The future of the MCU is more open than ever!
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00:00 Hello everyone, welcome, and I hope you are all as excited as I am to be talking about
00:05 the brand new Doctor Strange movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. I was
00:10 lucky enough to see this film just slightly before everyone else, and I can say now, my
00:15 god, that was full of surprises. And one of those surprises, as we sort of expect from
00:21 Marvel by now, came in the mid-credits scene. So of course, as we can guess from the title,
00:27 the film is very much focused around the concept of the multiverse, and actually telling us
00:32 more about it. We get to learn a lot more about what the multiverse is going to look
00:36 like in the MCU, and that is thanks to the bold introduction of America Chavez. Using
00:42 her character, we're able to get a glimpse into a few of the different universes that
00:47 exist, a few of the 73, I think she said, that she has been through. I mean, there's
00:52 even one where you just become paint, which was a creative decision. I mean, there's a
00:57 lot of weird universes out there. But the point is that now, because of her character,
01:02 we are actually able to transverse through these universes, which is not something we've
01:07 actually really been able to do before. The concept of the multiverse has been more abstract
01:11 before this film, and that's why it's so exciting. That's why everyone is talking about the possibilities
01:16 that this opens up for with the next phase of the Marvel movies, not just in terms of
01:21 the places and the people that we'll see. Obviously, the people being a very important
01:25 one because, you know, we saw some very interesting cameos in this film existing in different
01:29 universes, but also potential for villains. I mean, we're talking interdimensional baddies
01:35 here, which could become a very big problem. And that, on that note, actually avert problems.
01:41 We were introduced to the concept of incursions. Now, incursions, as we learned in the film,
01:46 are what happens when two universes sort of collide, a bit like tectonic plates you learn
01:51 about in school, but much, much worse and on a universal scale. So when the two universes
01:56 collide, there is potential for one of them to survive by completely destroying the other
02:01 one, or there is the potential that both of them will just die. The both of them, nobody
02:06 comes out of this okay. It's all over for everyone in both universes. So this is where
02:12 we actually sort of come to this mid-credits scene where Strange is kind of forced to look
02:17 at the consequences of his own multiversal hopping actions. When, as he's walking down
02:22 the street, the beautiful Charlize Theron appears out of nowhere and slices a big old
02:27 hole in reality, opening it to another dimension. So who is this beautiful blonde reality slashing
02:34 goddess? Well, first of all, I probably shouldn't call her a goddess, as that's quite misleading.
02:39 But she is very impressive and beautiful nonetheless, we have to stan. And this is actually the
02:45 character of Clea, who appears in the comics. And incidentally, well not incidentally, it
02:50 will be entirely intentional, as are most things in the MCU, she is related to the villain
02:55 from the first Doctor Strange movie, Dormammu, which always sounds wrong to say. No matter
03:00 how right I think I'm saying it, I still feel wrong. So Clea's deal is that she is a sorceress,
03:06 and in the comics, from what we can see, it's fair to say that she could actually be a more
03:10 powerful sorceress than Doctor Strange. Which is saying something, because obviously Doctor
03:15 Strange is pretty high up in the scale of things. So like I said, she is of course related
03:20 to the villain from the first movie, and having said how powerful she is, and seeing how much
03:25 respect she instantly commands on first appearing on screen, this could bode well, or very,
03:32 very badly. I mean, there's a lot of things you can do with power, with great power comes
03:38 great responsibility. And when you've got a familial history of being villains who dominate
03:43 a realm that is essentially hell, you can't blame people for being suspicious. So I mean,
03:50 we say a lot of sort of opportunities being opened up in the MCU here, and one of them
03:54 is that Clea, who we've only just met, could end up being a very, very bad thing for our
04:00 beloved characters, for our beloved universes, but we are getting ahead of ourselves. So
04:04 let's wind it back a little.
04:05 What you will see is that she slashes a hole in reality, and sort of opens it up to another
04:10 dimension. That dimension that we see is kind of like dark, very brooding colour palette.
04:17 It doesn't look particularly friendly, I mean, especially when we see Strange and America
04:21 blast through I don't know how many dimensions it was when they did their little falling
04:26 stunt. I mean, we saw stuff like, oh, nice paint colours, there was lots of nice plants,
04:30 at one point there was dinosaurs, at one point they were getting chopped into little cubes
04:34 of meat. None of them looked quite as foreboding as this one that we now see opening up in
04:40 the middle of the street. Now, the reason this looks so particularly foreboding and
04:45 horrible is because this is supposedly the dark dimension, otherwise known as the hell
04:49 dimension or just hell. Now, it's not what I pictured hell as being, I was seeing sort
04:54 of more fire and more little like people with pitchforks stabbing people, but this is more
04:59 spacey than I was thinking. But you know, creative license, we have to love a different
05:04 interpretation. I'm just, I'm kidding, obviously this is going to be very different, because
05:09 this is not biblical hell, this is MCU hell, or more specifically Marvel Comics hell. Now,
05:15 in the comics, this particular realm is a semi-infinite realm, contained within it we
05:21 have other universes that have been conquered by previously mentioned villain Dormammu,
05:27 and she is the one that rules over this whole place. Now, why we're going into this particular
05:34 one, we're not entirely sure, because the thing that is introduced to Doctor Strange
05:39 is the idea that he's created some incursions that he needs to fix, so why are they going
05:44 into hell?
05:46 So in summary at this point, what we've sort of got in this mid-credits scene is a new
05:49 character, a new dimension, otherwise known as hell, and the chance for Doctor Strange
05:55 to enter into this new dimension with this new character, who we know is related to a
05:59 previous villain, who's also thought to be ruling over this hellish dark dimension, which
06:05 contains all of the other dimensions that she's conquered. Great.
06:09 So the big question we're left with, really, is what comes next? What are we going to be
06:14 seeing from the introduction of this new character, this particular new universe, and of course
06:20 all the other universes that we saw, got introduced to during the movie, and the concept of incursions?
06:27 How big of a role is all of this going to play going forward into the next phase?
06:31 So in reference to Clea, the character in particular, there are a few people speculating
06:37 that she could be being introduced, because in the long run, she's planned to be the replacement
06:44 for Doctor Strange as Benedict Cumberbatch moves on to do other things, leaves the movies,
06:48 can't be a part of it anymore. In the comics, she does take over and become Sorceress Supreme
06:54 after Strange's death. As things are now, it also wouldn't be the craziest thing in
06:59 the world to think that maybe this incredibly powerful sorceress can take up the mantle
07:05 of this kind of whole persona, all these responsibilities that Doctor Strange has been set up for in
07:10 these films, especially when you consider that our beloved Jane Foster has gone and
07:15 picked up Thor's hammer. We haven't got that movie yet, but God, that's going to be a big
07:19 one. Have you seen her in those trainers? The guns on that, she looks amazing, but that's
07:24 beside the point. The point that I'm making with this comparison is that previously we
07:29 would have thought, "That's crazy. There's no way they'd be scrapping a pretty big character
07:34 like Doctor Strange. Scrapping's too harsh." Replacing, gently replacing a big character
07:39 like Doctor Strange, or in this case, Thor, with, I don't know, a female counterpart.
07:45 A lot of people will be particularly angry at that suggestion. We all know why, but I
07:50 mean, aside from the reason we all know, it is quite a big move. This is absolutely by
07:57 no means set in stone, but this is an idea that lots of people are entertaining, that
08:01 it is being set up slowly, carefully, surely, so that when Benedict Cumberbatch decides
08:06 he's had enough of the MCU, there's someone to step in and take his place. Now, there
08:11 is the possibility for a very strong partnership between the two instead. Now, in the comics,
08:17 their relationship runs deep, to say the least. In fact, at one point, the pair actually get
08:23 married. I mean, we're not talking a little nice ring and throwing the bouquet in a wedding
08:28 ceremony. They get sorcery married, which is a lot deeper. We're talking the binding
08:33 of souls. Unfortunately, like 50% of marriages, they do end in a sorcery divorce, which hits
08:40 pretty hard, I'd say, having your souls ripped apart. But let's not get ahead of ourselves
08:45 there. The fact is that there is a possibility that Cleo could be a new romantic interest,
08:50 which introduces sort of this concept of Strange finally coming to terms with the fact that
08:56 him and Christine aren't going to happen. We saw throughout the film that it's kind
09:01 of the case that him and Christine aren't destined to be together in pretty much any
09:05 universe. There is always something between them. There's always something meaning that
09:09 the two of them simply cannot be together, whether that's because one Strange picks
09:13 up the dark hold and goes wild and starts dreamwalking and betrays everyone and gets
09:18 executed, which was very intense, or whether it's just because work, being an Avenger,
09:25 you know, it doesn't lend itself to healthy, familial and romantic relationships. You got
09:30 a lot on your plates. The two of you deserve better. And towards the end of the film, we
09:34 do see him come to terms with that in that he does speak to Christine and they sort of
09:39 have this very nice moment together where they realise that they do love each other.
09:43 They always will, but it's not meant to be. Actually, even if the relationship between
09:48 the two doesn't end up being any sort of romantic relationship, there is a chance that they
09:53 could form a very, very strong partnership. They are both very, very powerful magic users
09:59 and going forward in this phase where it seems that the multiverse and incursions could play
10:05 a giant part in the goings on, the two of them pairing together to work through this
10:10 could be a really, really good thing and a very impressive duo. And finally, the implications
10:16 coming from actually entering sort of the dark dimension, this hell dimension, could
10:21 be really, really wide ranging. Of course, earlier we mentioned sort of by virtue of
10:26 opening all these other universes, you're opening yourself up to a completely new range
10:30 of villains that maybe don't exist in one but do exist in another. Villains crossing
10:35 over from one to another. Also, entering the hell dimension doesn't sound promising for
10:40 it being full of friendly, nice locals. Aside from just clean cut villain characters, there's
10:46 also concepts that can be introduced by having this dark dimension, this hell dimension,
10:50 introduced into the MCU. They can do a lot with it. There's a lot that exists within
10:54 that can be used for really interesting plot points, really good explorations of characters,
10:59 seeing how far we can push Strange with this new sorceress by his side. Of course, this
11:04 is all speculation as it stands. Nobody stood there and got out a little sign that said
11:08 this is the dark dimension, I'm Clea and I'm here to ruin everything. So please actually
11:14 in the comments down below, let us know what you think all of this means. What do you think
11:19 is going to be done with this character of Clea? What do you think is going to be done
11:23 with the problem of incursions with this new universe or new access to a universe? Let
11:29 us know in the comments down below. And if you want to see any more Doctor Strange content,
11:34 we've got a no spoiler review out on the website, lots of other stuff in progress. So please
11:38 check out whatculture.com. And on that note, I'm off to go and look at more research about
11:44 Doctor Strange because God, there is a lot to read up on. I'll see you next time.