America Chavez's Powers In Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Explained
Contains spoilers for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"
"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" does not waste any time introducing audiences to America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez). The film opens on the teenager and a version of Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) attempting to reach the Book of Vishanti before a demon stops them and catches America. The character is brand new to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and represents the youthful energy Marvel Studios seeks to develop in new heroes now that the MCU is without major lead characters in Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), and Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson).
America, first introduced in Marvel comics in 2011 and given her own starring run in 2017, stands as Marvel Studios' first Latina LGBTQ+ character. Per Marvel, this teenaged version of the character is younger than America has ever appeared in a comic run, paving the way for America to star in the MCU potentially for years to come.
"It was a fun challenge exploring what a younger and less experienced America might be," Gomez told Marvel.com about the new movie. "I wanted to keep that kid energy and a little bit of that fake-it-till-you-make-it confidence."
Much has been made of America's introduction in the "Doctor Strange" sequel alongside MCU veterans Stephen Strange, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), and Wong (Benedict Wong). Marvel Studios kept a tight lid on information concerning America's specific powers, though — and the movie reveals that they are truly out of this world.
America Chavez can travel through the multiverse, but she doesn't know how it works
In the "Doctor Strange" sequel, America Chavez primarily shows off the unique ability to create a star-shaped portal to other universes within the MCU's multiverse — a power that Stephen Strange and Wong have never encountered before. America also displays the potential to have a form of super strength late in the movie.
Shortly after America meets the sorcerers, she explains that she has the ability to travel across the multiverse. At the start of the movie, though, America doesn't know how to make it happen intentionally. She only knows that she accidentally opens portals to new universes when she feels scared; audiences first see this when a monster kills an alternate version of Strange and nearly captures her in the movie's opening minutes. It's not until the film's climax that America gains control over her multiverse-hopping abilities. When America does directly fight Wanda, she delivers a super-heavy punch, suggesting America has a surprising strength level in hand-to-hand combat, as well as her multiverse-hopping primary skill. America also intentionally sends Wanda to Earth-838, displaying an inordinate level of control over the power in not only time, but destination.
But wait — there's more. America's multiverse-traveling portal creation abilities and potential super strength are only the tip of the iceberg, if we're drawing any conclusions from her comics iteration. In the source material, she also displays the ability to fly and move at super-speed. She even demonstrates near-invulnerability. This makes her absurdly powerful. Fortunately for the stakes of this film, the MCU's America is not at that level yet.