Like the last MCU film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has already gotten tons upon tons of speculation regarding who is going to be in the film, who is going to be the major antagonist, and what the future in the MCU holds after this likely conclusion to the multiverse era.
What sets Doctor Strange’s upcoming sequel apart from big films that tackled the multiverse is the fact that the almighty leader of magic and sorcerer supreme (?) is getting his own film. The main person in charge of maintaining the multiverse is going to combat the outcomes and results of his previous actions. Strange must learn to cope with his mistakes and how to manage the cooperative efforts of other heroes that shall be introduced like American Chavez, for example.
Throughout the many trailers and television spots that have been shown in the previous couple of months, fans have formulated numerous fan-theories which could possibly be true.
FAN THEORY 1: Tobey Maguire and Hugh Jackman Will Team-Up
The return of Tobey Maguire was, to very little, a fantastic surprise and treat in Tom Holland’s latest Spider-Man film in the MCU in addition to Andrew Garfield’s ‘amazing’ appearance as well. And while some still believe the notion that Tobey is done after No Way Home’s staggering success, there are most who believe that he will return to the big screen…and sooner than expected.
In interviews following Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tobey Maguire clearly stated that he would be willing to do anything and that he is down for anything that might come up. This movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange is a perfect opportunity to reunite with Sam Raimi, who is also making his return to the Marvel Cinematic big-screen. Tobey could not only reunite with Sam, but the man who composed his music for the original Spider-Man trilogy, Danny Elfman.
Unlike Tobey Maguire, Hugh Jackman hasn’t appeared on the big screen in 5 years. And, to most, it seemed like Logan would have to have been his conclusion as the famous Weapon X. But, with the recent trailer teasing Patrick Stewert coming back as Professor X, anything seems to be possible.
A Tobey Maguire and Hugh Jackman duo would not only smash the box office through the roofs, but it would make sense. Initially, when the first Spider-Man trilogy released starring Tobey as Peter Parker, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Tobey’s spidey were supposed to eventually team up. Furthermore, Wolverine was supposed to make a cameo in the first Spider-Man film, but complications prevented this with the studios. All of this can be put aside now, finally, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe becoming so successful.
FAN THEORY 2: SCARLET WITCH GOES TOE-TO-TOE WITH SUPREME STRANGE
As everybody who has already seen the many trailers that have been released, it is quite evident that Wanda has blood on her hands. Why this may be the case is unknown, but it is pretty clear that it has to do with the return of Tommy and Billy either mentally or physically in Wanda’s life.
And with Strange’s sequel having parallels to Supreme Strange’s What-If episode, it is without a doubt reasonable to believe that Supreme Strange will have some sort of complications with our Wanda Maximoff. This battle will definitely be gruesome, whichever Strange variant she possibly stands toe-to-toe against, but it will be significantly worse if Supreme Strange is her opponent. Given the fact that MCU Strange has previous relationships with Wanda and his motives are more pure than that of a Supreme Strange who is coming off of a tragedy.
FAN THEORY 3: NAMOR, BLADE, AND BLACK PANTHER VARIANT POSSIBLE JURY MEMBERS IN THE ILLUMINATI
In the clip that comes directly after Strange is in handcuffs and under the control of what seems to be Iron Legion robotics from the trailer, there seems to be some sort of jury-like presence under the leadership of Professor X. Now, each of the members of this jury were blacked out so nobody could see who they are just yet, but there is quite some speculation surfacing that these members could include a Blade, Black Panther, and even Namor variant.
Knowing that we are going to get another Blade movie in the future starring Mahershala Ali, which is likely beginning production in the summer, it will be interesting to see which Blade this might be. Could they introduce Ali this way? Unlikely. Why? Wesley Snipes, much like the previous actors who had their fame in the early 2000s and very-late 1900s, deserves a proper conclusion for his character. And given the fact that this movie will be another nostalgic hit, it only makes sense for Snipes to appear in this film.
As far as Namor and Black Panther goes, a lot is unknown. We shouldn’t even mention how Wakanda Forever is going to unfold with everything that has happened, but what is evident is the fact that a Black Panther variant could happen in this film. Perhaps a stronger version of T’Challa. With Namor, this film could without a doubt lead into Wakanda Forever given that a proper plot-line would be Namor the Sub-Mariner going head-to-head with Wakandan forces. Now, what doesn’t line up is the fact that these two variants would be on the same MCU-version of the illuminati team, but this all could pan out someway or another. We could possibly see this Black Panther variant get killed by the Scarlet Witch or Supreme Strange, and then Namor somehow survives, or they could just introduce an entirely different Namor in the upcoming Black Panther sequel.
A lot is unknown and majorly speculating, but what is known as of today is the fact that the hype is real for the uncertainty of this film’s occurrence. And even though these fan theories may seem extreme, we have all said the same for No Way Home…and look how that played out! On May 6th of 2022, the world will soon find out where the MCU will go beyond the multiversal ground!