Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a 2022 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Doctor Strange. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to Doctor Strange (2016) and the 28th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Sam Raimi, written by Michael Waldron and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams. In the film, Strange protects America Chavez (Gomez), a teenager with the ability to travel through the multiverse, from Wanda Maximoff (Olsen).
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Doctor Strange director and co-writer Scott Derrickson had plans for the sequel until October 2016. He signed on to return as director in December 2018, when Cumberbatch's return was confirmed. The film's title was announced in July 2019, along with Olsen's involvement, while Jade Halley Bartlett was hired to write the film in October. Derrickson stepped down as director in January 2020, citing creative differences. Waldron and Raimi joined the following month and started over, adding elements of the horror genre Raimi had previously worked with and making Maximoff the film's villain, continuing her story in the WandaVision (2021) series. Filming began in November 2020 in London, but was suspended in January 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed in March 2021 and ceased in mid-April in Somerset. Shooting was also done in Surrey and Los Angeles.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premiered at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood on May 2, 2022, and was released in the United States on May 6 as part of Phase Four of the MCU. The film received praise for Raimi's direction, visuals, acting, and Elfman's music, while criticism was mostly directed at the plot and CGI. The film grossed $954 million worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing film of 2022.
