Doctor Strange served as a solid introduction for the Sorcerer Supreme in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the ball was dropped with Rachel McAdams' Dr. Christine Palmer in a big way.
Bringing very little to the table as a love interest or ally to Stephen Strange, she had a handful of memorable moments, but nothing that really struck a chord with fans hoping to see her become Night Nurse. We know that McAdams will return for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though, so redemption could be in the cards for her as we move deeper into Phase 4.
During a recent Reddit AMA, Doctor Strange writer C. Robert Cargill shared his thoughts on what became of Palmer following the events of the 2016 movie. "They went their own ways and became the one that got away to each of them," he said, potentially shedding some light on Marvel Studios' plans for the character.
Palmer didn't appear to be part of Strange's life by the time Avengers: Infinity War rolled around, and we have no clue if she was among the Blipped.
Interestingly, Cargill would go on to share some insight into why things didn't necessarily work out for Stephen and Christine. "I also think it's important to zero in on his constant alienation. He spends so much time around powerful beings that earthly things fall by the wayside and he must constantly be snapped back into reality and reminded that small things matter equally."
It's worth noting that both Cargill and director Scott Derrickson departed the Doctor Strange sequel over "creative differences," so Marvel Studios and Sam Raimi may have other plans for how things played out between the hero and his former colleague in the hospital since we last saw them together.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to be released in theaters on March 25, 2022.
Click on the "Next" button below to check out some crazy
cameos we hope to see in the Doctor Strange sequel!
10. Tony Stark, Sorcerer Supreme
We can't help but wonder whether this movie is going to tackle the guilt Doctor Strange must feel about essentially sending Tony Stark to his death in Avengers: Endgame.
They obviously clashed in Avengers: Infinity War, but the Sorcerer Supreme clearly realised that it would be Iron Man who ultimately saved the universe from Thanos' tyranny. As a result, there has to be some level of respect there, and it would be fascinating to watch Strange come face-to-face with a very different version of Tony.
We are, of course, talking about Tony Stark, Sorcerer Supreme.
In this timeline, the Avenger managed to end war, enact world peace, and then become Earth's Sorcerer Supreme by the year 2099. Strange getting a glimpse at what might have been could have a significant impact on his psyche.
9. Captain Britain
We're desperate to see Brian Braddock in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the Captain Britain Corps are known for protecting the Multiverse.
That could certainly be tackled in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but we'd rather Brian be saved for further down the line. However, what could be really interesting here is enlisted Hayley Atwell to play a live-action Captain Britain following her introduction in the What If? animated series.
This would be a cool way to tie into the show, and seeing more of Atwell in the MCU would be no bad thing.
It looks like Strange will be part of What If?, so there's a strong chance that series is going to actually lay the groundwork for a cameo as exciting as this one.
8. Worldbreaker Hulk
Unfortunately, it feels like the moment may have passed for us to get any sort of World War Hulk adaptation in the MCU, but that doesn't mean Strange can't visit a desolate alternate future where the Jade Giant has conquered the planet.
The Sorcerer Supreme landing on a world where Bruce Banner descended into madness (Maestro, perhaps?) and killed the Avengers would be a nice way of teasing a possible dark future for The Hulk. Strange could later deal with that when the MCU's version of the Illuminati assembles.
It's always fun when Marvel Studios teases what's to come, and with Mark Ruffalo clearly keen to explore different sides of The Hulk, this would be a nice way to tease that.
We'll see, but the Worldbreaker Hulk has a tonne of potential on screen.
7. Necromancer
We don't know the identity of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' big bad, but it would be pretty cool to see Cumberbatch take on that role (even after lending his voice to Dormammu in the first movie).
For those of you unfamiliar with Necromancer, he's the Doctor Strange of another Earth. The difference is that he killed Baron Mordo and proceeded to use the Book of Vishanti to conquer the planet. After being sucked into Eternity, he'd eventually escape after witnessing the destruction of his home.
That led him into conflict with the Marvel Universe's Doctor Strange, and using Necromancer could be a fascinating way to delve into what Strange might have become with just a few different decisions.
Honestly, he could be the big bad of a future movie, but there would be no harm in teasing Necromancer in this sequel.
6. The 616 Avengers
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is a huge comic book fan and seeing Strange arrive on an Earth strikingly similar to his own, albeit with some key differences, would be epic. Marvel Studios would have to pull out all the stops in terms of cameos, but just imagine seeing Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, and more in classic, WandaVision-style costumes!
It would be tricky to choose which point in the Marvel Universe's history to have this take place in, but we'll be keeping everything crossed for that early Stan Lee era of storytelling.
In recent years, the studio has really embraced those classic costumes in inventive ways. As a result, it's not outside the realm of possibility that they'll show us what the MCU might have been.
An extra for the sequel has been listed as a "616" inhabitant, so this might not be that crazy...
5. Iron Man
We've talked about Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, but that's not the Iron Man we're talking about here. Instead, we'd love to see Marvel Studios find a way to include a version played by Tom Cruise!
There have been rumblings for a while now that the Mission: Impossible 7 star will make a cameo appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and it would make sense seeing as the production of the two movies overlapped in London. It's hard to imagine Cruise ever having a major role in the MCU, so this would work nicely.
The actor was once being lined up to play Iron Man, and it would be a crazy way to toy with fans by having Iron Man remove his helmet and Cruise's face being underneath.
This would primarily be played for laughs, but is still a fun potential cameo.
4. Deadpool
We know that Deadpool 3 is in the works at Marvel Studios, but what we don't know is how the Merc with the Mouth makes his way into the MCU.
He's not technically a mutant, so he won't have to come packaged alongside the X-Men. However, the decision will have to be made whether to reboot Wade Wilson or find a way to keep his big screen history intact. If the latter is an option, then this sequel could be crucial for the crazy anti-hero.
Strange could cross paths with Deadpool at some point, with a post-credits scene revealing that he found a way to follow the Sorcerer Supreme back to the MCU...trapping himself there in the process.
It would be a fun moment, and one that could play out really nicely on screen.
3. Ghost Rider
There have been rumours about Ghost Rider being part of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but there's no reason he has to come from another Earth (unlike many of the other heroes and villains here).
Instead, we'd love to see the Sorcerer Supreme forced to track down the Spirit of Vengeance for help taking down a villain like Mephisto or Nightmare.
This would be an awesome way to reintroduce Ghost Rider to moviegoers, and if he remains his fiery self the entire time, then Marvel Studios could worry about casting him down the line. Johnny Blaze is the obvious choice, though it may not be the worst idea to use Danny Ketch either.
Regardless, if the Doctor Strange sequel is leaning into horror, then Ghost Rider is an absolute must.
2. Wolverine
If this sequel is Kevin Feige's one chance to play around with alternate realities, then he definitely needs to find a way of revisiting his own roots by taking us back to the X-Men Universe.
That's where the Marvel Studios President got his start, and while we're not expecting to see mutants in the MCU for a while yet, it would be awesome to see Strange cross paths with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. Logan may have served as a strong farewell to that character, but this could be an even better one.
If Strange has to assemble a team of heroes from across the Multiverse at some point, then having Wolverine stand side-by-side with the likes of Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch...
Well, it would be freaking mind-blowing!
1. Spider-Man
Sometimes, the most obvious suggestion really is the best one.
With Spider-Man trilogy director Sam Raimi at the helm of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it makes perfect sense for the filmmaker to be given the opportunity to take another crack at his version of the wall-crawler (especially if Spider-Man: No Way Home is heading in the direction we think).
It would be an absolute blast for Strange to share the screen with Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man, and it would be pretty cool to have the team-up take place prior to the events of Spider-Man 2.
Why? Well, that would explain why J. Jonah Jameson said there was already a "Doctor Strange" while attempting to come up with a name for Doctor Octopus!