Doctor Strange 2 Receives Second-Worst Audience Score Ever for an MCU Movie (2024)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessjust arrived in theaters and despite earning an impressive opening at the box office, reactions are proving to be mixed, to say the least. From the disappointment of absent cameos to the lack of enjoyment of Sam Raimi's horror style, this may be among the most divisive entries into the Marvel universe.

There have been plenty of highs and lows in Phase 4;Eternalssuffered the worst audience reaction in MCU history andSpider-Man: No Way Homeplaced among the best just one month later. Multiverse of Madnessappeared placed for success after positive early reviews, but critics and audiences don't always agree, which Marvel Studios has just proven once again.

Doctor Strange 2 Earns Second-Worst MCU Audience Reaction

Doctor Strange 2 Receives Second-Worst Audience Score Ever for an MCU Movie (1)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesshas officially received a B+ CinemaScore rating - tied for the second-worst gradein MCU movie history.

Are Fans Really Hating Doctor Strange 2?

After years of anticipation,Multiverse of Madnesshas suffered from the level of excitement. Following rumors of shocking cameos and speculation of game-changing twists, director Sam Raimi instead delivered a horror flick that succeeds as aDoctor Strangesequel but fails as an Avengers-level blockbuster.

It's hard to tell exactly what has led to this disappointing CinemaScore for Multiverse of Madness, after all, the Rotten Tomatoes audience rating currently stands at an impressive 88%. While CinemaScore gauges general moviegoers straight out of the theater, Rotten Tomatoes bases its rating on reviews posted on its site.

With more hardcore fans being drastically more likely than casuals to share an online rating, that would indicate theDoctor Strangesequel is faring well with MCU diehards, but poorly among the everyday viewer. There are countless explanations for why this could be, but disappointment is the obvious answer.

Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers forDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

For months there have been rumors of insane cameos from classic heroes andspeculation of game-changing consequences for the MCU. Tragically,Multiverse of Madnessdoesn't do much of that, the only lasting consequences were on the characters themselves, and the cameos were limited to the Illuminati, of which only the appearances ofMr. Fantastic and Black Bolt were surprises.

Granted, that isn't the fault of the movie itself, but more of the expectations that were set going into it. With many understandably leaving screenings disappointed at the lack of jaw-dropping moments, initial reactions are bound to be far from positive, but perhaps the sequel will be one to age like fine wine.

A disappointingly low audience score means the movie is receiving poor word-of-mouth between friends and family, something which typically leads to a drastic box office drop-off. Things may have opened well, but only time will tell how Marvel Studios' latest blockbuster will fare at the box office in the weeks to come.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis playing now in theaters around the world.