“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” opens in cinemas across the country from May 5, 2022 at 7pm | Picture: Supplied
Thus far, most Marvel events have been considered wholesome family fun but the latest event in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is certainly not one for the kids. Directed by Sam Raimi and executive produced by Kevin Feige, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is the darkest entry in the more than 20 films produced by Marvel Studios to date.
Simply put, there will be blood, guts and gore as Elizabeth Olsen reprises her role as Wanda Maximoff and serves as this film’s villain as she goes on a quest to be reunited with her children.
Now, if you haven’t yet seen Marvel’s Wandavision television series (due to the fact that Disney+ is not yet available in South Africa), you may be wondering about when and how Wanda had children.
It is worth making a note to watch the Wandavision television series for context when Disney+ launches in South Africa on 18 May.
Other shows worth watching to better contextualise everything going on in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness include the Loki series as well as What If?…
These TV series coupled with 2021’s Spiderman: No Way Home help put the latest Doctor Strange movie into perspective.
Despite this, however, even the most clued up Marvel fan may find themselves with more questions than answers after watching ‘Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness’.
In addition to countless easter eggs placed throughout the film, fans can look forward to a range of moments and cameos that serve as a payoff for the things teased in the lead up to the movie.
Because the movie tackles the subject matter of the multiverse and deviates sightly from the various comics and graphic novels that it borrowed its storylines from, as a viewer, you never know what’s coming next.
While this is considered a good thing for most movie-goers, it has left others frustrated as they have been left feeling as though certain things in the film were not fleshed out as well as they could have been.
With at least a decade of Marvel movies and TV shows ahead of us, fans better gear up for more of the same.
Without giving away too much about the film, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is a great addition to the multiversal direction in which the MCU seems to be going for the foreseeable future.
It also serves as an exciting, albeit brief, bridge for the introduction of more comic-accurate characters and characters from related stories like the Fantastic Four and X-Men.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness contains many a call back to a number of Raimi’s past projects and contains some of the most graphic deaths depicted in Marvel films thus far.
Although it carries a 13 LV rating in South Africa, I’d recommend not letting anyone below the age of fifteen see it.