Who Is Doctor Strange 2’s Minotaur? Marvel’s Rintrah Powers & History Explained

Warning: Contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The first Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer revealed a large green minotaur named Rintrah. The end of Spider-Man: No Way Home made it fairly clear that the Doctor Strange sequel would be greatly expanding the MCU, but the inclusion of a Rintrah character toy proves just how strange Marvel movies are going to get. The furry green minotaur was featured in Marvel comics in the 1980s-90s, and will soon be getting his cinematic debut in Doctor Strange 2.

The MCU has dealt with alien species before, thanks to films such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel, as well as TV series like Loki, which sought to travel beyond Earth for their stories. Yet, the chaos of the multiverse will be taking far-reaching alien worlds and bringing them much closer to home, turning everything people think they know upside down in the process. The Doctor Strange 2 trailer has revealed a glimpse of some of the otherworldly creatures that have made their way to Earth, including a brief shot of a furry green minotaur.

So who is he? How the green minotaur is involved in Doctor Strange 2 remains to be seen, but if Rintrah’s role is in any way similar to the comics, he will grow to become an important presence in Strange’s life. Here’s everything known so far about the minotaur Rintrah, his history in Marvel comics, and his powers.

Rintrah Story & History In Marvel Comics

Rintrah first appeared in Marvel comics stories in 1986. Peter B. Gillis and Chris Warner created the green-furred minotaur, who debuted in an issue of Doctor Strange as a mystic from another dimension. Originating from a planet called R’Vaal, Rintrah displayed a great sensitivity to occult forces and became apprenticed to a wizard known as Enitharmon the Weaver, which was how he came to know Stephen Strange. Doctor Strange went to Enitharmon for help restoring his Cloak of Levitation when it was damaged in battle, and the master weaver sent Rintrah to return it when he was finished.

Unfortunately, Rintrah found Strange badly wounded while fighting a demon sorcerer known as Urthona. Since his own body was in no condition to continue fighting, Strange asked Rintrah for permission to possess his body, by projecting his astral form, in order to stop Urthona. Together, they managed to win, and after Enitharmon finished teaching Rintrah everything he could, he sent the minotaur back to Earth to continue his study under Doctor Strange. Strange reluctantly agreed to let Rintrah become his apprentice, and they worked together on many missions until Rintrah made a fateful mistake. He tried to destroy a powerful and evil artifact, but doing so instantly drained his life force. To save him, Strange placed Rintrah in a state of suspended animation inside a pocket dimension while he looked for a cure. Rintrah has not appeared in Marvel comics since.

Rintrah Powers Explained

Rintrah is a sorcerer with the potential to become as powerful as Doctor Strange. The full range of his magical abilities is unknown, but he has displayed skills such as illusion casting, magical blasts, astral body projection, levitation, projection of energy shields, and dimensional travel. Rintrah also has other abilities that he did not learn from Enitharmon or Doctor Strange, but possesses because of his R’Vaalian identity, including telepathy and shapeshifting. Since his true form often scares any humans who see him, being able to change form is very helpful for him whenever on Earth. Rintrah can shapeshift into any person he’s seen on the street or on TV, letting him simply blend into a crowd. Due to his large appearance, Rintrah also possesses a great deal of physical strength and endurance. His horns and hooves can be used as weapons for whenever his magic fails. Although he may not like doing so, he can resort to charging his opponents like a bull.

Rintrah In Doctor Strange 2: What We Know

Rintrah briefly appeared in the first Doctor Strange 2 trailer, but it’s unclear how prominent he will be in a movie that already seems full of so many different characters and conflicts. After the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange has to deal with the consequences of tapping into the multiverse, which will likely get messy fast. Among the villains shown in the trailer is an evil version of Strange and Karl Mordo, who became disillusioned with magic in the post-credits scene of the first Doctor Strange movie. Encountering such powerful enemies is likely to leave Strange more than a little battered, causing him to reach out to others like Wanda Maximoff for help, and perhaps also looking in places far beyond his own galaxy. Since Strange first met Rintrah in the comics when trying to repair his cloak, it’s possible that he tracks down Rintrah and his teacher using information in the Sanctum Sanctorum for a similar purpose in Doctor Strange 2.

Rintrah and Enitharmon the Weaver might also sense the chaos happening on Earth and try to intervene. Messing with the multiverse would affect far more than just Earth, after all, and other powerful sorcerers in the cosmos might want to help contain it. Of course, another possibility is that Rintrah is brought to Earth the same way that so many other beings are — transported through time and space as the MCU’s multiverse unravels. Regardless of how exactly the two meet, Rintrah will likely ask to become Strange’s apprentice by the end of Doctor Strange 2, just like he does in the comics. After seeing Doctor Strange’s magic in action, it would make sense that another aspiring magic user would want to learn from him.

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