Marvel
Following their massive Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con that saw Marvel Studios finally announce their Phase 4 slate, my attention immediately focused on one of those projects far more than the rest: Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness.
Warning: spoilers for the Marvel Cinematic Universe will follow.
While his first film was largely underwhelming (except for its visuals), you could make a case that Doctor Strange is the star of Avengers: Infinity War.
When Strange and half of the Avengers are on Titan to battle Thanos, it’s the Sorcerer Supreme that puts up the biggest fight against the Infinity Gauntlet-wielding intergalactic sociopath. While he’s ultimately overcome, the foundations are laid to show just how powerful Doctor Strange really is.
Given that elder statesmen like Captian America and Iron Man have been phased out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Avengers are going to need new leaders, with Strange certainly among them (Spider-Man and Captain Marvel are likely to be the other two).
But just because Doctor Strange is being positioned to be a key figure in the future of the MCU does not mean he’ll be treated like a traditional hero, as the next film in his series is being billed as the first “scary” Marvel movie, which is just a delicious prospect in and of itself.
And while In The Multiverse Of Madness may not be due out for another two years, fans believe they’ve already figured out who the villain will be: Nightmare.
Pointing to a 2016 IGN interview with Derrickson where he gushed about Nightmare, the internet MCU detectives believe that Doctor Strange’s first-ever nemesis will be the main antagonist of the sequel:
“I really like the character of Nightmare and the concept that the Nightmare Realm is a dimension. […] That’s early — that’s like the first Strange tale. I think that’s in the introductory episode of Doctor Strange, and I always loved that,” Derrickson said. [IGN]
Nightmare actually made his debut in the same issue as Doctor Strange – Marvel Comics’ Strange Tales #110 in 1963.
Given Derrickson’s affinity for the character and the goal of creating the MCU’s first “horror” film, Nightmare’s appearance is essentially a lock at this point and is just awaiting official confirmation from Marvel Studios.