange character.
The Master of the Mystic Arts has evolved over the years through countless battles against evil, and we see the consequences of that responsibility here. Benedict Wong is used well here, although I think his comedic timing is still massively underrated. Newcomer Xochitl Gomez shines as America Chavez, the latest youngster to join the MCU ranks as it evolves from the core Avengers team established ten years ago. Rachel McAdams is a delight, and it's always great to see a Bruce Campbell cameo.
This Witch ain’t playin’ around.
The star of the show is undoubtedly Elizabeth Olsen. While we knew we would be seeing Wanda Maximoff return and be featured in the Strange sequel, her role in the film was kept a secret. The Scarlet Witch is a sight to behold, and the movie itself dares to turn a sympathetic hero into a callous villain. Maximoff's pain is something we are well aware of, as we were shown just how hard of a life Wanda had in her series WandaVision.
Her entire existence is full of trauma, loss, and chaos. Fortunately, this film pulled no punches when trying to show how someone strays from the path of righteousness into the path of selfishness given the option. In her mind, not only had she lost everyone she loved but now the people who call themselves her friends are standing in the way of her getting any of it back. I relate to Wanda and in some instances, rooted for her to release her scorn across the multiverse. Even so, after the film ended, I found myself feeling a bit incomplete. I enjoyed the ride, but something felt off.
Marvel’s Multiverse as shown in the comics.
When I returned home, it seemed as if the internet was divided about how to feel about this movie. While most filmgoers liked the newest entry into the MCU, others also felt something was missing. Some blamed the lack of high-profile cameos as to what they felt was missing, while others chimed in that perhaps the viewers’ expectations got in the way of their enjoyment. As the dust settled after the events of Multiverse of Madness, I found myself questioning just how much of the Multiverse we actually saw.
As I pondered that thought, I began to worry if I had become the type of fan who is impossible to please. I went out of my way to rewatch the film, this time choosing to focus solely on the conflict between Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch and my second viewing was much more enjoyable. It felt like a complete film. Was I wrong all along? Of course not, dear reader!
After much introspection, I realized that one small change could not only change people's expectations of the film but in turn give one of its stars top billing, all while keeping the film's biggest secrets under wraps.
Needs a bit more Multiverse, don't ya think?
The truth is, I think the title “Multiverse of Madness” is a bit misleading. While the adventures of Doctor Strange, The Scarlet Witch, and America Chavez give us a glimpse of Marvel’s multiverse, the film fails at exploring the incredibly interesting implications of doing so. For the entirety of the film's runtime, we only spend considerable time in 3 Universes, which feels like a bit of a letdown. If this was the first piece of media in the last few decades to attempt to depict different universes and other versions of familiar heroes, Multiverse of Madness would get a pass. Unfortunately, TV shows like Rick and Morty and films like Everything Everywhere All At Once, do an expert job at showing how a single change in one universe could have massive implications on everything else.
We, as an audience, are no longer strangers to the concepts of String Theory and divergent timelines. The "Arrowverse" tackled the subject in its “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, and Into The Spider-Verse was able to simplify the concept for the youngest of Marvel fans. This Doctor Strange film advertises a MULTIVERSE of Madness, doesn’t it? So why are fans upset with other fans who wanted to see Marvel’s multiverse explored more thoroughly? It is in the title, after all! Seeing as the film is about the downward spiral of Wanda Maximoff, why not center the promotional material around that?
For some reason, most of what was shown in trailers leading up to the movie's release did its best to keep Wanda’s villainous turn a secret. The thing is, those who have watched "WandaVision" already saw the hero on a dangerous trajectory. We knew she was willing to break bad to save her children, and the film reveals this secret less than 20 minutes in. What I am suggesting is, instead of banking on the reveal that Wanda, now the Scarlet Witch, is the antagonist of the film, Marvel should have put that revelation front and center.
Advertise the movie as a Doctor Strange VS The Scarlet Witch matchup of the ages and hide the fact that their conflict will cause our heroes to traverse Marvel’s Multiverse. Call it Doctor Strange: The Wrath of The Scarlet Witch, and center all your promotional material around Wanda’s fall from grace and Strange’s reluctance to put a fellow hero down. Not only does this put Elizabeth Olsen on the marquee alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, but it also tempers expectations because the only thing Marvel Studios is promising with that title is a fight.
Put my girl on the marquee!
Think about how much that would have changed the publicity of the film. You could have people “Pick a Side” just like the promotional campaign for Captain America: Civil War. You could implore those who never gave WandaVision a chance to try the series out simply by mentioning that the show’s events caused Wanda’s downward spiral. You could have everyone salivating over what The Scarlet Witch was truly capable of instead of trying to speculate what universes we might visit in the vast Multiverse.
Imagine showing promo videos depicting feats of magical strength between Dr. Strange and Wanda throughout their time in the MCU. All of this would create an atmosphere where the fans will be so distracted by the incoming conflict that they would not have time to predict that this film will not just take place on Earth 616.
Once THAT reveal is dropped on the unsuspecting moviegoer, people would have lost their minds. Without mentioning Multiverse in the title, fans wouldn’t have been given months to speculate who was going to make a cameo appearance. Suddenly every cameo is a blockbuster surprise, instead of something the fans predicted months in advance. We have already seen that it is not wise to give MCU fans time to speculate, as the most seasoned Marvel fans can craft theories you WISH were true. Instead of promising something both the budget and shooting schedules would have made impossible, you could have put Scarlet Witch on the map by simply changing the title.
Now I know this doesn’t fix other people’s issues with the film. While not perfect, I did enjoy the Doctor Strange sequel for what it was worth. My expectations were high but as I stated before, they were set by the film’s title, and that one change could have eased expectations while getting us hype for an Avenger-on-Avenger fight for the ages. Odds are the Multiverse concept is here to stay as the film itself teases a potential Secret Wars adaption might be coming soon. With that being said, we could have used this film as a jumping-off point instead of suggesting it would be anything more than that. Lastly, just make sure if you didn’t dig the film, that you aren't ruining it for those who did. That, you see, would truly be madness.
Thanks for reading! Never forget that you….(yes you)…are WORTHY!