Tropes Media Browse Indexes Forums Videos Ask The Tropers Trope Finder Media Finder Trope Launch Pad Tech Wishlist Reviews Tools
Cut List New Edits Edit Reasons Launches Images List Crowner Activity Un-typed Pages Recent Page Type Changes Changelog
Tips
Creating New Redirects Cross Wicking Tips for Editing Text Formatting Rules Glossary Edit Reasons Handling Spoilers Word Cruft Administrivia FAQ
Tropes HQ
About Us Contact Us Advertise DMCA Notice Privacy Policy Report Bug
Go Ad-Free Changelog
  • Show Spoilers
  • Night Vision
  • Sticky Header
  • Highlight Links
 

Follow TV Tropes

Following

WMG / Doctor Strange (2016)

Go To

Wild Mass Guessing for Doctor Strange (2016).

    open/close all folders 

    Confirmed 
Mordo will have a minor case of Adaptational Heroism
Maybe the real villain will trick him into thinking Strange is the real menace.
  • Confirmed. Kevin Feige has confirmed this is Mordo before he becomes a villain.

Mordo will survive the movie
In an aversion to Superhero Movie Villains Die, Mordo will survive the events of the film even if he's the Big Bad or not. That way, he can return for a sequel and Marvel won't have to establish a new villain for it.
  • Confirmed. Feige says they plan to have Mordo appear in future installments.

Mordo will be Strange's ally for the film.
Mikkelsen's character has been confirmed as the Big Bad, so perhaps Mordo will remain allied with Strange and The Ancient One for this film and have his Face–Heel Turn in the sequel.
  • Confirmed. Feige says they want to play the long game and not have Mordo become an antagonist until future installments.

Mikkelsen's character will be a composite of several Strange villains.
Baron Mordo has already been confirmed to be a composite character and the description of Mikkelsen's character fits the mould for more than one Strange villain.
  • Confirmed. He's Kaecilius, but takes some of Mordo's traits.

One of the magical artifacts in the film will be revealed to have some connection to the Infinity Stones.
Or even another of the Infinity Stones in disguise, much like the Tesseract, the Orb, and Loki's scepter.
  • Supported by Feige's comments on the Eye of Agamotto, which can manipulate probabilities and time — possibly making it the Time Stone.
    • Confirmed. Wong offhandedly mentions at the end that the Eye of Agamotto is an infinity gem.

Rachel McAdams' character is the Night Nurse
  • She has been previously stated to be playing a colleague of Strange in the medical field; in the Doctor Strange comicbook miniseries Doctor Strange: The Oath Night Nurse was a major supporting character; and the upcoming Doctor Strange DLC for LEGO Marvel's Avengers — a video game that explicitly adapts the MCU films — includes Night Nurse as one of the new characters. Also, according to Steven S. DeKnight, she was supposed to appear in the Daredevil series, but was replaced with Claire Temple because there were already plans for the Night Nurse to appear in the movies.
    • Confirmed, though she had less to do with it than Claire Temple at this point.

Wong will be a partner and friend to Strange from the start rather than a servant
Just as the previous Marvel films have emphasized these aspects with War Machine and Falcon rather than as sidekicks of the white superheroes, to avoid his racist origins Wong won't be Strange's manservant. Instead he'll be a local resident whose ties to and knowledge of both the Ancient One and Kamar-Taj will make him an ally of Dr. Strange (plus any magical or martial abilities he might have). The movie may even poke fun at his origins by having villains assume he's a servant, or treat him like one in contrast to Strange's more collegial relationship with him.
  • Confirmed. He isn't Strange's manservant and is instead actually one of his mentors at the Ancient One's monastery. He's described as being something of a Drill Sergeant Nasty. So, no, he's not a partner but yes he is not a servant.

The movie will have early hints for future MCU appearances from Brother Voodoo and the Runaways
Though it is unknown if they will actually be in the movie, the official prequel comic features appearances from Daniel Drumm and Tina Minoru. Daniel is best known as the older brother/spiritual companion of Jericho Drumm aka Brother Voodoo, while Tina is the mother of Nico Minoru, one of the main characters in the Runaways series.They could feature in cameos in the film with the intent to have bigger roles later, especially if Daniel is killed (as he is a ghost in the comics).
  • Confirmed. Kevin Feige revealed that while Tina Minoru isn't named onscreen, Daniel Drumm appears and is named.

Wong is a Composite Character with Yao, the Ancient One
Marvel's main excuse for casting Tilda Swinton is that "The Ancient One" is a title, something they've emphasized many times. In addition, the movie's version of Wong is said to be much more of a mentor to Strange than he was in the comics, taking on a sort of "drill sergeant" role. So when Swinton's Ancient One succumbs to the inevitable Mentor Occupational Hazard, Wong will assume her mantle, becoming an incarnation of the Ancient One much closer to the one from the comics.
  • Confirmed! Though he doesn't take a title, Wong is Strange's only mentor by the end of the film, telling him "You may be a Master Of The Mystic Arts, but you still have a lot to learn". But also Jossed, in the sense that The Ancient One turns out not to be a legacy title at all.

There will be a Greater-Scope Villain in the movie that is alluded to.
  • Since Kaecilius wants to let the other forces enter the realm because he believes they will give him the answers he wants. There could be an entity in these dark forces that might have tempted him into think he will get what he wants if he is released. It could be Dormammu like the first theory suggested or Shuma Gorath. It could be a being that is jsut alluded to and we hath that not even find out until the sequels.
    • It is Dormammu.

  • Thor: Strange will gaze into other realms and see the threat that Thor is facing, encounter Heimdall who will be injured and because of his abilities can see Strange leading Heimdall to warn him of a coming threat that he must guard against, or have an encounter with Balder.
    • Confirmed! And what's more, he's knowingly working with Loki in order to find Odin, who's missing.

The movie will keep Strange's dead sister from the animated film
It does seem like something a theatrical film would do; Rule of Drama you know. Then again, maybe she'll be turned male in order to avert being a Disposable Woman.

The identity of Mads Mikkelsen's character
  • Dormammu
  • Mephisto
  • Nightmare
  • Doctor Doom (Doom has a history with Strange in the comics, and Fox clearly doesn't care about the Fantastic Four franchise at this point)
  • The true Mandarin
  • Chthon
  • Kaluu
  • Belasco
  • Tyrannus
  • Silver Dagger
    • Several of these have been Jossed, notably the Doctor Doom, Mephisto, Nightmare, and Chthon ones. Set photos reveal that he is playing some sort of human sorcerer character. The Doctor Doom suggestion was never likely to begin with, as it hinged on the idea that Fox secretly sold the FF rights back to Marvel without anyone on the internet or entertainment industry finding out. That said, it's not out of the question that Mads' mortal character could become possessed by the same supernatural forces.
      • It has been confirmed that he is playing Kaecilius, a mortal sorcerer who serves Dormammu, though he is only channelling Dormammu's power rather than possessed by him.

Dormammu will be a major villain and will have an Infinity Gem
  • Confirmed! Yes, he is the main antagonist and (okay, so slightly off) The Ancient One has the Time gem.

Dormammu won't be the main villain
Instead he will end up as a Greater-Scope Villain, and another character will be the Big Bad. This way, Dormannu could potentially become the main villain of Phase 4 as a way of topping Thanos (unless Marvel Studios manages to acquire the rights to Galactus by then to up the ante even more).
  • Confirmed. The "main" villain for most of the movie is Kaecilius. However, he is always acting as a follower of Dormammu, who is The Man Behind the Man and does end up as the main villain in the end, being defeated in a way that makes it unlikely for him to ever return.

Strange will have a collection of magical artifacts
  • For example, a Magic Wand and a Hand of Glory, and he says that he confiscated them from some wizard children from Britain...
  • Also, an ancient and evil Ring of Power.
  • A badly burned and melted scale model of Chicago that he's repairing in his spare time. "It was set on fire but it wasn't the previous owner's fault."
  • Confirmed! Artefacts are plentiful in the film, and their use is a plot point, as being chosen by an artefact to become the wielder of that item is a sign of being a Master Of The Mystic Arts...but they all come from Marvel Comics, not other franchises.

     Jossed 
Part of the film will take place in the 1960s
The film will show Doctor Strange's origin taking place in the 1960s — travelling to Tibet, meeting the Ancient One, and stopping Baron Mordo's plot. Then there will be a Time Skip to the modern day, when Baron Mordo resurfaces and kicks off another scheme. After all, Strange is agelessly immortal in the comics after he made an agreement with Death. It's pretty standard for the Sorcerer Supreme. And he's one of the few characters to avert Comic-Book Time; his origin always happened in the sixties.
  • Additionally, since the Time Stone will apparently make its debut in this film, time travel is possible.
  • Jossed — the teaser places Strange's origins in a much more contemporary time period than the 1960s. Baron Mordo is also an ally in this film rather than the villain.

The perspective character will be someone other than Strange
Possibly one of his customers, whose case unearths some of Strange's old demons. Maybe even a very adaptation-changed Clea. This will really help the movie stand out from the others in the franchise.
  • Jossed.

Clea WILL appear in this movie.
  • Jossed, unless The Ancient One is secretly a composite character with Clea — possibly Saved for the Sequel.

A sub-plot or post-credits Stinger will be about Dr. Strange taking Wanda under his wing and helping her further harness her powers.
He would be the perfect mentor to her and she stated in Civil War that she wanted to better learn how to use her "gifts" to help others. Her past mishaps with magic have caused needless deaths so she'd want someone to help her gain better control with it so that wouldn't happen again. It would also be an opportunity to confirm that, yes, Wanda's "gifts" are magical/supernatural/mystical in nature.
  • Jossed.

There will be an Apothecary Alligator somewhere
  • Jossed.

The Stinger has Claire Temple appearing.
"I'm here to talk to you about the Night Nurse initiative."
  • Jossed.

There'll be references/shoutouts to Sherlock
  • Stephen could possibly have gone to medical school in London/England and have a habit of turning his collar up. Alternatively, Stephen and Wong's friendship could be like that of Cumberbatch Sherlock and Freeman Watson.
    • Jossed.

The Non-MCU Marvel movies will be alluded to in this film, but not outright referenced.
Given that this film canonizes alternate dimensions in the MCU for the first time (Unless you count The Microverse), maybe the film will reference the concept of alternate realities as well. While the lawyers won't allow them to actually bring up these realities, we could see the implication that somewhere, The universes of the original Dr. Strange Movie, both Spider-Man series, The X-Men series, The Blade Trilogy, Big Hero 6, 1990 Captain America film, and every other film adaptation Marvel ever got involved in are out there, right where we left them. note 
  • Big Hero 6 could be alluded to by a glimpse of the San Fransokyo version of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Ancient One in this movie isn't the real Ancient One
It's actually an actor hired to play the Ancient One, while the real Ancient One hides in the shadows, and is not happy to hear about this.
Someone had to make this WMG eventually. Jossed.

The Ancient One as a Legacy Character will be plot significant

Tilda Swinton will play the Ancient One as an old man
  • Seems to be Jossed. At least, she doesn't seem to present male and never corrects the use of female pronouns.

The Ancient One's gender won't be stated
No gender pronouns will be used and Tilda Swinton's costume and effects etc. will be to make her look androgynous.
  • The Ancient One is referred as "she" at several points. Might still be nonbinary, though.

Stan Lee will appear as:
  • A doctor or a patient. He'll be seen with sexy nurses.
  • He'll appear as a corpse in some dark magic realm that is travelled by the main characters.
  • He'll be a Gollum-type creature. That would be hilarious!
  • He'll be the driver of the other car that collides with Strange's, causing the accident that damages his hands.
  • Jossed — He's a bus passenger reading The Doors Of Perception.

Donald Blake will cameo.
  • He will be played by one of Chris Hemsworth's brothers.
    • Partially Confirmed: Chris Hemsworth himself appears as Thor in The Stinger.

Helen Cho will cameo.
  • Accompanied by Ryan Potter in the role of Amadeus Cho.
    • Jossed.

Wong's name will be used as a Mythology Gag
Since Wong has appeared to be Adapted Out....
  • maybe they'll use the name with a minor person without making him a relevant character.
  • maybe the hospital where Strange works will feature another doctor with the surname Wong.
  • maybe Strange will be led to Nepal by an expedition leader named Wong. Bonus points if he's actually from China.
  • Jossed — Benedict Wong has been cast as Wong.

Potential cameos:
  • Iron Man: Tony will find out about Strange and tracks him down either to recruit him or to get his help healing Rhodey or Strange will have a vision of either Tony fighting the Mandarin or Rescue making her debut.
  • Hulk: Bruce will track down Strange because he gains a reputation for solving "unusual" problems and wants his help with the Hulk, Strange will have a vision of Hulk fighting in his next appearance, or Strange will astral project and either observe the Hulk or be shocked when the creature can actually perceive him.
  • Captain America: Strange will have a vision of Cap's shield shattered or one of Cap falling in battle, Strange will have a meeting with Cap where he offers his help to the fugitive Avenger members while mentioning that an "old friend" of Cap's asked him to do so or warns him of a coming threat, or Strange has a vision where he sees Cap wielding Mjolnir.
  • Phil Coulson: Coulson will track down Strange for help, Strange will see him in a vision while wondering who he is, or Strange will become aware of his role in helping form the Avengers and seek him out for help.
  • Quicksilver: Strange will see his soul and note something is off about it, Strange will see him alive again in a vision, or Strange will be compelled to resurrect him.
  • Scarlet Witch: She will seek him out for help with her powers or to help bring back her brother, Strange will have a vision where she is having a breakdown while her powers go out of control, or Strange will be drawn to her and offer his aid in helping her control her powers.
  • Vision: The Vision will track down Strange and mention the Infinity Stone drew him to Strange, Strange will track Vision down and reveal to him to truth about what the Infinity Stone is, or Strange will have a vision where sees the Vision being damaged or destroyed by a being that claims his Infinity Stone.
  • Nick Fury: Fury will track down Strange and ask for his help with threats from the cosmos or Strange will have a vision of Fury commanding the Helicarrier against an unknown threat.
  • Spider-Man: Spider will get drawn to Strange by his spider-sense, Strange will meet Spidey and inform him that he senses a connection to mystic forces coming from Spidey, or Strange will have a vision of Spidey either wearing his black costume or fighting an amorphous blob monster.
  • Black Panther: Strange will astral project and encounter the Panther god that empowers T'Challa before meeting the man, T'Challa finds Strange and asks for his help with Bucky or because he was compelled to by the Panther god, or Strange will have a vision where he sees Wakanda in flames and being invaded.
  • Guardians of the Galaxy: Strange will have a vision where he sees one of the next members of the Guardians (likely Mantis, Moondragon, Nova, Angela, or Adam Warlock) and will be shocked when they apparently stare back at him or will encounter one of the Elders of the Universe.
  • Captain Marvel: Strange will have a vision where he sees Carol Danvers either before or after she gains powers, her actually gaining her powers, or a Kree that is supposed to be Mar-Vell. If it's after she gains powers Carol could conceivably sense that she's being watched.
  • Inhumans: Strange will astral project and be drawn to a mysterious city where he will be astonished to see numerous visibly altered humans walking about and will look to see the Inhuman Royal Family looking over the city or Strange will have a vision where he sees Black Bolt meeting with world leaders, the Royal Family kneeling before Maximus, the Inhuman city being destroyed while the Inhumans fight an unknown enemy, or Quake leading a team of Inhumans that are made up of Nu Humans and Secret Warriors from the comics.
  • Namor: Strange will astral project and be drawn underwater where he will encounter Namor, Strange will be found by Namor who enlists him to help Cap, Strange tracks Namor down at the behest of Cap, or Strange will have a vision where he sees a derelict hobo with a beard that has elf ears in New York or he sees Namor in the water possibly leading an army or fighting by the Avengers side.
  • Other: Strange will have a vision where he sees a never before seen team assembled (the Masters of Evil, the New Warriors, or the Squadron Supreme)
    • All Jossed. The cameo is Thor in a post credits scene.

Possible vision details
The odds are that once Strange gets the Eye of Agamotto he will have a vision that will be ripe with foreshadowing of future events. (Especially since this would be a huge draw for an otherwise isolated movie in a continuity heavy franchise)
  • Iron Man: Tony will be fighting with the Mandarin or appear being beaten by an unknown threat, Pepper will appear as Rescue, Rhodey will appear fully healed.
    • Iron Man: Tony flying into space in a new armor. This foreshadows Infinity War.
  • Hulk: A face to face meeting between Bruce and the Hulk, Hulk fighting threats from his next appearance, Rick Jones will appear either as an emphasized random face or being turned into A-bomb, She-Hulk will appear, Red Hulk will appear fighting Hulk, Betty will appear being forcibly turned into Red She-Hulk, Skaar will appear, Amadeus Cho will be seen with his coyote pup or doing calculations, a fully transformed Leader will appear.
    • Hulk: Hulk picking up an Asgardian blunt weapon. This foreshadows Thor: Ragnarok.
  • Thor: Thor will appear in battle or captured, Loki will appear fighting by Thor's side and say his iconic "For myself" line, Odin will be overpowered by some unseen foe, Heimdall will be seen injured while warning of a coming threat, Sif will be seen falling in battle , Valkyrie will be seen, Skurge will stand alone a Gjallerbru, the Grandmaster will be seen meeting other Elders of the Universe, Balder will be seen.
    • Thor: Thor stares at a landscape that is either Asgard or an alien planet being left in ruin. This foreshadows Ragnarok as well.
  • Captain America: Cap's shield will be seen shattered, Cap will be seen being killed or wielding Mjolnir.
    • Captain America: Steve writhing in pain from an injury in an alien landscape. This foreshadows Infinity War.
  • Black Widow: Seen on the run or interrogating someone.
  • Hawkeye: Will be seen training Kate Bishop who has her Kree composite soul bow.
    • Hawkeye: his bow and arrow falling from the sky.
  • Phil Coulson: Will be seen meeting with the Avengers.
    • Phil Coulson: stock footage of his "death" in the first Avengers film.
  • Nick Fury: Will be seen commanding the Helicarrier against an unknown threat.
    • Nick Fury: crying over a dead body, utterly broken.
  • Quicksilver: Will be seen resurrected and fighting alongside the Avengers against a future threat.
    • Quicksilver: Pietro's corpse fading into nothingness.
  • Scarlet Witch: Will be seen having a breakdown while her powers go out of control.
    • Scarlet Witch: A close up on her mouth while she says "No More Heroes".
  • Vision: Will be seen damaged or destroyed as an unknown enemy claims his Infinity Stone.
    • Vision: looking at the Infinity Gauntlet with a shocked expression.
    • Vision looking up, startled, and asking who's there (because the Mind Stone has detected Strange).
  • Falcon: Will be seen with his Hard Light wings or in his Captain America costume from the comics.
    • Falcon: Flying around a city as it is under attack.
  • Ant-Man: Scott will train Cassie to use Pym particles, Hank will be seen rambling incoherently, Janet will appear in the Microverse.
    • Ant-Man: Watching Hope shrink as Wasp.
  • Black Panther: The Panther god that empowers him will be seen or Wakanda will be attacked and in flames.
    • Black Panther: a shot of him standing on the panther statue.
  • Spider-Man: Will be seen in his black costume or fighting Venom, Miles Morales will be seen.
    • Spider-Man: swinging around a city that isn't New York City.
  • Captain Marvel: Will be seen before she gains her powers, actually gaining her powers, or using her powers in space. Mar-Vell will be seen.
    • Captain Marvel: a shot of a uniform with a name tag that reads "Danvers".
  • Namor: Will be seen as a bearded derelict with elf ears, moving through the water, or fighting alongside the Avengers.
    • Namor: A shadowed figure bursting up from the sea late a night.
    • Namor: A tidal wave heading towards New York, flying alongside the Android Human Torch and Iron Man over a battlefield or fist fighting Black Panther in a ruined Wakanda.
  • Inhumans: Attilan will be seen, Black Bolt will be seen meeting with world leaders, Medusa will be seen fighting Black Bolt, the Royal Family will be seen kneeling before Maximus, Crystal will be seen alongside the Avengers, Daisy will be seen leading a team of Inhumans made up of the Nu Humans from the comics, Kamala Kahn will be seen in costume.
    • Inhumans: A massive bulldog (Lockjaw) begins to teleport somewhere.
  • Guardians of the Galaxy: The team will be seen either just hanging out or in battle, Star-Lord will be seen getting his Element Guns, Mantis will be seen as an Early-Bird Cameo, Moondragon will be seen, Nova will be seen, Angela will be seen, Adam Warlock will be seen, Quasar will appear, Phylla-Vell will appear, the original Guardians will appear with Yondu as a member.
    • Guardians of the Galaxy: the Milano crashing on Earth's surface.
  • Masters of Evil: The entire team will be seen assembled and consist of Zemo with his trademark mask, Living Laser, Melter, Skurge, Radioactive Man, Abomination, Whirlwind, and Grim Reaper.
  • New Warriors: The group will be seen and be mix of original members and Young Avengers members. The group will consist of Miles Morales, Kamala Kahn, Cloak and Dagger, Nova, Speedball, Hulkling, Wiccan, Miss America, Kate Bishop, Noh-Varr, Stature, and Namorita
  • Squadron Supreme: Will be seen and consist of Hyperion, Nighthawk, Warrior Woman, Doctor Spectrum, Speed Demon, Nuke, Haywire, Inertia, and Arcanna.
  • The Invaders: Will consist of the Android Human Torch, Spitfire, Namor, The Mighty Destroyer, Toro and the third Union Jack, perhaps battling alongside the Avengers.
  • Ghost Rider: Robbie speeding on his bike, in full Rider mode, through a city street or an empty desert road.
  • Other: Wonder Man will be seen, Songbird will be seen, Blue Marvel will be seen, Captain Britain will be seen, Black Knight will be seen, Hercules will be seen, Tigra will be seen, Moon Knight will be seen, Jack of Hearts will be seen.
  • ALL jossed. No visions at all.

When he is given the Eye of Agamotto Strange will be besieged by visions
Showing him the following:
  • The past which will show him bits of the current heroes origins or how the Infinity Stones wound up where they are.
  • The present which will show what is going on in the wider universe with the Avengers (what Cap and the fugitive members have been up to, what Thor has been doing all this time, Spider-Man's growth, etc.), the Agents of Shield (a sorely needed cameo), the Guardians of the Galaxy (showing them in a fight or with new members), and the Defenders (also a sorely needed cameo).
  • The future which will be a showcase of future Marvel heroes (Carol Danvers either gaining her powers or already possessing them, Namor, Blade, Ghost Rider, and the Inhumans) and villains (the Mandarin and the Masters of Evil)
  • Jossed.

Everett Ross will appear in some capacity
Because it just seems weird seeing Benedict Cumberbatch without Martin Freeman.
  • Jossed.

Spider-Man will cameo in The Stinger
Tom Holland did stop by the set for a day, and since the Sanctum Sanctorum is located in New York City, there would be a good reason for one of the characters in the movie to run into the web-head. "You can do magic? That's awesome, dude!"
  • Jossed.

Because the film revolves around magic, characters will make Harry Potter references
  • Jossed.

Namor will appear
For the following reasons:
  • That map in Iron Man 2 had a ping in the middle of the ocean and is the only one to not have been followed up on yet.
  • Fans have been eagerly awaiting his appearance in these films.
  • It could possibly set up a full appearance by The Invaders.
  • Jossed.

The Stinger will be one of the following
  • Scarlet Witch seeks out Strange for help controlling her powers.
  • Strange and Vision mentally "running into" one another while Strange is exploring different states of consciousness and Vision is cautiously studying the Mind Stone.
  • Strange astral projects to appear before Spider-Man because he senses that Spidey has a connection to mystic forces.
  • Namor seeks out Strange to beseech his aid in helping Cap and other fugitive Avengers, revealing his own allegiance to them or Strange will astral project and find himself drawn underwater where he will encounter Namor.
  • Strange will sense something going on in the realms beyond and see Thor fighting against some threat that is explicitly NOT Thanos.
  • Bruce Banner will track down Strange to get help in controlling the Hulk or Strange will be astral projecting and encounter the Hulk, only to be shocked when Hulk actually sees his astral form.
  • Iron Man will find Strange and try to get him to join the Avengers because of the conflict of the film being incredibly public.
  • T'Challa will find Strange to get his help with either an issue related to Wakandan spirituality and magic or to help undo Bucky's brainwashing.
  • Strange will be called to Quicksilver's grave and sense that he needs to resurrect him or will be astral projecting and meet Quicksilver's soul which asks to come back to life.
  • Strange will be having a conversation about the current state of the world and reveal his greater awareness of what is going on the cosmos to an unseen figure only for them to be revealed as Phil Coulson or he will astral project to make contact with Coulson and say "I need to speak with you about the Avengers."
  • Strange will sense someone attempting to make contact in another realm and investigates only to meet Janet Van Dyne.
  • Strange will make contact with or be drawn to the Guardians of the Galaxy and either direct them to where they must go or be unable to maintain contact and the Guardians will wonder WTF just happened or just shrug it off.
  • Strange will be investigating supernatural activity and meet either Blade or the Ghost Rider.
  • Strange will be astral projecting and drawn to a mysterious city where he will encounter the Inhuman royal family.
  • Strange will astral project to a distant world where he will encounter the Squadron Supreme.
  • Strange will have a vision of Thanos coming for Earth which will prompt him to begin reassembling the Avengers and searching for new heroes to join the fight.
  • It will be All Hallows' Eve, and as all years Dr. Strange will fight to stop a monster trying to escape from his home dimension: The Great Pumpkin! And somewhere, a kid with a blanket will be waiting at a pumpkin patch, ignoring all that.
  • All Jossed. It's a Thor: Ragnarok teaser.

Rachel McAdams will be 'Death'
  • When we see her in the trailer, she looks like a nurse tending to the Doc when he looks like he is about to die- what better role to beckon him to death. Plus, since the Sorcerer Supreme has to make a pact with Death in the comics AND since Death is tied to Thanos... it seems too perfect.
    • Jossed. McAdams has previously been stated to be a human who works with Strange before and after he becomes a sorcerer, so unless we have some uncharacteristic Lying Creator on our hands, this is Jossed.

J. Jonah Jameson will have a cameo
Jameson' appearance will introduce the actor who might play him in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and also serve as a Mythology Gag to this little exchange from Spider-Man 2.
Jameson: What are we gonna call this guy?
Hoffman: Doctor Octopus.
Jameson: That's crap.
Hoffman: Science Squid?
Jameson: Crap!
Hoffman: Doctor Strange.
Jameson: That's pretty good... but it's taken!
  • Jossed.

During his fateful car trip, Strange refuses to take on a man with severe spinal injuries. That man is Warmachine, injured in Captain America: Civil War.

     Not Jossed, But Not Confirmed 

Clea actually DID appear in this movie, albeit in greatly altered form from the comics.
It's just that she now calls herself "the Ancient One." In the comics, Clea is a native of the Dark Dimension and Dormammu's niece. Clea in the comics is also hundreds of years old, despite appearing to be a 20-something woman. Given the different nature of Dormammu and the Dark Dimension in the MCU, it is unlikely that he could have biological relatives or that the Dark Dimension could have a native humanoid population. However, a sorceress who is many centuries older than she seems and who taps into the power of the Dark Dimension could well be the MCU version of Clea.
  • Jossed, clea had a cameo in the sequel.

This incarnation of Strange will be British
He's being played by a British actor, Benedict Cumberbatch, and filming is set to take place in a UK studio, so they might change his nationality, making him the MCU's first British superhero.
  • Cumberbatch has an American accent. Could still have moved to the USA as a successful surgeon, though.

    Sequel Theories 
The sequel will feature Brother Voodoo
When Kaecilius entered the Sanctum Santorum, he was confronted by Daniel Drumm who was soon killed. In the comics, Daniel Drumm is the deceased brother of Jericho Drumm (aka Brother Voodoo). Jericho and Daniel were both magic users and Jericho became a superhero after his brother's death.]] It is likely the sequels will follow up on this and feature Brother Voodoo as an ally.

Dormammu will return in the sequel using Kaecilius as his immortal vessel
Given how Dormammu's portrayed in the film, a recast seems inevitable, and the film ends with Kaecilius trapped in his dimension as a Mindless One. Reusing both characters in this would allow for both Mikkelsen's talents to be re-utilized and for Dormammu to receive a humanoid form.

Mordo will form a group of magic hunters.
Mordo will recruit individuals or perhaps mercenaries equipping them them with relics to fight sorcerors and to act as the new protectors against the other realms. He said he came to the Ancient One to fight his enemies, maybe he used his powers to fight off against attackers that set upon his village. He returns to his village and recruits the villagers to his cause and they make him their baron....The writers/producers have indicated that Mordo is a "composite character." One character they may draw upon from the comics is a mage-slayer known as Silver Dagger.

The Fantastic Four's movie verse is in another dimension.
The revelation of a multiverse opens that possibility. For some reason, Tony will visit the FF verse or Johnny Storm will visit the Avengers' and Tony will have a good laugh at how Cap's "mirror counterpart" is so unlike Steve. The laugh will stop once Cap says something like "I wonder what your counterpart is like, Tony." Upon seeing an Insufferable Genius wearing a full armor, Johnny will ask "New armor, Victor?"
  • The X-Men films could also exist in another alternate universe, easily setting up their integration into the Marvel Cinematic Universe if Fox ever lets the rights go back to Marvel Studios.

Hulk's ability to see astral forms will play an important role in the next movie featuring Doctor Strange.

The Darkforce from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter is from the Dark Dimension.
In the shows Darkforce is a form of energy which comes from another dimension and is described as "sentient". Jason Wilkes in Agent Carter even described it as having a "hunger" and wanting to consume the world. Aesthetically, it also fits in with what we've seen of the Dark Dimension, and even shares a similar name. Darkforce could easily be a manifestation of or element from the Dark Dimension.

Nicodemus West will return in future installments closer to the way he was portrayed in The Oath.
In the comics, West ended up following Strange's trail and learned some magic from the Ancient One, hoping to use it to heal the patients Strange left behind. When this failed, he ended up working for an amoral pharmaceutical company that eventually put him at odds with Strange. In this film we've seen him as a colleague of Strange, and perhaps he will be intrigued by what he saw when Strange returned to the hospital, or learn something from Pangborn's relapsing condition, and eventually end up in Kamar-Taj.

About that mid-credit stinger...
Thor is actually Loki in disguise, trying to trick Strange into helping him. Perhaps it's just wishful thinking, but everything from the way that he delivers his lines to the way he reacts to both the mug of beer's appearance in his hand and its subsequent autonomous refilling seems much more evocative of Hiddleston's usual performance than Hemsworth's. Not to mention the fact that the revelation of Loki being alive at all is something "Thor" seems to be handling with a relatively shocking lack of urgency or surprise.
  • If true, this could hearken back to a classic comic in which Strange is tricked by Loki into stealing Mjolnir from Thor◊.
    • Jossed. The stinger in question was lifted wholesale from Ragnarok, and said scene occurs after Thor finds out Loki is alive; Strange had sent Loki into a free-fall, leading to one of Ragnarok's funnier moments.

Additionally, the mid-credits scene is not "new" footage but is in fact lifted wholesale from Thor: Ragnarok.
Much like with the stingers from Iron Man 2, Thor, and Ant-Man. On top of that is the fact that it's been confirmed to have been directed by Taika Waititi.
  • Confirmed.

Billy, the assistant Strange was talking to at the time of his accident, was a shoutout to Billy Kaplan of the Young Avengers

Billy is shown in a vision to be a future Sorcerer Supreme and while I don't foresee the character showing any great importance in the MCU anytime soon it would have been a very polite nod to fans of the comics.

  • Jossed since WandaVision introduces Billy as one of Wanda and Vision's kids.

Strange's list of threats
In the mid-credits scene, Strange mentions a list of extradimensional/multiversal threats for him to look out for. It's Mythology Gag time (add if you want to):

Dormammu will be played by Mads Mikkelsen in future films
Think about it. They got such a high caliber actor to portray this ultimately inconsequential villain, who ends the movie being absorbed into the Dark Dimension, and in his and Strange's own words, "becoming one with it" as a Mindless One. Scott Derrickson has said Dormammu has no physical form (thus why he adopts Strange's face, voice and mannerisms in the climax). So in the sequel, maybe he'll use Kacillius's body as a vessel, allowing Mads to return, playing a more important character. Bonus points: He'll also adopt his "fiery skull" design.

After Strange loses the Time Stone thanks to Thanos he will find the Orb of Agamotto and make it into a more traditional Eye like from the comics
Since Thanos will have the Infinity Gauntlet or at least some other Infinity Stones, Strange will need a leg up. Thus, he will find some other relic or other powerful item and fashion a new relic. Then, in a Call-Back to his first film, he will try to call it the "Eye of Strange" or the "Eye of Strange-Agamotto/Agamotto-Strange" before someone (likely Wong) tells him to stick with "Eye of Agamotto".
  • It hasn't happened in time to matter to Thanos, but he still could.

Kamar-Taj is an off-shoot of the Brotherhood of Assassins
There are hints are all over the place.
  • We first see the Ancient One fighting the zealots with her hood down. It is a similar choice of style as compared to the Assassins. Then we learn about the workings of Kamar-Taj and how closely it aligns itself with the Creed.
  • "We work in the dark to serve the light." They have a shadow war going on to protect the Sanctums and the shield they generate that keeps Dormammu out.
  • "We are assassins." Most of what is taught there is offense, defense, and teleportation; it's all combat.
  1. "Nothing is true;" Both Mordo and the Ancient One advise Strange to stop thinking that the world is structured and has inherent reason. Sorcerers have to use their own reason; they need to study and become wise to be effective.
  • "Everything is permitted". Wong says that there is no "forbidden knowledge" in Kamar-Taj, only "certain practices". Then you find out that even that is flexible. The Ancient One has been drawing on Dark Dimension power in order to better fight Dormmamu and other threats, and after that, Strange creates a "Groundhog Day" Loop to save Earth from Dormmamu. They broke the rules when necessary to protect Earth even while respecting the rules. This is also why warnings always come after the spells they warn about; take responsibility for your own actions.
  • Kamar-Taj even has the Assassins' problem with people who can't handle the contradictions in the theory and practice of the order, become disillusioned and start a purge. Mordo's disgust with the way Kamar-Taj operates, particularly its leadership, inspires him to hunt his fellow sorcerers similar to Shay Cormac.

Mordo was a Child Soldier
Mordo is constantly mentioned to have suffered through something violent and terrible when he was young, to the point where he still has "demons" that remain unconquered. He had probably seen serving Kamar-Taj and the Ancient One as atonement for his past actions, which would explain his Black-and-White Insanity after it's revealed that the Ancient One had been using energy from the Dark Dimension as well as his belief that Murder Is the Best Solution even prior to this revelation.
  • Specifically, he was a part of a warlord's army in one of the many brushfire conflicts raging in Africa, either when he was a child or a young man. Or he could have very possibly worked with a young Ulysses Klaue.

Possible Characters and Casting for a sequel.

Scarlet Witch will feature in a future Strange film, a la Black Widow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
It worked well enough in the latter's case, so why not? Plus it would give Wanda a significant role in a film that's not dedicated to her.

The Wi-Fi password "Shamballa" will be a Chekhov's Gun.
Perhaps it's actually a powerful spell that can only be mastered by the Sorcerer Supreme.

In the sequel, Mordo and Strange will find themselves in an Enemy Mine situation where they have to team up to fight a larger threat, such as Dormammu
The Ancient One was quite adamant about Mordo and Strange becoming friends and working as a team to stop Dormammu, with the larger implication that they needed each other to balance their personalities. By the end of the film Stephen only manages to get Dormammu to swear never to invade the Material Dimension again (An oath that Dormammu in the comics has found numerous ways of getting around) meaning the Dark Dimension remains a serious threat. It's possible that the Ancient One, foreseeing future incursion attempts by Dormammu, felt only Mordo and Strange's combined skills could defeat him once and for all, and so tried to push the two of them together in preparation.

Subsequently, the finale Doctor Strange sequel will be a kickass battle as Strange and Mordo fight together against Dormammu and his Mindless Onesnote . The fight will end either with one of them pulling a Heroic Sacrifice to save the other, or Mordo leaving Strange again to pursue his mission against all magic users.

Clea will appear, but won't be Dr. Strange's love interest
Instead she will get an Age Lift and become a teenage ward to him instead, which will serve a few different purposes:
  • It will both demonstrate and provide Character Development to Strange, with the student becoming the teacher.
  • Clea being a young Cloudcuckoolander Fish out of Water can provide some comic relief and will also help her stand as a new heroine in her own right, rather than be written off as a Manic Pixie Dream Girl.
  • Clea being younger would make it seem crueler of Mordo if he attempts to kill her for being tied to dark magic, helping to show his descent into villainy and garner the audience's desire to see him defeated.
  • It will provide a new demographic for the good guys of the MCU, since it has yet to have a teenage heroine.
    • Alternatively, Clea will still be an adult, but still significantly younger than Strange.
  • She would instead undergo an Adaptational Species Change, becoming a human Brit serving as the head of the rebuilt/relocated London Sanctum.

There's a reason Avengers tower doesn't make an appearance in the New York sanctum sequence.
The reason is that Avengers tower is on the other side of the city, which meant that it was occluded by the other buildings in the skyline shot.

Other mystics of the Sanctum
  • New York: Dr. Druid, Brother Voodoo (seems a given, considering who was there in the first movie), Damien Hellstrom, Jennifer Kale
  • London: Rama Kaliph, Lord Phyffe, Count Carezzi, Durham Barim, Jeannie Suavage
  • Hong Kong: Aged Genghis

Zom will appear as an impish entity imprisoned in some artifact in Strange's Sanctourm, who tempts people with the promise of greater power if they will release him
And perhaps when the Godzilla Threshold is reached he will be released and take on a form more similar to his comics form.
  • So...like the comics, where Zom is already trapped in a small artifact?

Strange's surgical skills were connected to his mystical aptitude.
Strange is noted to both be an absolute genius neurosurgeon and a natural at the Mystic Arts. Maybe it is possible that the two were connected. Strange was subconsciously feeling the flows of energy through his patient's system, and using that to intuit exactly what was wrong with them and how to fix it.

Either as a cold open or a stinger, Strange will come into contact with one of the Spirits of Vengeance
Not likely to be Robbie Reyes, considering how separate the movies and films tend to keep characters, but Johnny Blaze, Danny Keitch or even Alejandra could be causing trouble somewhere, requiring Strange's knowledge of the occult to contain the Spirit.
  • Why not Robbie? Agents of SHIELD is nearing the end, which likely means the character and the actor would be free to be contacted without interfering with the show. Plus, if Strange explains what Spirits of Vengeance are, there wouldn't be any Continuity Lockout with Robbie, especially not if its simply a cameo.

Morgana le Fay will be revealed to have existed in the MCU
It would be a good way to elude to the All Myths Are True nature of the main Marvel universe, even if only as a throwaway reference, like saying she created a spell that one of the character's uses, or her name is applied to an artifact briefly used in the plot. Going beyond that, le Fay could even appear in future MCU films some day as a major character, possibly an old ally, enemy, or even student of The Ancient One (since she was Celtic) with a movie featuring Doctor Strange being where she'd be first introduced.

Mordo will become an actual Baron
It will be revealed there is some hereditary title he gave up to be in Kamar-Taj, and he will take it up again now.

Agomotto leaned everything he knew about the mystic arts from studying the Time Stone.
We learn very little about "the mighty Agamotto'' except that he founded the mystic arts and made a tool that allowed an adequately skilled human to wield the time stone. When Thanos uses the stone in Infinity War it creates the same circles that it does when Strange uses it. These circles resemble those used by sorcerers normally but the stone is stated to be as old as the universe, so it makes sense that this is simply a quirk of the time stone that the others don't share. We've seen in other movies that the infinity stones can be used in ways that don't specifically pertain to their spheres of influence, Red Skull used the Space Stone as a power source, Malekith and Vision used the Reality and Mind Stones, respectively, as physical weapons. Agomotto must have had incredible mental prowess to harness an infinity stone successfully, and may have learned that the same abilities could be used to harness extra-dimensional energy. Since he was already proficient in using the time stone, he could've used similar hand gestures for new spells and caused the energy to manifest in aesthetically similar ways to the time stone's power.

What Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness might look like...
  • The film will take place immediately after the first, but before Strange's brief appearance in Thor: Ragnarok.
  • Judging by the post-credits scene, Mordo will likely become the Big Bad of the sequel. If that's not the case, then most likely as Dragon-in-Chief instead.
  • It will be revealed that there are many other Sanctums on Earth (in addition to the ones in New York, London, and Hong Kong). The London Sanctum, in particular, would undergo rebuilding throughout the movie.
  • Christine Palmer will be a Damsel in Distress for most of the movie.
  • Since Scarlet Witch is confirmed to appear in the sequel, she would be seen shooting an episode of a fictitious version of the WandaVision early on.
  • Right before the climax, Strange will ask before a huge crowd who wants to come with him to the site of the climatic battle, and everyone accepts his offer. note 
    • Who does this crowd consist of exactly? The other Mystic Arts practicers? Random people on the street? It couldn't be the characters he only meets for the first time in Infinity War.
      • Umm... why not? It's not unreasonable to assume Multiverse of Madness will take place after Endgame, if that's what you're saying. By that point, he's already met and established himself to everybody, so that's not really an issue.
      • This was more of a matter of questioning how he could know them all if it is a midquel as proposed above. Really, it's more about pointing out the holes in that idea.
  • In turn, the climax itself will feature one of the biggest battles ever, second behind only that of Avengers: Endgame.
  • Since Sam Raimi is now directing the film, ideas for two interdimensional cameos:
  • Mordo will come for Wanda for what happened in WandaVision, forcing Strange to try and protect her. When he learns that Wanda is now in possession of the Darkhold, Strange will try to take it out of Wanda's hands out of fear for her safety but it causes a rift between them, which naturally results in an intense battle.
  • Much like Monica Rambeau, Strange will empathize with Wanda losing Pietro since he lost a sibling as well.
  • Wanda, using spells from the Darkhold, will tear apart the boundaries between realities looking for her children, leading to the aforementioned multiverse of madness.

Wanda may start as an antagonist in MoM
With Wanda having embraced the Scarlet Witch title as of the end of WandaVision, it's possible that Wanda will maybe start as an antagonist or butt heads with Strange, but will never be a villain.

On a meta level, it would be rather problematic. WandaVision already skirted uncomfortably close to the trope of "the woman doing terrible things because she couldn't control her emotions." Having her go full-on villain in the movie because she lost Billy and Tommy would definitely be an issue. It would also limit her future in the MCU. How do they reasonably keep her around if she continues to do terrible things?

WandaVision took House of M, a story from the comics where Wanda was mostly used as a plot device and her whole thing was "powerful women are cray cray amiright", and actually gave her agency in her grief, even though she was still doing bad things.

Furthermore, Elizabeth Olsen has described Multiverse of Madness as a continuation of WandaVision in a sense that she experiences accountability, which implies that it's about Wanda gaining control of her powers and understanding of who she is. So she may have a different perspective to Strange (due to various factors like different upbringing, and their magic manifesting in differentforms), making her slightly antagonistic, but at the end of the day, on the same side as Strange.

America Chavez will help Doctor Strange
Since America Chavez will be appearing in the sequel, she will likely be helping Doctor Strange, during part of his journey in the Multiverse.

Doctor Strange, and Scarlet Witch will team up together
Well, it wasn’t confirmed on what role Elizabeth Olsen will be playing for Wanda, with it likely that she will team up with Doctor Strange to help save her sons.

Wanda will help Strange stop Mordo
Despite being confirmed to become a villain in the sequel, She will help Doctor Strange stop Baron Mordo from eliminating the other sorcerers of the world.

Strange will show sympathy towards The Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff
Given that he had a tragic past, and Monica did also have one just like Wanda, he will show sympathy for her while convincing her to control her powers of madness.

Strange will try to help Wanda
Given that he has helped Thor, including the rest of The Avengers on stop Thanos, he will likely try to help Wanda during his journey in the Multiverse of Madness.

Wanda will become the Villain Protagonist of Doctor Strange 2
Given that she was shown to be a Villain Protagonist in both the Avengers’ Films and WandaVision, she may become the Villain Protagonist again in the sequel while trying to find her children on her journey.

Wanda will try to go on a journey to find her Children
Given that she heard her son’s voices at the end of a post-credit scene in WandaVision, it is implied that she will go on a journey in a search to look for them during part of the film.

Wanda will begin to feel remorse for her madness powers
Given that she has shown to be very much remorse for her actions in WandaVision, it is possible that once she realizes how dangerous her Witch powers are.

Loki (Variant L1130) will be returning in the sequel
Given that it was confirmed that Loki (Variant L1130) is confirmed to be returning in the sequel, he may be having a supporting role in the film.

Sylvie Laufeydottir will return in the sequel
Given that it was confirmed that she will be appearing in the sequel, she may either have a supporting role, minor role, or just a cameo.

Loki (Variant L1130) will help Strange during his journey in the Multiverse
Given that he was trying to stop Sylvie from killing He Who Remains in Loki, due to it meaning the Multiversal War will begin, he may be helping Strange during his journey in the Multiverse.

Strange will be going on a journey to the Multiverse
Given that the Multiverse is now in danger thanks to Sylvie killing He Who Remains during the season one finale of Loki, Strange may be likely going on a journey in the Multiverse to save it.

Enchantress will appear in the Multiverse of Madness
Well, since she is an enemy of Doctor Strange, it can be possible for her to appear in the Multiverse of Madness.

Sersi will be revealed to be one of Strange's ex-friends before his accident
In the comics, Sersi was a socialite who enjoyed mingling with the upper class, which at the beginning of Doctor Strange, Stephen very much is. Imagine the reunion when Strange, now Sorceror Supreme, finds out an alien god was hiding right under his nose all those years.

The Stinger will feature none other then The Beyonder
The Beyonder will be Adapted from The Comics in a completely different manner, picking pieces of the multiverse to stitch together his own Battleworld, setting up a Secret Wars (1984) adaptation that borrows elements from Marvel: Contest of Champions.

How the movie will address Strange's trauma
Writer Michael Waldron has said the sequel will deal with Strange's trauma after what he has gone through in his previous MCU appearances and he said in one interview, "How can you go deeper into the character of Stephen Strange?’ This is a guy who’s been through a lot in the last several years. What effect does that have on somebody so powerful?"

There are a number of MCU movies and shows that revolve around dealing with a character's trauma; Iron Man 3 was about Tony dealing with PTSD from New York; The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was about Bucky trying to overcome his trauma of being Winter Soldier, and WandaVision saw Wanda dealing with her grief.

And this movie will be darker than the first film, with Elizabeth Olsen comparing the sequel to Temple of Doom.

Some possibilities:

  • Strange is going to have a lot of baggage from rapid fire witnessing 14,000,604 futures where they ultimately lost to Thanos. Possibly to the point of having trouble separating them from actual experiences.
  • Strange will see a version of himself that is still a successful surgeon, and happily married to Christine; a timeline where he never crashes or he realizes he should’ve treated her better sooner, similar to the What If…? (2021) episode where she was killed in the crash and he became Strange Supreme.
  • We will finally get to see the time when he failed to save his little sister from drowning. That’s a very important backstory, that basically made Stephen who he is. It could be part of what helps influence his desire to help Wanda deal with her problems.

Wanda will harbor resentment towards Strange over Vision's death
In the one in 14,000,605 timelines where they beat Thanos, Doctor Strange surrendered the Time Stone to Thanos. This guaranteed Infinity War Thanos' victory. When he caught up to Wanda and Vision in Wakanda, he used the Time Stone to undo Wanda's sacrifice of Vision so that he could kill Vision himself for the Mind Stone, then perform the Snap, dusting Wanda.

Given that a lot of the details regarding the battles with both the Infinity War and Endgame versions of Thanos would've come out in the days after Endgame as the heroes were being debriefed, Wanda probably would've overheard on the grapevine what happened on Titan (where Doctor Strange was during that movie). This might make her resent Strange at first for indirectly getting her last loved one killed, though like in Age of Ultron, she gets over it and works with him to stop the latest threat.

Strange will know on some level about the legend of the Scarlet Witch.
  • Given that Kamar-Taj's main objective is the protection of their world from extradimensional threats, it is highly likely that they keep track of legends from other magic users, with the Scarlet Witch likely ranking near the top of of their list of possible threats.

Previous

Index

Next

  • Show Spoilers
  • Night Vision
  • Sticky Header
  • Wide Load

Important Links

Ask The Tropers Trope Finder Media Finder Trope Launch Pad Tech Wishlist Reviews Go Ad Free!
Crucial Browsing
Resources
Top