Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a fun ride, but perhaps not the bonkers trip through multiple realities many fans hoped for. It's no secret that Sam Raimi's sequel underwent extensive reshoots, leading to sweeping changes that probably mean there's a very different cut of the movie somewhere in Marvel Studios.
We're not talking about a "#ReleaseTheRaimiCut" situation here because additional photography is something the studio frequently uses to reshape blockbusters that aren't quite working.
In the case of the Doctor Strange sequel, we know the movie's opening and The Illuminati's roster changed, but in the Director's Commentary on Disney+, writer Michael Waldron revealed an alternate ending. It doesn't sound like it was actually shot, though it may have been a little better than the one we got (which many fans believe felt rushed and tacked on).
"Strange gets trapped in that [incursion] universe," he explains, "and then [Sinister Strange] turns around, and the third eye opens." Waldron added that to punctuate this moment, we'd have heard the laugh of Vincent Price, similar to the horror icon's narration on Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
We're guessing this cliffhanger ending was scrapped because it might have been deemed a little too similar to Loki being trapped in another reality, but it's certainly intriguing to think what an evil Strange being in the MCU might have led to down the line. However, we almost certainly wouldn't have seen Clea unless she'd rescued the hero from that alternate Earth.
At one point, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was supposed to be released before Spider-Man: No Way Home. With so many fans questioning the former Sorcerer Supreme's reckless (and borderline villainous) actions in that threequel, perhaps it could have been explained by him not being the MCU's Stephen Strange?
Sound off with your thoughts on this alternate ending down in the comments section.
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