Everything You Need To Watch To Prepare For ‘Multiverse Of Madness’
We are less than a month away from the anticipated second installment of Doctor Strange's solo film slate and it's time to catch up! Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premiers in theaters May 6th. I am lucky to be sitting in the theater for it May 5th, alongside my closest nerd friends! However, one of those friends isn't as versed in the Marvel universe that has taken root on Disney+ as the rest of us, so while we sat and rushed through WandaVision this past weekend, I thought it might be useful to share my guide of what to watch in order to prepare to step into the Multiverse.
Now, you have to understand what to expect out of this next massive blockbuster in order to track what you are needing to watch. This article will include absolutely necessary pieces of information and my own personal recommendations. Let it be known that this list is 100% spoiler free! Let's get started!
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Of course, one of the main essential pieces to view is the first Doctor Strange film. Packed with trippy (and I actually mean that) sequences and impressive fights, the movie focuses on the birth of Stephen Strange's sorcery dabbling. It sets up the character, and other supporting relationships, that have a massive place in the next film. It also shows just how Strange became, well.. strange. It's an excellent film and still holds my attention to this day.
Let me start this next section by stating that Wanda Maximoff is hands down one of my favorite Marvel ladies, aside from Natasha Romanoff, Daisy Johnson, Melinda May, and others. Wanda has such depth and range that seeing her onscreen causes me heartache, but in a good way! Her series, WandaVision, was one of the first Disney+ Marvel projects to stream. It started off fun and wholesome, and shifted to dark and mysterious. I adore the series and it's incredibly important to the upcoming Doctor Strange movie, as it sets up Wanda's new life and how she comes into her destiny. Pieces and plot points from the show have already been featured in the trailers for the next MCU project, so it would be good to fill in the gaps if you haven't already!
My next recommendation is Loki. I think most people can agree that Loki was a well deserved project for Tom Hiddleston. The solo project set up quite a lot of major characters and a potential villain or two, depending on how you look at it. It also happens to be one of the main events that sends the multiverse into a spiral and introduces the concept of variants, which are an absolutely required concept to understand in the MCU at its current state. Variants are running rampant all across the universe, which leads me into our next two important viewing pieces.
Spider Man: No Way Home personally broke my heart with no remorse. It's currently sitting in my top 5 Marvel movies. All of the surprises kept me on the edge of my seat, and if you have been lucky enough to not have had them ruined for you, I hope you will take me seriously when I say that it is essential. No Way Home takes Stephen Strange's actions and runs directly into the next Doctor Strange film, similarly to how it takes WandaVision and picks up where we left off with Wanda's new path.
One of the most interesting Marvel projects to hit streaming services for Phase Four is What If...?, a series of semi-one shot episodes asking the important questions. It's a bewildering concept and opens us up more to the concept of variants. An idea introduced by Loki and No Way Home. It's packed full with action and interesting curiosities. The series is narrated by Jeffrey Wright, who has been making quite the splash in some big flicks during this very long Westworld hiatus (can you tell I miss it?). Jeffrey voices The Watcher, the eye in the sky that watches over our heroes as they travel down different paths than what we're used to. What If...? is essential viewing to prepare for MoM for the sake of a few very specific episodes that have been referenced in promotional material. I suggest sitting for the whole series, but if you'd like the crash course I recommend watching episodes 1, 4, 5, 8, 9.
Now, that's mostly it for the most important viewing options, but there are a few suggested pieces to look into as well. Some of these are based off of speculation that could very well be true, or just filling in some gaps if you're fresh into the MCU. You can find the rest of the suggestions below:
Original X-Men Trilogy: It is highly possible, and mostly confirmed, that Patrick Stewarts Charles Xavier is making his return in MoM. It more than likely will be a quick cameo, but still exciting!
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: a fantastic new introduction to the MCU that had cameos from Wong, Stephen Strange's magical counterpart and friend. This isn't confirmed, but it wouldn't be out of left field!
Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War: Both of these movies contain a ton of information regarding Wanda Maximoff and her powers. It's a major part of her character development that shouldn't be overlooked.
Avengers: Infinity War & Avengers: Endgame: Both of these movies hold MAJOR significant events that are too important to ignore. They properly set up the aftermath that our favorite characters, that survived at least, are personally dealing with in Phase Four.
There are some other suspected cameos that could be worth mentioning, but the internet is rampant with thousands of fan theories that we would rather let be until the film premiers.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters May 6th, with some theaters releasing a day early on May 5th. Tickets are on sale now, so don't hesitate to snag a seat and get ready for a trip!
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Source(s):Murphy's Multiverse