When Ecran Large revisited Sam Raimi’s entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe ahead of its broadcast on TF1, the publication dissected a blockbuster caught between formulaic studio mandates and the distinct stylistic fingerprints of a master horror auteur. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrived in a theatrical landscape still reeling from the astronomical 1.8 billion-dollar box office success of Spider-Man: No Way Home. That sequencing forced frantic script revisions and repositioned the Sorcerer Supreme’s sequel to rely heavily on heavy artillery: Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, newcomer America Chavez played by Xochitl Gomez, and a multiverse premise primed for endless cameos.
An Explosive Opening Act That Defies MCU Tropes
Most Marvel entries rarely establish narrative stakes within their first twenty minutes, but Raimi’s film breaks rank with an aggressive, highly focused cold open. Within the span of a single reel, the picture thrusts audiences into an alternate dimension where a variant of Doctor Strange battles a demon alongside America Chavez. The sequence introduces core thematic pillars immediately—the doppelgänger motif, the blurred lines between redemption and corruption, and the mechanics of dimensional gateways.
Strange seeks out Wanda Maximoff, who has sequestered herself following the emotional fallout of Disney+’s WandaVision, only to discover she has transitioned from a potential ally into the central antagonist of the feature. Kamar-Taj falls under siege shortly after, delivering a high-tempo climax early in the runtime that outpaces the usual sluggish middle-act exposition plaguing modern superhero tentpoles.
The Tragic Anchor of Scarlet Witch
While Benedict Cumberbatch’s titular hero struggles to find a compelling emotional arc across multiple dimensional variants, Elizabeth Olsen anchors the entire enterprise in genuine tragedy. The MCU’s treatment of Wanda has been notoriously punishing, stretching from the loss of her twin brother Pietro in Avengers: Age of Ultron to executing Vision with her own hands in Infinity War, only to watch him die a second time. The Disney+ series WandaVision provided a nine-episode canvas for her grief, culminating in the agonizing loss of her magical children.
That profound maternal grief forms the actual heartbeat of Multiverse of Madness. Operating with the clear, relatable motivation of a mother willing to shatter reality to reclaim her children, Wanda dwarfs the more nebulous and inert motivations of Stephen Strange.
Playful Inventiveness Amid Studio Restraints
The hiring of Sam Raimi—fifteen years after his definitive work on the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy—promised a rare collision between idiosyncratic auteur style and corporate cinematic universe cohesion. While Eternals is not mentioned in the sources, Raimi manages to inject genuine playfulness into the proceedings. The magical MacGuffin, a corrupting text echoing the Necronomicon of his Evil Dead catalog, provides a familiar playground for the filmmaker.
The film’s creative peak arrives during the third act, when Doctor Strange faces off against a sinister variant using musical notes as projectiles. Transforming the magical duel into a chaotic, Guitar Hero-style battle—complete with the jarring sonic collision of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Bach’s Toccata—showcases a rare burst of genuine visual and aural inventiveness. Yet, the overall film remains slightly tethered by studio constraints. Raimi’s distinct aesthetic flourishes often recede into familiar genre gimmicks, from Bruce Campbell cameos to rapid-fire whip pans, proving that even the master of stylistic comic book grammar must occasionally bow to the overarching architecture of the franchise.
