New Doctor Strange Multiverse Of Madness Trailer Breakdown: Here's What We See
Marvel has dropped a new trailer for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," and this one is pretty heavy on callbacks, alternate reality shenanigans, some directorial indulgences, and a few heavy regrets. Of course, the world (and possibly, the whole universe) is again at stake here, in a suitably mystic-heavy way. The eponymous character is shown dreaming about his ex-girlfriend on a marriage altar, while Wanda's dreams are nightmares with all forms of inexplicable paranormal horror.
The trailer also gives us another glimpse of Wong played by Benedict Wong, friend-turned-foe Karl Mordo rocking a rune-powered sword and brought to life by Chiwetel Ejiofor, and newcomer America Chavez played by Xochitl Gomez. Since this film is all about magic and the fantastic, we also see a giant octopus monster, strolling villainously on a busy street, and casually throwing a giant bus at the Sorcerer Supreme. But here are three things that really stood out in the new trailer.
Note: There are spoilers ahead for those who aren't up to date with the Marvel universe.
Evil Strange opens his third eye
A rather unsettling scene in the new trailer is Strange's alternate dimension evil version who has apparently decided to pull another trick out of his magical bag: a third eye. It might look like just another cosmetic addition to up the ante for horror feels, but folks familiar with Hindu mythology will recognize that this isn't really a good omen.
The third eye is associated with Shiva, one of the big three godly triumvirates of Hinduism. That third eye, well, it portends devastation. It is a symbol of Shiva's fiery rage and sheer destructive potential. Legend has it that Kamadeva, the god of lust and love, once dared to disrupt Shiva's meditation. At that moment, the third eye opened and burnt the mischievous god to ashes. The third eye also lets Shiva peer into a universe that the other two eyes can't see. Evil Strange opening a third eye is definitely not a good sign for the real Strange and his clique.
The Third Eye of Horus is also an item bestowed upon X-Men's Beast by... Doctor Strange. It allowed the mutant to see magical creatures from alternate dimensions. In one of the comics, the Eye of Agamotto affixes itself to Strange's forehead like a third eye. Does that mean Evil Strange owns the mystical artifact — and the Infinity Stone inside it that controls time — in his reality? If that's the case, we're in for some time travel drama in the upcoming film.
Zombies cometh to Marvel cinema
We see multiple versions of Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, and Doctor Christine Palmer in the trailer, with one of them being a zombie. Now, undead versions of Marvel's superheroes have already appeared in the "What If...?" animated series, and it looks like "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" will introduce them to the live-action cinematic universe. While the addition of zombies only adds to the horror flavor, it also falls right up the alley of the film's director, Sam Raimi.
And what better person to handle some undead characters on screen than the man behind "Evil Dead," a franchise that gave us Ash Williams and his comically grotesque zombie-killing adventures? When asked if the iconic character played by Bruce Campbell will make a cameo in the film, Raimi told Fandango that he isn't allowed to answer that question. The typical Marvel secrecy oath is at play here, again. But that doesn't mean all hope is lost.
Wanda's children are back, somehow
Wanda bid her children a heartbreaking goodbye in the series finale of WandaVision, but somehow, they are back in the upcoming film. However, it is unclear if the segment showing her sons Billy and Tommy are real, or figments from the nightmares she describes in the trailer. WandaVision's post-credits showed her reading the Book of the Damned she got from Agatha Harkness and practicing chaos magic, which is when she hears her children's voices calling to her. If Marvel lore is any indication, chaos magic rarely brings anything constructive out of it.
But did Wanda manipulate it well enough to bring back her children in the upcoming film? That's a question for another day. Nightmare is also a Marvel character who is the king of Dream Dimension, a realm where dreams manifest as reality. We're not sure what Wanda means when she utters the word nightmare in the trailer, whether she is telling Strange about the namesake character or just talking about her bad dreams.
Tickets are now on sale for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," and it hits the theaters on May 6.