Director Sam Raimi Answers Everyone's Burning Question About Doctor Strange 2
With "Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness" slated to come out in theaters on May 6, the world is gearing up for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's follow-up foray into the multiverse. Following the events of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and the "Loki" TV series, which introduced the concept of the multiverse to audiences, we have come to learn that the world(s) of Marvel is as infinite as it is interesting. However, the multiverse is also dangerous. Anything can happen in the multiverse, and the deliberate horror elements throughout the new film suggest that Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) may encounter some things that are beyond their scope of power.
That's definitely saying something since Strange and Maximoff have been set up as two of the most powerful people in the MCU. Those who remember Strange's last few MCU appearances might remember him controlling tidal waves, going toe-to-toe with Thanos (Josh Brolin) for a while, and completely rewriting aspects of the universe. Meanwhile, Maximoff might be even more scary-strong than Strange. "WandaVision" shows her rewriting reality from nothing, resurrecting the dead, and discovering her identity as the fabled Scarlet Witch.
This, of course, raises the obvious question of whether these two supposed powerhouses are equipped to handle what lies beyond their universe. However, it also digs up one of the age-old questions of comic books — who would win in a fight between the two? Thankfully, horror-superhero director extraordinaire, Sam Raimi, has answered everyone's burning question about the two characters.
In the fight between magician and Maximoff, Raimi says both could win
In a recent interview with Fandango, published on April 6, Sam Raimi went in-depth regarding what fans will see in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." He talked about Strange and Maximoff's characters, the fun of blending horror tropes into a superhero film, and the appearance of alternate-universe versions of the main characters. He also revealed who he thought would win in a fight between Maximoff and Strange. "If you were to pit them against each other, different altered versions of themselves ... there could be a Doctor Strange out there that's more powerful than our Wanda," Raimi said. "Or there could be a Wanda out there who is more powerful than our Wanda here. So, because of these altered versions, it's all a mixed bag of possibilities."
Sadly, this may not be the definitive answer that Marvel theorists are looking for, but Raimi actually takes the question seriously before giving his answer, comparing Maximoff's raw magical power to Strange's extended knowledge and support from Kamar-Taj. However, this may also just be Raimi being strategic. He dodges a few questions throughout this interview, like whether or not Bruce Campbell is set to appear in the film. So, it's possible that "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" already answers this question, and Raimi simply doesn't want to spoil the fun for us before the film hits theaters in May.