Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead For Multiverse Of Madness!
Marvel Cinematic Universe wide open, changing Hollywood's biggest franchise forever. In the film, various universes are explored, all in the pursuit of saving one--though such salvation comes at a heavy cost.
The latest installment of the MCU has perhaps proven to be one of the most surprising entries yet, redefining the franchise's future. As fans leave the theater after seeing this piece of event cinema, there are several shocking scenes that are likely to remain burned in their minds for many months to come.
Defender Strange Betrays America Chavez
The opening scene of Multiverse of Madness depicts America Chavez and an alternate-reality version of Stephen Strange, known as "Defender Strange" attempting to escape an interdimensional demon. However, Defender Strange betrays Chavez, attempting to steal her power, knowing that she can't control it.
Despite his early death, Defender Strange had been a major part of the film's marketing. Therefore, beginning the movie not only with his death but also with his sudden lapse in conscientiousness immediately tells viewers to forget everything they expected out of this movie, as it will ultimately by most fans' expectations.
Wanda Tries To Kill America Chavez
Multiverse of Madness introduced the beloved Marvel comic book character America Chavez to live-action for the first time, immediately putting her in harm's way. It becomes clear early in the film that Wanda Maximoff intends to steal America's power for herself, killing the young superhero in the process.
This moment marks the first time that Wanda is portrayed as an all-out villain, as she actively seeks to bring about the death of a teenage girl in order to serve her own purposes. This is quite a shock to many viewers who had grown to love Wanda over her many years in the MCU, only for her to betray her morals and become the baddie.
Wanda Lays Waste To Kamar-Taj
Shortly after Wong and Strange refuse to hand America Chavez over to Wanda Maximoff, a battle ensues between the Scarlet Witch and the forces of Kamar-Taj. Despite the incredible might of the combined sanctum, the Scarlet Witch easily overcomes the sorcerers, laying waste to their sacred temple.
This sequence puts on display the true might of the Scarlet Witch who, despite being grossly outnumbered, managed to annihilate her enemies without so much as breaking a sweat. Wanda's raid on Kamar-Taj also establishes just how powerful an antagonist she will make for the film's finale, creating a sense of unease for viewers that might have hoped for a happy ending.
The Return Of Black Bolt
A surprise member of the Illuminati that Doctor Strange encounters is none other than the strongest Inhuman of all, Black Bolt himself. Played by Anson Mount, returning from ABC's failed series The Inhumans, Black Bolt is depicted with his iconic costume, including the signature tuning fork on his head.
Anson Mount's return is particularly surprising given just how maligned The Inhumans was. Many had assumed that Marvel Studios would want to distance itself from anything having to do with the botched series, making it all the more shocking when the franchise instead opted to embrace one of its worst failures.
John Krasinski Revealed As Mister Fantastic
Perhaps the most fan-pleasing moment of Multiverse of Madness is the revelation of John Krasinski as Reed Richards, AKA Mister Fantastic. Krasinski's character is presented as a member of the Illuminati, as he often is in the comics, sporting a new comic-accurate take on the superhero's signature suit.
This revelation was the culmination of years of fan expectations, garnering similar reactions to Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's arrivals in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While the Reed Richards featured in this film does not belong to Earth-616, many assume that Krasinski will portray the MCU's main version of the character. With this casting locked, many viewers have moved on to fan-cast his wife, the Invisible Woman.
Wanda Murders The Illuminati
The Illuminati was the subject of plenty of fan speculation prior to Multiverse of Madness's release, making it doubly surprising to fans when its were so easily dispatched by Wanda once she arrived at the Baxter Compound. One by one, Wanda murders each of these superheroes gruesomely while trying to reach America Chavez.
The massacre of the Illuminati is surprisingly bloody, especially when Marvel's rather kid-friendly track record is taken into . This scene easily ranks among one of the MCU's most violent scenes ever, which proves especially heartbreaking considering the wish-fulfillment each member of the Illuminati provided with their revelation only moments before.
The Music Fight
When Doctor Strange is confronted by a sinister variant of himself that has been corrupted by the Darkhold, an incredibly creative battle ensues between them, wherein the two use music notes as weapons against one another.
Whereas the battle in the Illuminati chamber is one of the MCU's more gruesome scenes, the musical duel is one of the franchise's most creative. Each moment in this sequence is expertly choreographed and synched with Danny Elfman's score, creating a beautiful mesh of action and music that fans won't soon forget.
Strange Possesses His Variant
After America Chavez is captured by Wanda Maximoff, stranding Dr. Strange in another universe, the Master of the Mystic Arts is forced to resort to unsavory means to continue his battle against the Scarlet Witch. Using the Darkhold, Strange possesses the deceased body of Defender Strange, and puppets this variant in the film's final battle.
Theories regarding the zombified Doctor Strange seen in the Multiverse of Madness trailers failed to accurately predict what this sequence had in store. Inspired by director Sam Raimi's horror roots, this undead puppet proved to be a grotesquely memorable aspect of the film's explosive finale.
Wanda Makes Things Right
In the film's climax, Wanda has captured America Chavez and plans to drain her of her powers and use them to return to her children in an alternate timeline. However, America gives her what she wanted, only for Wanda to realize the horrific nature of her own actions. Overcome with guilt, Wanda brings her machinations to an end, destroying the temple of Chthon and possibly dying in the destruction.
Many may have predicted that Wanda would return to the light by the end of the film, but few expected the character to apparently die in the fallout. While superheroes rarely stay dead for long, and no body was seen to prove Wanda ever truly died at all, the mere notion that one of the most powerful of the Avengers might truly be gone is enough to keep fans anxiously theorizing until the Scarlet Witch's next appearance.
Clea Arrives
Multiverse of Madness's first post-credit scene featured the surprise debut of Charlize Theron as the sorceress Clea from another dimension. She confronts Dr. Strange about creating a multiversal incursion before recruiting him to help stop such an event from occurring.
Clea's introduction and subsequent recruitment of Strange for yet another multiversal excursion implies that Marvel is not yet done with its multiverse storyline--and that there may yet be bigger threats on the horizon. The mere mention of a potential incursion suggests possible storylines for the MCU's future, including a war with Kang the Conqueror, or maybe even a Secret Wars crossover event. In either case, the groundwork is being laid for the next saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
