As we all sat down to witness the Superb Owl last night, MCU and X-Men fans’ minds were collectively blown by the new trailer for Sam Raimi’s upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Was it the sight of Shuma Gorath? Or perhaps the inclusion of America Chavez? No. It also wasn’t the brief sight of dinosaurs that might have indicated a trip through the Savage Land, nor was it the return of Rachel McAdams, who really should have better things to do. What sent social media into a feeding frenzy was a brief clip where Doctor Strange is escorted into a very large room by robots to face a group of people sitting high above on chairs. Though obscured by Oscar-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch, we do see the side of an out-of-focus bald head and a voiceover saying something about how “we should tell him the truth.”
The voice? Clearly that of Sir Patrick Stewart.
This led to a mountain of speculation. Was Stewart reprising his role as Charles Xavier? Was the MCU introducing the concept of Marvel’s Illuminati? Would this finally be the link that would lead the X-Men and the Fantastic Four into the MCU? So far, you can find dozens of articles certain without a doubt that this is exactly what is happening, all based on several seconds of a movie trailer. But what if (No, not What If…?) not all is as it seems?
I propose, in the spirit of Evan Peters as Ralph Bohner (heh-heh, Bohner), several counter-theories about what is happening with Sir Patrick in this movie, to prove why the most obvious may be the least likely.
10. Dune’s Gurney Halleck
With Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Part One a recent memory, some may have forgotten that David Lynch’s original film adaptation featured Patrick Stewart as the battle-hardened “lump of a man” later played by Josh Brolin. While we did not see Halley’s adorable pet pug in the Strange trailer, it would make a lot of sense for Halleck to appear here. The architecture in the room is not dissimilar to the sets used in Villeneuve’s production, and Halleck would be a key ally in the lead-up to the MCU’s Secret Wars. Though Warner Brothers had a modest hit with the theatrical release of Dune, a cameo like this could foster some incredible fundraising as Villeneuve gears up to film the sequel.
9. Star Trek’s Jean-Luc Picard
Paramount+ continues to try to get its legs underneath it as a major player in the streaming wars. What better way to boost visibility and grow excitement for the second season of Picard than to have Jean-Luc appear in Doctor Strange 2? We already know that Picard’s second season will center on Q messing with the timeline. There’s no reason Jean-Luc couldn’t have been lost for a pocket of time to dispense critical information to strangers from on high. This one may be a lock, especially since Picard is known, as captain of the Enterprise, to sit in his captain’s chair, and Stewart does appear to be seated in the Multiverse trailer.
8. Men in Tights’ King Richard
It’s the Disney/MCU formula at this point that their films are scheduled with large amounts of time set aside for reshoots to inject humor into sometimes action-packed performances. It’s also been reported that Doctor Strange 2 added even more reshoot time than usual, suggesting it was in need of serious laughs. One choice that seems fairly intuitive would be the inclusion of Stewart’s King Richard from Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men in Tights. It wasn’t a large role, but he does get to deliver a classic joke, as he names all the toilets in the land “John” to punish Richard Lewis’ Prince John. Such a moment could lift the mood in what looks to be a dark and scary film.
7. Conspiracy Theory’s Dr. Jonas
Speaking of dark and scary, if Raimi is looking to amp up the chills, he could do worse than have Stewart portray the mysterious Dr. Jonas from Richard Donner’s Conspiracy Theory. Stewart is a man in the shadows willing to do what it takes to stop Mel Gibson, an ambition I think we can all applaud. Bonus points for Dr. Jonas also being a doctor. If there’s anything the egotistical Doctor Strange appreciates, it’s being peer reviewed by a colleague.
6. Ebenezer Scrooge
While most of us remember either Michael Caine or Scrooge McDuck as the crotchety Ebeneezer Scrooge of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Stewart’s version got five primetime Emmy nominations. That pedigree is sure to make Kevin Feige take notice. With the alternate timelines presented to Scrooge, there’s reason to believe the dead Scrooge of the future could migrate to the MCU to dispense wisdom on regrets. And we know Doctor Strange has quite a few of those.
5. Macbeth
If you think this long-standing performer with the Royal Shakespeare Company and winner of the Laurence Olivier Award is going to forget his Shakespearian training just because it’s a superhero movie, you can forget it. What better pick to share the “truth” with Strange than the ambitious and murderous Macbeth? With Denzel Washington’s portrayal of the character making waves over on Apple TV+, this public domain character would be an easy multiversal addition.
4. Green Room’s Darcy
Yes, yes, it might seem a stretch to have Stewart reprise his role as the white supermacist Darcy from the critically acclaimed horror movie Green Room. But have you seen that movie? It is freaking scary! If Raimi is going for serious frights, we know Stewart can dial in to this abominable villain. And since Disney has distribution rights to Lionsgate films, it’s a cinch to get this creep into the movie. That would be truly terrifying.
3. Lex Luthor
Those just thinking about the Illuminati are thinking too small. Why have a mere Marvel multiverse when you could cross over with the DCEU? If Stewart is playing none other than Superman villain Lex Luthor, it could create a cinematic Amalgam universe with the stars of both companies capable of battling each other or even combining to create new characters and teams! Just the presence of Stewart here more or less confirms we’re getting a Darkclaw movie, right?
2. The Emoji Movie’s Poop
Sure, we saw the side of Stewart’s head, but … that could’ve been anybody’s head, couldn’t it? Who’s to say that wasn’t Michael Chiklis’ Ben Grimm, and seated nearby? The breakout character of what Emily Yoshida of New York Magazine called “one of the darkest, most dismaying films I have ever seen.” That character of course is Poop! That’s right, the stuff that comes out of your butt, lovingly depicted in cartoon form in your text messages, and voiced impeccably by the one and only Sir Patrick Stewart. Poop knows the truth, and that’s that everybody poops. It’s time Doctor Strange learned this.
1. Mephisto
MCU fans have been assuring themselves for years that Mephisto would show up as an adversary in multiple properties. Large portions of the fanbase had it in their heads that WandaVision would feature the despicable demon as its main foe, only to discover it was Agatha All Along. More recently, it was a sure bet that Mephisto had something to do with the world breaking in Spider-Man: No Way Home. When he didn’t show on either occasion, it meant only one thing: He was bound to show up in the next one. It’s a nice trick not painting Stewart red in the trailer, but when we do see him, expect the spiky red hair and crimson frock of the No. 1 most requested villain this side of Paul Giamatti’s Rhino.
Make sure to check back and remember this piece when Multiverse of Madness drops May 6. You’ll want to recall when I called what was going on before anyone else, which is the most important thing about enjoying a movie: Spoiling what’s in it before anyone has a chance to see it.
Adam Reck is the cartoonist behind Bish & Jubez as well as the co-host of Battle Of The Atom.
