The next film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, is set to come out on May 6th, 2022. It is a sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange, bringing the focus back to the character after ensemble appearances in Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame, What If…?, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Set to include the Scarlet Witch, tie back into the Disney+ TV series, continue Phase 4’s focus on the Multiverse, and star Patrick Stewart of previous X-Men movies, there are high expectations for Multiverse Of Madness. By the same token, however, there are some things that fans worry may bring it down and do not want to see.
7 Mordo’s Storyline Turning Out Underwhelming
Baron Mordo is an enemy of Doctor Strange from the comic books, so many were surprised to see him as a firm ally of the character in Doctor Strange. In the credits scene of Doctor Strange, however, Mordo turns his back on the Masters of the Mystic Arts, taking the magic from Pangborn and announcing himself as a villain.
Since then, a great deal has happened in the MCU and to Stephen Strange without even a mention of Mordo. The character is set to return in Multiverse Of Madness and many fans are hoping for a promise almost six years in the making to be realized, rather than Mordo be made insignificant with everything else happening in the film.
6 Another X-Men Misfire
Of everything that happened in WandaVision, the thing that generated the most discussion was the casting of Evan Peters as Pietro Maximoff, returning from the entirely separate X-Men franchise. However, many were disappointed when it was revealed that he was a random character enchanted to think he was Pietro.
The brief inclusion of Patrick Stewart in marketing materials has caused a similar amount of hype, especially with how beloved Stewart’s performance as Professor Charles Xavier is. As such, fans are hoping to see a true bridging of the franchises, rather than another bait-and-switch.
5 Wanda Maximoff Being Demonized
In another tie to WandaVision, the Scarlet Witch is set to be a major character in the film when Strange comes to her for help. As with many of the works focusing on the character, Multiverse Of Madness looks set to explore themes of responsibility and guilt.
WandaVision ended on a nuanced note with Wanda not being forgiven by the people of Westview and Monica Rambeau sympathizing with her. So, many fans are hoping for similar nuance to be seen in this film, rather than simply demonizing the character. Given some of Wanda’s lines in the trailer, however, it seems likely that she will get sympathetic exploration.
4 Not Enough Wong Screentime
After being an important supporting character in Doctor Strange, Wong has become one of the more frequently-recurring characters in the franchise. Since Doctor Strange, he’s made additional appearances in Infinity War, Endgame, What If…?, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, each time to positive fan response.
Multiverse Of Madness looks fit to be a very full film, with a huge amount going on in the trailers alone. As such, fans hope that Wong won’t be forgotten amidst the chaos of it all – especially with his relatively limited time so far in promotional material.
3 Wasting America Chavez In Her Introduction
Following the introductions of Billy and Tommy Maximoff in WandaVision and Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, the next prominent Young Avengers character to be introduced to the MCU is America Chavez. The character is well-liked in the comic books for her LGBTQ+ and Hispanic representation, as well as her chemistry with her teammates and unusual powerset.
Chavez has a reasonable amount of screentime in promotional materials so far and seems like she will play a reasonable role in Multiverse Of Madness. However, between Strange, Maximoff, Mordo, the possibility of Charles Xavier, and more, some are worried that Chavez will be overshadowed and that her debut will turn out underwhelming.
2 The Multiverse Of Madness Dedicating All Of Its Time To Set-Up
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the most interconnected and continuity-heavy film franchise ever released, with each entry tying into numerous others in a complex web. Each film and TV series sets up other projects while paying off the set-up from the projects leading up to it.
However, each film has to tell its own complete story as well as contribute to future projects in the MCU. Some films, such as Avengers: Age Of Ultron, faced criticism for becoming bogged down in set-up and neglecting their own plots. With so many things looking set to appear in Multiverse Of Madness, fans want the film to still focus on telling a coherent and entertaining story.
1 Strange Being Overshadowed In His Own Movie
Stephen Strange went from having one of the best-liked origin stories in the MCU to becoming a major player within a handful of years. He even became the closest to a replacement for Tony Stark the franchise has after the Infinity Saga. He’s become popular with fans and integral to several storylines.
As such, his sequel has a certain level of hype as fans get to see more of Strange. Between the inclusion of several other hotly-anticipated characters, alternate versions from other timelines, and the potential to vastly increase the scope of the MCU with Charles Xavier, it would disappoint many fans if Strange ended up having to fight for space in his own film.
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