If you’ve just seen Marvel in a new light thanks to Sam Raimi in this film, you’ll definitely need some time to adjust. If you haven’t seen it yet, do it as soon as possible since this is a film that will alter your perspective! While we don’t know if the film is as huge or as great as it could have been, it is unquestionably more surprising than you could think! The shocks keep coming, and they never cease to astound, whether it’s Sam Raimi’s savage storytelling style, the unapologetically violent sequences, or the plot’s unpredictable twists and turns.
We’ve previously shared our initial thoughts on the film, but a project as unusual as this demands a little more attention to detail. As a result, this movie focuses on complex details, subtle narrative elements, and a summary of the whole film. This one, however, has some spoilers, so be aware of what you’re about to enter!
What’s the movie all about
The Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps getting stronger with each new addition, and this movie does well to bolster the extensive cinematic lore. The story revolves around the titular Doctor Strange, who finds himself caught in the complicated web of the multiverse, a concept that has turned out to be a wishing well for Marvel that never disappoints! We see aging, and perhaps more mature Doctor Strange, who attends the wedding of his lady love.
Is he truly happy? Well, no points for guessing that the answer is in the negative for this one! While he tries to put up a brave front, he is rattled by an other-dimensional creature making a sudden appearance. The creature is after a young girl, who turns out to be America Chavez, the unique new addition to the cinematic universe, who is capable of inter-dimensional travel. She is being pursued a reason, and Doctor Strange and Sorcerer Supreme Wong get caught up in a mystery, the magnitude of which they had no idea!
Wanda Maximoff has fallen prey to the temptations of the Darkhold, and she has embraced a side of hers that was best left untouched. The understanding woman who made peace with the tragedies in her life now wants the best of the multiple universes for herself – in short, she wants a universe, where she is truly happy! Don’t we all?
Yes, this is exactly why you will never be able to truly hate her, even as she takes on the intimidating role of the Scarlet Witch! She is basically hungry for something so basic, a family structure so essential, and warmth so missing in her life, that the audience is bound to feel pity and connect to her on a personal level.
But make no mistake, she does not pull back her punches, and the body count rises significantly in this movie. Sam Raimi as a director, has been given the license, and his raw style of filmmaking and the horror influence is there for all to see right from the first major action scene, where the monster’s eye pops out after Doctor Strange stabs into it!
The Scarlet Witch is after the powers of America Chavez – a power that will allow her to reunite with her kids in other universes. However, sucking out the lifeforce of America Chavez would mean death for her, a prospect that doesn’t bother the Scarlet Witch in the least because the Darkhold influence has shrouded her rational thinking good side.
When Doctor Strange from one universe fails to protect America Chavez, she makes a run for it and encounters Doctor Strange in Earth-616, who turns out to be the capable warrior to travel with her across multiple universes, while trying to protect the young lady. Yes, there are no prizes for guessing that things boil down to an epic fight, but the ending has another surprise awaiting you.
Ending Explained – what does it mean going ahead?
The Scarlet Witch is an entity that commands respect, even from the mighty Doctor Strange, and even the combined power of all sorcerers at Kamar-Taj led by Wong! Their magic is no match for the invincible powers of the Scarlet Witch, and in the end, it takes something rather special and unexpected to get the better of her.
In fact, it is not Doctor Strange, despite his best efforts, but America Chavez, who finally gains enough self-belief to control her powers courtesy of the crucial pep-talk by the stylish wizard! She makes the Scarlet Witch witness the horror that she instilled in her kids from one of the universes, where she threatened their mother to take over the role. In one of the most emotional moments in the movie, she is reduced to tears as she watches the fear and hates in the eyes of her children. It is a move that makes her realize the true extent of the damage that she unleashed over the universe, and she gives up on her relentless pursuit.
She realizes that her kids are well-loved in this universe, and she knows she must give up on her unusual ambitions. She even destroys the Darkhold temple, the place where she perfected her mystical powers and ensures that no one else is subjected to the kind of temptations that she was. It is back to our beloved, familiar version of Wanda, the emotional but rational one who doesn’t risk everything for personal pleasures.
In a rather adorable climax, we see America Chavez training in the Kamar-Taj, after Wanda Maximoff destroys all versions of the book across the multiverse, eliminating the possibility for others to use the spell. But, there is one small twist that leaves the viewers in some confusion. It has been made abundantly clear throughout the narrative that those who use the Darkhold have to deal with some kind of adverse effects.
Doctor Strange resorts to this as a last resort after everything else fails, and uses the Darkhold to possess his own dead body from another universe. Although the plan succeeds eventually, we are left wondering what the consequences would hold for him. While he manages to save the day, for now, traversing across the multiverse seems to have created an incursion that threatens the very balance of the multiverse.
Future projects might be concerned about addressing the anomalies created and restoring order to the multiverse, but we are pretty sure that the character of America Chavez is here to stay. This loveable character has won the hearts of the fans, and the fact that she stays behind Earth-616 indicates that she has more to accomplish. She has only just learned the use of her real powers, and it will take some time before she masters it completely.
After that, she might be more than a useful asset in taking down the baddies and don’t be surprised if you see a couple of movies or a series dedicated to this character in the future. Besides, we still didn’t get any closure around the fate of her parents or her own world, and these answers might be on their way in these future projects.
The Curious Case of the Post-Credits scene – the possible implications
We see a brief moment of madness with Sinister Strange from a destroyed universe, and after a memorable musical fight, the evil variant dies a shocking death Sam Raimi style as he is impaled on a spiky gate! Sinister Strange had developed the Third Eye, and the first post-credit sequence makes it clear that Doctor Strange has now been bestowed with the Third Eye. This is probably because he used the Darkhold, and the ill-effects of the strong magic lurk around the user and mess with their mind in some form.
However, the Third Eye doesn’t necessarily mean evil because it is actually a talisman that shows the truth to the one who wields it. The comic books suggest that only those with a pure heart are blessed with the Third Eye, but then, Sinister Strange possessing the Third Eye does change the equations a bit for the cinematic universe.
There is no doubt that Doctor Strange used the Darkhold for noble purposes, to stop the uncontrollable Scarlet Witch, and to protect a young lady. Since his intentions were pure, it might explain that his Third Eye development has nothing to do with him turning to embrace his evil side.
However, it is quite possible that there will be shades of darkness in Doctor Strange from now on! Another notable, almost jaw-dropping appearance in the post-credits is that of Clea, a character previously unexplored by the cinematic universe. She appears all of a sudden from a portal, and the mysterious lady seeks the help of Doctor Strange to fix the anomalies in the system due to his incursions.
He doesn’t hesitate before jumping through the portal to help her out, and this is certainly an indication of how things are going to pan out going ahead. Someone as big as Clea is surely not introduced just for fun, and she is going to be a crucial character down the road. The comic book narratives portray Clea as the invincible sorceress of the Dark Dimension, and one of the story arcs even shows her marrying Doctor Strange. Her powers are extreme and her arrival can only mean one thing – we are not done with the multiverse yet!
The Fate of the Illuminati
You could call them Earth-838’s very own organization of superheroes, just like the Avengers on Earth-616. The Illuminati had a brief, yet eventful presence in the narrative, and the likes of Mr. Fantastic, Black Bolt, Captain Carter, Captain Marvel, and Professor X, accompanied by Mordo, became a part of one of the best fight scenes in the movie.
Wanda facing off against the superheroes is a treat to watch, especially because she slaughters them in a typical slasher flick style! Captain Carter is split into two parts by her own shield, Professor X gets his neck snapped like a used soda can, and Mister Fantastic is literally mutilated at her will. The gory deaths soon make it clear that the Illuminati is eliminated in this universe.
But one thing to consider is the presence of some big names cast in these roles, and whether Marvel would cast someone like like Patrick Stewart just for a five-minute appearance! The other universes might still have them, or you might just get to see a movie featuring one or all of these characters pretty soon.
What happens to Scarlet Witch?
This is another raging question that has provoked the fans at the end of the movie. After realizing the havoc that she caused, she is seen acknowledging her mistake and making sure that others do not repeat the same. She oversees the collapse of the Darkhold temple and destroys the book containing the cursed spells in all universes. We see the temple collapsing on her, and it might be easy to be misled into thinking that she is dead.
The post-credits have no indication of her being alive, but it would be rather unlikely of Marvel to end the story arc of such an important character so abruptly. Her spells are surely capable enough to protect her from the falling slabs of rocks, and if she is alive it also keeps the possibility of the Scarlet Witch coming back once again because she is too strong an entity to be defeated permanently.
The bigger question is what does the second post-credits really mean! Previously, we saw a street-food seller on Earth-838 suffer the wrath of Doctor Strange. A small spell ensured that he kept punching himself, and a smirking Doctor Strange suggested that he would go on for about three weeks! Well, in the second post-credits scene he finally stops! How did he survive so long after constantly punching and hitting himself! Could he eat or drink during the whole time, and if not what has kept him alive! Jokes apart, maybe, you should just leave after the first post-credits because the second one is a dud!
The movie, however, is no dud and it clearly delivered on multiple levels. It explored the vast potential of Marvel going ahead, even in the absence of some of the big guns. It showed the capability of the Marvel cinematic universe to turn darker than usual, and Sam Raimi has proven that he is the right man for the job. We certainly hope for further associations with the director, and the next Marvel movie will be worth waiting for! Are you truly happy in this universe? If not, watching the new Doctor Strange movie can certainly change your feelings!