Strange 2: what should we understand from the end of the Marvel film?

The following article contains spoilers regarding “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”, stop reading at the risk of spoiling some surprises!

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is in theaters now and features the new single-player adventure of Stephen Strange, Master of the Mystical Arts, forced to provide protection for a teenage girl with uncontrollable powers.

During the film, we can see the Strange that we have always known (the one from Earth 616) confronting “Sinister Strange”, one of its variants which has a third eye on its forehead. After a duel with musical notes, Sinister Strange ends up impaled on spikes, like Saruman in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings.

We notice despite everything when Christine comes to examine his body that the third eye of Sinister Strange is still very much alive! Worse still, during the last scene of the feature film before the credits, the viewer finds that the Strange of Earth 616 now wears a third eye. But what does that really mean?

The MCU/Comics Difference

In the comics, the third eye that sometimes appears on Doctor Strange’s forehead is a manifestation of his “mystical eye”, the Eye of Agamotto. The latter allows one to see through illusions, see the past, teleport individuals, and locate corporeal or ethereal human beings. It is also an object that evil creatures hate because it is harmful to them.

In the MCU, Agamotto’s Medallion has so far been used to house the Infinity Stone of Time, but is also used by Dr. Strange to assess all possibilities of defeating Thanos. The latter destroys the locket during the Battle of Titan in Avengers: Infinity War.

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However, in Spider-Man: No Way Home then Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the medallion is present, no doubt recreated by the Master of the Mystical Arts. It is still unknown what his current powers are.

It is therefore that this third eye reflects something else. So what to imagine?

Our theories

• The first possible theory is that the third eye appearing on the forehead is a physical manifestation that the character has used evil Darkhold powers. And as Strange and his friends say in the film: “It’s not magic, it’s witchcraft” (“it’s not sorcery, it’s witchcraft”). Which would suggest that black magic leaves traces on those who abuse it, like Sinister Strange.

But in this case, one wonders why Scarlet Witch does not have a third eye if it appears on the forehead of any being who has used the Darkhold. Perhaps Wanda’s excessive powers protect her and can explain this potential inconsistency?

• The second theory has it that the Third Eye is a malign, evil presence uncorrelated from the Darkhold, which possessed Sinister Strange’s mind and “changed hosts”, to parasitize the mind of Earth 616’s Stephen Strange. , who will pay the price in the future?

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• Hadn’t the Elder said to Strange in his first solo adventure: “open your eye” ? A third possibility would therefore be that this eye turns out to be something positive and becomes the equivalent of what the eye of Agamotto is in the comics: an element allowing Strange to develop new powers. Therefore, the MCU will have to fix what are the powers of the medallion so that the two magical artefacts are quite distinct.

It is not yet known where we will see Doctor Strange again, who has been quite present since the beginning of Phase 4 and is gradually learning to lose arrogance and gain in humanity. Maybe then he will take the lead of the new Avengers? The future will tell !

5 things to know about Doctor Strange 2: