Now that WandaVision is ended, all fans have left are memories of the show, and the ache of so many hopes dashed regarding the way they thought the series was going to go. One big hope dashed was the appearance of Benedict Cumberbatch in the role of Doctor Strange at the end of WandaVision, preparing to right the wrongs wrought by Wanda Maxmioff on the town of Westview. In an interview with The Courier, Cumberbatch was quite apologetic about his non-appearance.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you. That would have been fun I guess; it would have led into Lizzie’s involvement with [Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness], but ah hell, that’s all to come. We’re in the middle of it now; we’ve been filming since before Christmas and it’s very exciting.”
It says much for Cumberbatch’s popularity as Doctor Strange that despite being one of the newest entries into the MCU, the character has already become a fan-favorite who is seen as the “Fixer Upper” of the franchise, ready to jump in at a moment’s notice to deal with the threat of Dormammu, Thanos, and now even Wanda.
Of course, like Benedict Cumberbatch points out, there will be plenty of time for Strange to take Wanda to task for her actions in Westview when the two come together for the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda will play a supporting role in the movie, which will see the Master of the Mystic Arts traversing across alternate realities.
In the Multiverse of Madness is particularly notable for the entry of filmmaker Sam Raimi as director. Raimi is considered Marvel royalty for his Spider-Man movies starring Tobey Maguire, and fans have big hopes that the filmmaker’s horror sensibilities, which led to the Evil Dead franchise, will prove a perfect match for the topsy-turvy, occasionally disturbing world of the Sorcerer Supreme, a sentiment that Cumberbatch heartily agreed with in a previous interview.
“Sam, amazing. He’s so collaborative. God, he comes with the baggage of an icon. He’s an incredible force, especially in this genre. But he’s so humble, he’s so nice, he’s so appreciative, you really wanna serve him. And boy, when he’s happy, you know you’ve done something right. He’s so good at getting you there and getting it there. It’s been a very, very collaborative process, this one. Our origin stories, I guess, and obviously the beasts that were the Avengers films to be a part of were a thrill, but you’re kind of just along for the ride. You do the best with what you’ve already got given to do. The second time around, there’s a bit more of, ‘So, what do you want to do, and how do we go about solving this?’ So it feels very creative. Scarily so, sometimes.”
Directed by Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Xochitl Gomez. The film arrives in theaters on March 25, 2022.