Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Things you need to know about

As Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits UK cinemas, here's a few things you need to know before watching Marvel's newest movie.

Who is Doctor Strange?

In an accident, Stephen Strange, a famous brain surgeon, loses the ability to use his hands. He goes to visit the mysterious Ancient One to heal himself and becomes a great sorcerer in the process.

Doctor Strange made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2016's movie, titled Doctor Strange.

In that film, Benedict Cumberbatch starred as the arrogant surgeon turned master of the mystic arts, Sorcerer Supreme and the guardian of the Time Stone.

He has appeared in six Marvel movies so far, including Avengers: Endgame and last year's Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Multiverse of Marvel movies

The Marvel Cinematic Universe just keeps on getting bigger!

There are a lot of Marvel movies and that's not to mention several series that have been released to stream on Disney+, so it can sometimes be a little confusing as to when and where each new release fits in with the bigger story.

The Multiverse of Madness is set a few months after Spider-Man: No Way Home and sometime after the first season of the Loki series.

Just like the last Spider-Man movie and Marvel's Avengers: Endgame, the Multiverse of Madness provides more cameos and crossovers than you can shake Thor's hammer at.

Fans will have spotted connections to WandaVision with Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, having a big role in the new film.

Meanwhile eagle-eyed viewers watching the trailers may have noticed zombie versions of a few characters as seen in the MCU's What If...? series, as well as Patrick Stewart's Professor X, the founder of the X-Men, who is appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time.

The Spider-Man connection

Dr Strange tries to 'help' in No Way Home

The director of Multiverse of Madness, is Sam Raimi, who also directed Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man movies in the 00s.

Rami says that the new film is a direct continuation of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which also saw Maguire return in the Spider-Man role.

In that film, Dr. Strange cast a spell that caused everyone to forget the existence of Peter Parker in an attempt to stop the multiverse from exploding.

At the end of the movie the spell appeared to have worked, but it's been heavily hinted that Doctor Strange's actions in Spider-Man could have huge consequences in the Multiverse of Madness.

Who is America Chavez?

America Chavez is the newest hero making her debut in the Multiverse of Madness.

The teenager has the unique super-power that allows her to open doorways to alternate dimensions.

Chevez isn't just new to the MCU, she is pretty new to Marvel comics too.

Having been first introduced in 2011, she is Marvel's first Latin-American LGBTQ+ character and Marvel has also confirmed that she will still have an LGBTQ+ connection seen in the comics in live action.

Speaking about her inclusion - the man behind Marvel Studios - Kevin Feige said: "We always say that these films represent the world as it is - the world outside your window. That aspect of America's character is from the comics, so we always want to adapt them as well and as truthfully as we can."

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