Doctor Strange is back! Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness comes out on May 6th, and tickets are on sale now. As you probably know, Marvel loves to tie all its movies together, so you don’t want to do yourself a disservice by seeing the new movie without seeing all the stuff that lays the groundwork for it. That said, there are a lot of movies and TV shows in the Marvel Universe, and if you haven’t gotten to all of them, you probably won’t have time before the premiere (I mean, you could quit your job and dedicate every waking second to it, though). So, cheat sheet, here are the movies and shows you absolutely have to watch to understand Doctor Strange 2!
One thing before we get into it. You might assume that you need to watch Infinity War and Endgame, since Strange is in both of them, and Phase 4 begins after the Blip. (Plus, if you don’t know what Phase 4 or the Blip are, then you might now doubly believe that you need to bulk up on your Marvel background knowledge.) I know I’m choosing violence by saying this, but you can probably skip those two movies if you’re just looking to get caught up on the Strange essentials, and you’re okay with a few references going over your head. Personally, I wouldn’t skip them because they’re fantastic movies, but they’re probably not 100% crucial for understanding what’s going on in Doctor Strange 2.
The following movies and series are essential viewing, though. Don’t walk into that theater without having seen them!
Doctor Strange
The film that started it all! 2016’s Doctor Strange introduces us to Stephen Strange, an arrogant neurosurgeon known for his photographic memory and steady hands in surgery. But when Stephen’s hands are injured in a car accident, he sets off to find a cure, and instead, finds himself on a path of mysticism and sorcery.
I won’t lie. As superhero movies go, Doctor Strange is a pretty formulaic origin story. Do you want me to spoil the whole movie for you? Here goes (skip if you want to watch):
Stephen goes from being an ordinary (albeit gifted) surgeon to a superpowered, magic-wielding wizard in the space of two hours. If you skip Doctor Strange, you’re not going to be totally lost in Doctor Strange 2 when you see him wearing the cloak of levitation and brooding in the Sanctum Sanctorum. He’s a sorcerer, that’s what sorcerers do. You’ll catch up pretty fast.
However! Doctor Strange does lay the groundwork for Stephen’s character and history. You’ll meet Christine, his ex-girlfriend, and the only non-wizard person who can stand him. (Hint: she’s the woman getting married in the Doctor Strange 2 trailer.) You’ll also meet Baron Mordo and Wong, both of whom will likely play major roles in the sequel, especially since Wong is currently Sorcerer Supreme. Again, you may be able to roll with it if you skip this one, but knowing everyone’s story will make their characters much richer and more enjoyable.
WandaVision
You may have noticed that the trailers and promos for Doctor Strange 2 contain a lot of Wanda Maximoff. In fact, if the trailers are to be trusted, it almost seems as if her story is going to be even more compelling than Stephen’s. If you’re wondering why the trailers sometimes show Wanda in a suburban living room—and why she’s hugging a couple of kids in the latest promo—then you need to watch WandaVision ASAP.
WandaVision, Disney Plus’s first Marvel limited series, is a bit of a mind-bender at first. Wanda and Vision, two Avengers, are suddenly in a black and white 60’s era sitcom. At first, the show mostly consists of normal sitcom stuff, but it soon becomes clear that there’s something sinister lurking in the background.
If you want to understand what’s going on with Wanda, make sure you don’t skip WandaVision. Not only will you be able to keep up with the plot, but you’ll understand why everyone in the theater is crying so much.
Loki
Multiverse is right there in the title of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so you’re going to want to have some idea of what the multiverse actually is. Luckily, the Disney Plus series Loki explains it all—with an adorably bizarre cartoon clock!
Like WandaVision, Loki deals with the fallout from the events of Endgame, so if you haven’t seen that movie, you’ll have to be okay with just not getting some stuff in the beginning. Loki is about the God of Mischief, who finds himself arrested by the Time Variance Authority for accidentally creating an alternate timeline. The series explores how Loki (and an alternate version of himself) completely trash the forces keeping the multiverse in check. Plus, Loki, Sylvie, and Agent Mobius of the TVA are all rumored to make cameo appearances in Multiverse of Madness, so you’ll want to know who they are if they show up.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
It looks like Multiverse of Madness will pick up right where Spider-Man: No Way Home left off, so you won’t want to miss this one. Plus, it’s now streaming, so if you missed it in theaters last December, you can rent it on Amazon Prime or other digital platforms.
In No Way Home, Peter Parker goes to Doctor Strange for help after his identity is revealed to the world and he’s framed for murder. Doctor Strange agrees to cast a spell that will erase Spider-Man’s identity from everyone’s memory, but the spell is botched, and Strange ends up opening up portals to other realities. When Wong and Mordo admonish him for “casting that spell” and “desecrating reality” in the trailer, they’re likely referring to the events of No Way Home, although Marvel has been known to be deceptive before.
What If…?
I know, I know, this list is getting pretty unwieldy. What If…?, Marvel’s animated anthology series exploring different realities in the multiverse, consists of nine episodes, but you probably don’t need to watch all of them. There are rumors that some of the events of What If…? will tie into Doctor Strange 2, so if you want to make sure you understand them, watch episodes 1 and 4 to cover your bases. Maybe episode 5, just to be safe.
All the Doctor Orpheus Episodes from Venture Brothers
What? Oh, no, you don’t actually need to watch these to understand the new Doctor Strange movie. They’re just a lot of fun. Trust me, if you’re going to binge all of the movies and shows I just listed, then you’re going to want to have some palate cleansers on hand while you’re absorbing all that Marvel backstory and lore. Seriously, it’s a lot.
Marvel can be a rabbit hole sometimes. All the movies are so interconnected, and each premise relies on so many events that preceded it, that it can feel overwhelming to try and jump into the middle. Don’t worry, though! All the titles listed above are only about…eighteen hours of content. So, you don’t have to quit your job. Maybe just take a couple of vacation days from work. Your boss will understand.
See you in the theater for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 6!
(image: Marvel)
