New Doctor Strange 2 Image Unites Sorcerer With America Chavez
A new image from this May's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness brings the titular sorcerer together with young hero America Chavez. After unexpected delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a complicated production, the sequel to 2016's trippy MCU installment Doctor Strange will arrive in theaters in the spring. Benedict Cumberbatch returns to play Doctor Stephen Strange, and he's joined by several other returning MCU players, including Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, and Benedict Wong. There have also been rumors that Doctor Strange 2 will include some major cameos with one, Patrick Stewart's, even being revealed in a recent trailer.
Directed by Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange 2 will continue the MCU's multiverse arc by showing the darker side of this comics concept. Most recently, the blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home demonstrated this by integrating characters from pre-MCU Spidey franchises, and Doctor Strange 2 might be following suit by looking to early Marvel movies. At the same time, it will push the franchise into the future through the introduction of those like America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a member of the Young Avengers in the comics who has the ability to travel through different dimensions.
The latest image from Doctor Strange 2 firmly places America alongside Stephen at what looks like Kamar-Taj. Released by Total Film (via GamesRadar+), the image shows both heroes looking quite serious as they direct their gazes to something out of frame. Exactly what has them looking so contemplative isn't clear, but it could have something to do with the kaiju-like monster glimpsed in the various Doctor Strange 2 trailers.
Though the specifics of her role are still mostly a mystery, America will be a big part of Doctor Strange 2's multiversal shenanigans. It's been said that her abilities intrigue Stephen and Wong (Benedict Wong), and they likely wish to keep her close. Whether that's to protect her from some unknown threat or to utilize her powers remains to be seen, but America will be bonding with some Marvel heavyweights in Doctor Strange 2. This will presumably set up America's role in future MCU projects, with the most likely one being a potential Young Avengers story. She isn't the first member of the comics team to turn up in the franchise, and she likely won't be the last.
The partnership between Doctor Strange and America holds some real promise. The first Doctor Strange established the hero as more of a standalone guy who doesn't trust very easily, and imagining a character like that suddenly turning to a teenager for assistance sounds like a lot of fun. It might be similar to Doctor Strange's relationship with Peter Parker (Tom Holland), but will hopefully also introduce new layers to the character. With so many MCU heroes making up Doctor Strange 2, one has to hope that everyone will get a proper moment to shine. At the very least, America will be right at the heart of the action, so fans can expect to see a lot of her and her new mentor together.
Source: Total Film (via GamesRadar+)