Published April 20, 2022, 2:00 p.m. ET
©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
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If you thought Moon Knight was a trippy experience, just wait until you see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The film hasn’t even hit theaters yet but the trailers do a great job of teasing the wild ride we’re all about to go on. And this isn’t a ride built for one, either. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has a whole cast of allies and adversaries joining him on this magical, mystical, mysterious Marvel adventure.
Multiverse of Madness is also the first Marvel movie to really dig into some of the continuity established via Disney+’s TV shows. That means you’re dealing with a slightly longer list of things you might want to stream before visiting the theater. But since there are an infinite number of movies and TV shows to sort through, you might not know which ones are worth checking out for continuity purposes. That’s where this list comes in.
Below you will find a list of four MCU titles that you should take the time to watch or rewatch before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens on May 6. It includes two feature films, one television series, and one TV episode. Brace yourselves, because things are about to get a little strange.
1
'Doctor Strange' (2016)
Doctor Strange’s feature film debut is, of course, the starting point on your journey towards Multiverse of Madness. If you’ve never seen a Marvel movie up until this point, or if you’ve someone missed all the ones that have Doctor Strange in the cast, this is your must-watch. Not only does it introduce you to Stephen Strange, Wong (Benedict Wong), Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), and Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), but the film also introduces the entire concept of magic into the MCU.
2
'WandaVision' (2021)
The next entry chronologically is also the next must-watch on the list. In fact, if you’ve already met Doctor Strange via any of his previous appearances and you still haven’t seen WandaVision yet, then this series is a higher priority. Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) is essentially the co-lead of Multiverse of Madness, which means you should probably know as much about her as you do Stephen Strange. This Avenger is in a drastically different place physically, emotionally, mentally, metaphysically, etc. since the last time she was in a movie, and that’s all because of WandaVision.
3
'What If...?' Episode 4 (2021)
There are a few villains in Multiverse of Madness, but the scariest of all just might be this alternate reality version of Strange himself. Dubbed Strange Supreme, this all-powerful sorcerer debuted in an episode of the animated series What If…? titled “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” This is who Strange becomes after he fails to prevent the death of Christine Palmer, has his dark side split into its own entity, and breaks the universe in another botched attempt to resurrect her. He’s trouble, and he’s coming to the big screen.
4
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' (2021)
Like the end of WandaVision, Doctor Strange’s most recent feature film appearance ties directly into Multiverse of Madness. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) tries to make his secret identity secret again by asking Strange to perform a spell. Things go horribly wrong and Spider-Man and Strange’s problems go from global to multiversal. The Doctor Strange sequel is essentially dealing with the fallout of what Strange and Spidey do in this film, so it’s another must-watch.
5
Extra Credit
If you’ve already rewatched all of those movies and TV episodes, there are a few other MCU entries you can stream for extra credit. They’re probably not necessary to understand what’s going on in Multiverse of Madness, but it can’t hurt.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) — If you want to see where Doctor Strange met Spider-Man and/or want to get a general sense of Strange’s cranky sense of humor, here you go.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) — This film’s connection to Multiverse of Madness is very small, but that connection comes via a couple of quick appearances from Wong. Come on — you know you want to see more of that guy. Wong’s great!
Loki, “For All Time. Always.” (2021) — The doors to the multiverse opened in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but it was this Loki episode that led to the creation of the MCM (the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse).
