After a recent splash into the multiverse with Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel Studios dives right into the chaos with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. At the helm of the film is director Sam Raimi, better known for making the first Spider-Man trilogy and the Evil Dead series. This marks Raimi’s return to Marvel for the first time in 15 years. The official synopsis reads “Dr. Stephen Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens the doorway to the multiverse, including alternate versions of himself, whose threat to humanity is too great for the combined forces of Strange, Wong, and Wanda Maximoff.” The film has been positively received, with praise for Raimi’s direction, visual effects, and performances (particularly Elizabeth Olsen as Maximoff).

Picking up where No Way Home left off, this sequel sees Doctor Strange and his allies become centered by a multiversal threat, especially with the introduction of the reality-hopping teen America Chavez. This also includes the Scarlet Witch, who has since dealt with the aftermath of her family’s fate; It is highly recommended to watch “WandaVision” and “What If…” before the film, both available on Disney+.

It goes without saying that the film is crafted in a way only Sam Raimi could make. With a fresh, unfamiliar sense of horror and turmoil, Multiverse of Madness is certainly one of Marvel’s darkest and boldest. However, this boldness may feel as if it is just fanservice, with no promise of future use. Perhaps that is the point of this boldness, to explore the Marvel multiverse in a safe, self-contained way. Despite whether or not how crucial this film is for future movies, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a wild, welcomed mind-trip by Sam Raimi.

Rating: 3.5/5