The films and shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) are always connected, some in more obvious ways than others.
This is certainly true of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as the events are influenced by the films and TV shows that came before it, particularly the Disney+ Marvel shows.
From WandaVision to animated series What If...?, and even to The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, here Newsweek will explore all the links these have to the sorcerer's solo sequel.
1. Wanda Gets the Darkhold in 'WandaVision'
One of the most obvious links between WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), who has embraced her abilities as the Scarlet Witch.
Part of her skill comes from the Darkhold, a book of spells that she obtained from Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) at the end of the show.
Wanda uses this book in her quest to find America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), aka Ms. America, so she can take her powers to traverse the multiverse and find one where she can be with her children Billy (Julian Hilliard) and Tommy (Jett Klyne).
2. Strange Supreme and Captain Carter in 'What If...?'
What If...? has several connections to Doctor Strange 2 particularly when the sorcerer (Benedict Cumberbatch) and America travel across multiverses.
Two of the multiverses the characters end up in make reference to What If...? so if you didn't watch the animated Disney+ series then you may well have missed it.
Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell) is the center of the show's first episode, which explores what might have happened had she been the one to take the Super Soldier Serum rather than Steve Rogers (Chris Evans).
Atwell's hero appears in Doctor Strange 2 as a member of the Illuminati, the multiverse's version of the Avengers.
On that note, another multiverse that Doctor Strange visits sees him encounter himself, a version who has gone down an evil path after taking control of the Darkhold.
This variant is known as Strange Supreme, and the way in which the character falls into darkness is explored in What If...? episode 4, though it may well be a different version to the one shown in the film.
3. Young Avengers Assemble!
Marvel has been building towards the Young Avengers for some time, with several team members being introduced in the Disney+ shows.
The most recent superhero to be brought into the MCU who is a part of the Young Avengers is Ms. America, but Wanda's children, who go by Speed and Wiccan, are also members of the team and feature in the film.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier teased the rise of Eli Bradley (Elijah Richardson) as Patriot, a character inspired by Sam Wilson, while Loki introduced Kid Loki (Jack Veal) and Hawkeye brought in Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld).
Other characters who could be included in the Young Avengers include Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), and Ironheart (Dominique Thorne).
4. Wanda Hears Her Children in the Multiverse
In the post-credit scene for WandaVision, Wanda is seen using the Darkhold to search the many multiverses for her children, and she comes across one where Billy and Tommy are pleading for their mom to "help them."
This scene appears to then be referenced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness when America sends Wanda to the multiverse where she took over that variant's body to attack her and Doctor Strange and Billy and Tommy cry for help from their version of her.
While it's not clear if this scene is the exact same as what Wanda hears in the post-credit scene of WandaVision it is certainly eerily similar.
5. The Multiverse Is Set Loose in 'Loki'
Originally it seemed like Loki would have more of an impact on the story in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness because it ends with Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) killing He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) and setting the multiverse loose.
However, it appears as if the cataclysmic event is not yet having a direct impact on the MCU, because while Doctor Strange and America travel to different multiverses there is no mention of them all interlinking and fighting for dominance as predicted in Loki.
Perhaps the fact there even are multiverses means that Loki has impacted the story in the MCU, because the so-called Sacred Timeline has been disrupted and thus gave way to the different universes existing.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is out in theaters now.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Roxy Simons is a Newsweek TV and Film Reporter (SEO), based in London, U.K. Her focus is reporting on the ... Read more
