Multiverse of Midness

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Before I dive in, here are some things I liked about the movie:

  • There is color. Actually feels vibrant without a lot of the MCU grey washing
  • Raimi gives the camera life with the way he shoots the film
  • Has some horror elements and I commend the MCU for trying something new
  • Acting for the 3.5 leads (Wong & Christine combine as a half lead) is strong, even though every time Benedict Cumberbatch quips it makes me want to blow my brains out. Maybe they just give him some bad lines but it proves the people who clown Marvel writing on Tiktok correct

Now I am not alone in viewing "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness" as a mediocre MCU film. This outing from Doctor Strange currently holds the fifth lowest Rotten Tomatoes audience score with 74%, only leading:

  • Eternals (47%)
  • Thor the Dark World (66%)
  • The Incredible Hulk (68%)
  • Iron Man 2 (72%)
While audience score is not the end all be all for movie reviews I do believe it holds some weight for popcorn movies like Doctor Strange. While some complain this movie was not "Multiverse of Cameos" where we see Hugh Jackman's Wolverine talking to Ben Affleck's Daredevil, my issue comes from the fact that recent multiverse movies achieve the same character arcs of our three leads (Strange, Wanda, America Chavez) but do it better.

Doctor Strange's Arc


Doctor Strange is battling his own happiness throughout the film. The question is posed to him multiple times, "Are you happy?" where he reluctantly says yes but Cumberbatch's delivery suggests otherwise. Strange struggles with what could've been if he chose differently in life but comforts himself with the belief that his choices were the best. After exploring some of the multiverse we see Doctor Strange come to grips with the reality of his life and deciding to make the most of it, instead of thinking about what could have been. This arc reminds me of something I saw two weeks ago. What was it? Everything Bagels All the Time? No, no, that's not it, oh yeah its:

The main character in this masterpiece, Evelyn Wang, experiences a very similar journey to that of Strange. She also questions her happiness in life, gets to see into the multiverse, and decides to enjoy the life and relationships she has instead of sulking about what could have been. This movie accomplishes that same arc with better laughs and better cries (first time I teared up in a movie since Click (2006)) than MoM. Also a smaller plot mechanics thing is they also do something very similar to the dream casting which is cooler IMO.


Wanda's Arc

Wanda is battling the loss of her kids (and husband but he weirdly never gets a mention) and desires to be a mother. The strongest woman in the multiverse wants to be a housewife more than anything else (take notes ladies). She will not be stopped in her quest to find and join her family using the multiverse. She succeeds in finding them but when her family sees the monster she has become they want nothing to do with her. Replace the she's with he's and does that remind of you anyone?

Kingpin from "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (2018)
Yes I can admit Wanda is more fleshed out and has cooler action scenes but I don't think anyone in their right mind would put MoM over Into the Spider-Verse. Again I am not saying her character is bad I just believe that exact storyline was done in a better movie.

America Chavez's Arc

America Chavez, the new addition to the MCU from this film was very enjoyable. Her interactions with Doctor Strange makes him feel more warm and personable, as opposed to his "fate of the cosmos", or "grand calculus of the multiverse" grandiosity. Chavez grounds the film because for her the actions of the villain are personal. Wanda is trying to get HER. For Chavez this is not just save the universe, this is save the me and it is refreshing to see. Strange & Chavez mirror quite nicely Wanda & Vision from Infinity War, where a mystical being tries to protect someone incapable of protecting themselves from a villain who wants their power. But my character development issue comes from Chavez's ability to control her powers. All movie her powers only activate when she is sacred and is unable to control them. Then all of sudden, those issues go away when she "believes in herself." Dare I say she took a "leap of faith?"

Miles Morales in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (2018)

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of a Madness is a solid film that is a victim of timing due to the amount of high quality multiversal content we have gotten in the last few years. They say, "Comparison is the Thief of Joy" and in this case I can attest. I couldn't help but compare MoM to these other films as they are so strikingly similar and unfortunately, I enjoyed MoM the least. 



*This movie has provoked a lot of thoughts in me so I may do another MoM and the Disney machine piece next or a playoff basketball one we shall see. Follow to be notified







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