The Marvel Cinematic Universe is gradually unleashing variants of our favorite heroes and villains, with upcoming sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness set to ramp things up way past even eleven. Thanks to the recent trailer, we now know that Doctor Strange 2 will introduce the dark version of the MCU hero, known as Strange Supreme, who was first introduced to audiences in the Disney+ series What If…?, with some new merchandise now revealing that another variant of The Master of the Mystic Arts will also be involved in the multiversal madness: Defender Strange.
Glimpsed in the recent footage, this new promo art gives us our best look yet at this mysterious alternate version of Doctor Strange. Thanks to Twitter users @DrStrangeUpdate and @preterniadotcom, we can see that Defender Strange will don a completely different costume, as well as sport a different beard alongside a rather fetching ponytail. The artwork depicting Defender Strange has been spotted alongside the newly released Marvel Legends toy.
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But who is Defender Strange, and how will he and his luscious new hairdo factor into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Going by the name, it’s likely that this variant of Doctor Strange comes from a universe in which he is a member of the superhero team, The Defenders. Created by Roy Thomas and Ross Andru in 1971, the line-up has consisted of several familiar faces alongside Strange, including Hulk, Namor, The Silver Surfer, and Valkyrie. While they resist being a formal team like The Avengers, The Defenders often come together to thwart major threats.
Though the role that Defender Strange will play in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently unknown, with the likes of The Scarlet Witch and Strange Supreme being lined up as the sequel’s villains, our Doctor Strange will certainly need all the help he can get. Much like the recent MCU outing, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could see Strange team-up with alternate versions of himself, with the presence of Defender Strange potentially being used to not only introduce other characters such as Namor and Silver Surfer but even inspire the original Strange to form his own superhero squad.
Directed by Sam Raimi from a script written by Jade Halley Bartlett and Michael Waldron, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, alongside Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, and Xochitl Gomez. Following the multiversal chaos caused by both Spider-Man: No Way Home and the Disney+ series Loki, the sequel finds Dr. Stephen Strange tackling the ramifications of using a forbidden spell that opens the door to a mysterious madness called ‘The Multiverse.’
To restore a world where everything is changing, Strange seeks help from his ally Wong, now The Sorcerer Supreme, and the Avengers’ most powerful member, Wanda Maximoff AKA The Scarlet Witch. But, with the multiverse unleashed, a terrible threat looms over humanity — and it looks exactly like Doctor Strange. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is scheduled to be released on May 6, 2022, as part of Phase Four of the MCU.
