The events of Doctor Strange 2 are related to What If, not Spider-Man 3
The Multiverse of Madness seeks to judge Doctor Strange, and it may be for something very different from his fate in No Way Home.
Doctor Strange can be a loose cannon at times, which would be less of a concern for the Marvel Cinematic Universe if he wasn’t able to alter multiverse magic. Even before Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame, Strange held the title of the most arrogant hero in the MCU: tempered by the loss of surgical skills and his long road to becoming Sorcerer Supreme, but still a little too sure of himself to console himself. Much of it centers on his rocky-at-best relationship with Christine Palmer, whom he still pine for, but which apparently evolved by the time the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness take place. The combination of the two can be disastrous.
In fact, it already is. During a memorable episode of What if…?, a variant of Doctor Strange destroyed his entire reality while trying to save Christine. Even then, the episode felt like more than just an episode, and sharp-eyed fans think this reality’s “Strange Supreme” could become a major antagonist in Multiverse of Madness. If so, that would go a long way to confirming the “crime” the Prime Strange is accused of in the movie’s trailer.
Strange initially left Christine to fulfill his duties as Sorcerer Supreme. The decision has never pleased her, and she seems to play a role in Multiverse of Madness. The trailer for the film shows Christine wearing a wedding dress and presumably getting ready to marry someone else. This was confirmed in a recent article by The Direct, which quotes producer Richie Palmer as saying the two are not together. Although it’s not surprising, it can have a much bigger reach than it seems.
The Multiverse of Madness finds Strange accused of an unspecified crime which Karl Mordo calls his “profanation of reality”. It is currently unclear what this refers to. His actions during Spider-Man: No Coming Home make an obvious candidate, as Strange – recklessly and reckless of the consequences – botched a Oblivion Spell and sent villains from across the multiverse crashing into the MCU as a result. It is certainly a crime sufficient to warrant Mordo’s conviction, as well as the penalties that come with it.
But if Christine is part of the drama of the movie – along with Strange’s unresolved feelings for her – then that crime could very well have a much different origin. This would also explain the presence of Strange Supreme, the variant of What if…? Season 1, Episode 4, “What If…Doctor Strange Loses His Heart Instead of His Hands?” This Strange refused to accept that there were things beyond his control. Having lost Christine in the car crash that cost Prime Strange the use of his hands, he embarked on a reckless crusade to bring her back, defying the laws of reality and ultimately destroying everything and everyone in his universe. The first season ended with him repentant but still trapped in a pocket dimension, floating in the void of his old world.
Strange Supreme is awfully close to Prime Strange in temperament and outlook. Having faced the consequences of a terrible decision, his presence at The Multiverse of Madness suggests he may be trying to stop Strange from doing something similar. If so, that would make Christine a more central element of the plot and give Prime Strange a reason to commit the crimes Mordo darkly alludes to. It also suggests that Strange learned nothing from his debacle in No coming home – understandable since he’s been subjected to his own Oblivion spell – and that Strange Supreme is there to stop him from doing cataclysmic damage to reality.
To top it off, Prime Strange is no longer Sorcerer Supreme. Wong took over the job following the events of the Snap, which freed Strange of his obligations and could most likely fire him back to Christine. If she has other plans, he might do something reckless about it, which would presumably move his crime away from the events of No coming home and towards something that will unfold in Multiverse of Madness. Only time will tell, but Strange’s desecration of reality may be more than meets the eye.
To see what crime he’s accused of committing, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness bursts into theaters on May 6.
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