Marvel Characters Doctor Strange 2’s Multiverse Can Bring Back

With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness set to officially explore alternate realities, the sequel can bring back some of the characters who are either dead or no longer existing in the main MCU timeline. Benedict Cumberbatch will return for his second solo outing as the titular sorcerer after his stints in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame., but he won’t be the only Avenger in the new film.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was officially announced in summer 2019 and was scheduled to release in May 2021. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the film has been delayed to November 2021, thus making it a full five years from when the first movie hit theaters. And while Scott Derrickson was initially returning to direct, he has since exited the project and has been replaced by Sam Raimi, who’s now helming his first superhero movie since 2007’s Spider-Man 3.

While there aren’t many story details to go on, it’s been confirmed that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness connects to two upcoming Disney+ series – WandaVision and Loki. Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch will also appear in the sequel, although there’s no word yet on if Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief will also return. Furthermore, it’s unclear if Cumberbatch will star in either TV show to establish those connections. Nevertheless, considering the title of the movie itself, it’s safe to assume that the narrative will explore the multiverse in ways that have never been seen before. This gives Marvel Studios the opportunity to bring some characters who don’t exist in the primary MCU timeline back into the franchise.

Iron Man

Stephen Strange and Tony Stark didn’t personally know each other very long despite both living in New York. The pair were brought together by the imminent threat Thanos posed in Infinity War and they fought alongside several other heroes on Thanos’ homeworld, Titan. Strange knew Tony’s tragic fate five years prior to Endgame, having peered into the future that offered over 14 million potential scenarios. Marvel Studios can explore some of those other possibilities, perhaps even pushing forward with the scrapped idea of Strange wearing an Iron Man suit. This was apparently something that was filmed on the set of Infinity War. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness can repurpose the said footage in ways that will fit the sequel’s narrative. Otherwise, the sorcerer can simply travel through a myriad of alternate realities as part of his upcoming solo mission and encounter a different version of Tony Stark.

Captain America

While Captain America no longer exists in the current MCU timeline, the Super Soldier is still alive. Unlike Tony who’s definitively dead in the main reality, Steve Rogers decided to retire as a superhero, officially passing the shield to Sam Wilson. Depending on who you ask, the Steve Rogers could’ve simply went back in time to live with Peggy Carter or created a branched timeline. Assuming that it’s the latter, Strange’s quest can, in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, lead him to that alternate timeline where a younger Steve is married to Peggy. This could also effectively explain the existing questions over the confusing fate of Captain America. If Marvel Studios isn’t quite ready to address that yet, the sorcerer could simply interact with an entirely different version of Steve from another universe. Regardless, since they didn’t get to know each other too well, seeing Doctor Strange and Captain America interact on the big screen for the first time would be fun for fans.

Quicksilver

With Wanda Maximoff confirmed to make an appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel Studios might attempt to bring back her brother, Pietro. Debuting in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Quicksilver was only in the franchise for one film. Over the years, rumors of him returning have been persistent but nothing has obviously come out of them. Not only does Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness offer a relatively easy way to revive Quicksilver by potentially plucking a surviving version from a different timeline, it can also justify it with her sister involved in the story. What’s unique about Quicksilver’s situation is, Marvel can reintroduce him in the sequel and keep him as a key player in the MCU moving forward. Considering the impending introduction of the X-Men in the franchise, this makes a lot more sense.

Vision

Aside from Scarlet Witch’s appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the film will also have connections Disney+’s WandaVision, which will feature the android. There’s no official word if Cumberbatch will reprise his role in WandaVision, but theories suggest that the sorcerer will have a hand in bringing Wanda and Vision’s twin kids from the comics, Billy and Tommy Maximoff, to the MCU. For context, Vision wasn’t among those who were resurrected in Endgame, so how he returns is still a big question. Timeline-wise, WandaVision will release before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which means that fans will see Vision prior to his potential appearance in the movie. That being said, Strange’s potential involvement in the TV series can cause a string of events that will factor into his movie; one of those could be regarding Vision’s supposed resurrection.

Thanos

As the last person to use the Time Stone (except for the two snaps in Endgame), Doctor Strange in the Multiverses of Madness can also factor Thanos. The Mad Titan destroyed the Infinity Stones at the beginning of Endgame, possibly kickstarting the Multiverse of Madness since the stones are integral in safeguarding reality. This is the reason why Strange was adamant about not handing the Time Stone in Infinity War before he learned that giving it up was the only way to win against the villain. However, with Captain America returning the stones they got from the Time Heist to their respective times and places, that leaves Strange without his main weapon. Strange could travel through the multiverse where he could encounter Thanos in the hopes of getting a hold of the Time Stone again so he could properly protect the reality he is responsible for.

Ancient One

Doctor Strange’s mentor passed away during the events of the original film, but she appeared in Endgame during the Avengers’ Time Heist mission during the Battle of New York. As the title of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness implies, the multiverse is expected to be an integral part of the story, and no one in the MCU has better explained it thus far than the Ancient One. Given this, it makes sense for her to be in the sequel in varying ways, but more likely to provide guidance for Doctor Strange as he embarks on this new endeavor. Like the other heroes, Strange can meet a different version of the character as he ventures in alternate timelines in the film.

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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness taking Marvel Studios’ prime 2021 slot could be an indication of how important it will be moving forward to the MCU. Like how the first film was the franchise’s gateway to the mystic world, the sequel will officially open the door to alternate universes and timelines – some of which may have been created during the events of Endgame. Given this, it also make sense of they put in as many cameos in the movie as possible to draw a bigger crowds.

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