Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) is a superhero film adapted from Marvel Comics, directed by Sam Raimi and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen. The film is part of the MCU and was released by Marvel Studios. Runtime: 2h 6m. Rated PG-13. Audience rating: 6.9/10.
What is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) about?
Doctor Strange teams with a mysterious teenager who can travel between multiverses, but their journey threatens to unleash unspeakable evil as they encounter the Scarlet Witch.
Released in 2022, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was directed by Sam Raimi and produced under the Marvel Studios banner. The film occupies a significant place within the MCU — contributing to the ongoing narrative and mythology of that cinematic universe.
The film features lead performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Rachel McAdams, among others, anchoring a story that adapts characters first brought to life in Marvel Comics. Its source material gives the film a foundation rooted in decades of published storytelling, which Raimi and the creative team interpret through a cinematic lens.
Its 6.9 rating reflects a film that divided audiences — appreciated for its ambition and spectacle by some, criticized for pacing and execution by others. Its place in the genre remains a frequent discussion point.
What happens in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)? — Full Plot
We open with Stephen Strange — not our Strange. A variant of Strange running through a multiversal void with a teenage Latina girl named America Chavez, fighting a giant monstrosity. The Strange-variant is killed. America escapes through a portal. The opening is the first signal that this is, structurally, a slasher horror film with Doctor Strange in the slasher's path.
Cut to: our Stephen Strange attending the wedding of his ex-girlfriend Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams). The reception is interrupted by a tentacled creature — Gargantos — attacking the streets of Manhattan and chasing America Chavez. Strange and Wong engage in the rescue. America reveals she's a multiverse-traveler being hunted across dimensions by a witch using rune magic. Strange takes her to the New York Sanctum.
Strange visits Wanda Maximoff at her remote Westview retreat, hoping she can help defend against the witch. He finds Wanda completely composed. Cordial. 'You broke the rules. You took the easy way.' Wanda is the witch. She has been corrupted by the Darkhold — the same book of cursed magic that she encountered briefly in 2015 and that fully consumed her at the end of WandaVision (2021). She wants America's multiverse-traveling powers so she can find a universe where her sons Billy and Tommy (created in WandaVision) exist for real. America's power, if extracted, will kill her.
Strange and America flee to a different universe — Earth-838 — looking for help. They arrive at the headquarters of the Illuminati, a parallel-Earth secret organization. The members include: Reed Richards (John Krasinski, in his first live-action MCU appearance), Captain Carter, Black Bolt, Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel, Mordo as Sorcerer Supreme, and — in the trailer-spoiling moment — Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart, reprising the role from X-Men (2000) and the surrounding films). The Illuminati explains: their universe's Strange was corrupted by the Darkhold and used multiverse-jumping in a way that nearly destroyed reality. They had to execute him. Their universe's Wanda destroyed Mount Wundagore.
Wanda follows Strange and America to Earth-838. The Illuminati confronts her. In a five-minute sequence that genuinely shocked theatres, Wanda murders every single member of the Illuminati. Reed Richards is shredded into spaghetti. Black Bolt's mouth is sealed so he can't scream. Professor X is mind-controlled to death. Captain Marvel is crushed under a statue. America saves Strange and they escape. The Illuminati universe is destroyed. Wanda follows. America's powers manifest. Strange, with America's help, returns to Earth-616.
The climax takes place at Mount Wundagore — the same mythical site from the comic-book where the Scarlet Witch's powers originated. Wanda has used the Darkhold to perform a 'dreamwalking' spell that lets her possess her Earth-838 self's body. Strange counter-dreamwalks into the body of his own corpse from Earth-838 — fighting Wanda while temporarily inhabiting a decomposing version of himself in a sequence that looks and feels exactly like a Sam Raimi film. Strange ultimately convinces America to use her own powers, which she has just begun to control. America transports Wanda to the multiverse where her sons exist. Wanda meets the real Billy and Tommy in their living room. They are afraid of her. 'Mommy, please don't hurt us.'
Wanda, finally seeing herself through her children's eyes, destroys Mount Wundagore with herself inside. Every copy of the Darkhold across the multiverse is destroyed. The film closes on Strange — back in Earth-616, with a third eye now embedded on his forehead from the dreamwalking corruption — meeting a sorceress named Clea (Charlize Theron in the mid-credits) who tells him a multiverse incursion is incoming. Strange has caused this, indirectly. 'Doctor Strange! You've created an incursion. We have to fix it. Will you come with me?' Strange grins, opens a third eye, and follows her into a portal. The film cuts to black.
Multiverse of Madness grossed $955 million globally — slightly above the original Doctor Strange. The film established the multiversal-incursion premise that anchors Avengers: Doomsday (December 2026) and Secret Wars. Patrick Stewart's appearance was the most-cited single Easter egg of any 2022 MCU release. Sam Raimi has not directed another Marvel film since but has been linked to multiple potential future projects.
Who stars in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)?
Find Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) on Amazon
Watch Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on Prime Video, browse the original Marvel Comics source material, and discover Blu-rays, soundtracks, and related merchandise on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Link clicks do not affect editorial coverage — see our disclaimer.
What are some facts about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)?
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness released in 2022, placing it within the 2020s era of comic book cinema — a decade that saw superhero films become the dominant force at the global box office.
Directed by Sam Raimi, the film was produced by Marvel Studios and adapts source material from Marvel Comics.
The principal cast features Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen, with key supporting roles played by Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor.
The film belongs to MCU — the Marvel Cinematic Universe — the highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness carries an audience rating of 6.9 — a middling reception but one that hasn't prevented its cultural footprint.
The Marvel Comics source material for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been in continuous publication for decades, giving filmmakers a rich well of storylines, character arcs, and iconography to draw upon.
Modern superhero films like this one use a mix of practical effects and digital VFX, with entire sequences often shot against volume walls or LED stages pioneered by shows like The Mandalorian.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is catalogued on Movies on Comics among our collection of 162 comic book films spanning 48 years of cinema — from Richard Donner's 1978 Superman to the present day.
