‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’: First Reactions Call It Macabre, Weird, and a Full-On Spectacle

For weeks — months even — it has seemed like circles of comic book movie fans have been growing increasingly excited for Sam Raimi‘s foray into the MCU with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The film, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular Doctor Strange, was initially supposed to hit theaters in 2021. However, reshoots and a filming and release schedule heavily altered by the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the release to May 6, 2022.

Joining Cumberbatch for this latest film are returning Doctor Strange actors Benedict Wong as Wong, Rachel McAdams as Dr. Christine Palmer, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo. Also along for the ride is Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, who was last seen in WandaVision leaving the town of Westview after accidentally trapping the townspeople in an alternate reality generated by her own grief. New to the MCU is Xochitl Gomez, who plays the teenage America Chavez.

When we last saw Doctor Strange, he was fighting to get the splintering Multiverse under control after a spell performed at Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) request went horribly wrong, opening up their world to visitors from other realities, including a couple of familiar older Spider-Mans (Tobey McGuire and Andrew Garfield). Meanwhile, Wanda is still grieving the loss of her entire family and is dealing with the fallout of Westview. Whether she will stay a friend or become a foe will soon be revealed.

RELATED: Here’s How ‘WandaVision’ Leads to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

But what do the first reactions say about the highly-anticipated movie? Is it every bit as mind-bending as the trailer would suggest? Did it have the kind of cheer-out-loud moments we saw in Spider-Man: No Way Home? Does Wanda Maximoff finally catch a damn break? Check out some early reactions to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness below.

Here’s what Collider’s own Perri Nemiroff, Ross Bonaime, Robert Taylor, and Maggie Boccella had to say:

Many critics praised the Doctor Strange sequel for its trippy visuals and massive scale, as well as using Raimi’s background in horror (having directed classics like The Evil Dead) to its advantage.

Others praised the cast, singling out Olsen’s performance in particular.

However, while reviews were generally positive, some critics had less favorable things to say about the Doctor Strange sequel, calling it a mixed bag and disjointed at points.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6.

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