Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Movie review by Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Movie Poster

Common Sense says

age 13+

Twisty, sometimes terrifying MCU film has scares, violence.

PG-13 2022 126 minutes
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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 70 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 200 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness -- which follows the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home and Loki -- centers around Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) helping mysterious, multiverse-jumping teen America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) figure out which supernatural sorcerer is hunting her. Strange asks fellow Avenger/WandaVision troublemaker Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) for her help across various timelines. Like the other movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it has lots of comic book-style fighting and peril -- as well as themes of courage and teamwork -- but, thanks to director Sam Raimi, it's a much darker, more horror-based adventure than the typical MCU film. Expect jump scares, a resurrected dead body, violent deaths, graphic depictions of a decomposing body, and fatal fight scenes that decimate entire villages and have a high body count. People burn to death and are shown turning into ash, and characters explode, are crushed, seem to fall to their deaths, are impaled, have their necks snapped, and much more. There's no sex and barely any romance, although in a couple of scenes two characters embrace, hold hands, and stare longingly at each other. Language is occasionally salty, including some uses of "s--t," "ass," "damn," "goddamn," etc.

Community Reviews

ParadoxicalZero
ParadoxicalZero Adult
May 4, 2022
age 14+

Please be aware of darker themes

I'd highly recommend making sure your kid is okay with some horror themes (being chased, some jumpscares, possession and body contortion) and seeing minor characters die (one in a rather horrible way) on screen. The movie was good, but much darker than I expected for a Marvel movie
30 people found this helpful.
Clintzen08
Clintzen08 Adult
May 6, 2022
age 12+

Wild ride, some scarier elements than I’d anticipated

Word to the wise, parents of young ones who like Marvel movies: this was rad, but definitely darker than I’d thought it would be. My girls looooove all things Marvel, and can handle Voldemort as well, but I was worried we’d get some nightmares last night. Luckily Marvel gives just enough sprinkle of humor in there too, but fair warning if your kiddo is scared of demons and zombies. Some jump scares in there too.
14 people found this helpful.
See all 70 parent reviews

What's the Story?

DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS takes place after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Loki, and WandaVision -- all of which are referenced in some way in the film. The movie starts with Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) attending the wedding of his friend/former partner Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams). During the wedding reception, Stephen transforms into Doctor Strange to intervene in a supernatural fight between two characters from the multiverse: a giant, evil, one-eyed octopus-like monster and a teenage girl named America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez). Having met another version of Doctor Strange, America knows that the creatures are being dispatched to steal her multiverse-traveling power, which she can't control and only manifests under severe, life-or-death distress. Strange enlists the help of Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) to track down the Big Bad responsible for trying to hunt and kill America, but things don't go as planned. Stephen and America are thrust into yet another universe, where they seek help from that universe's Doctor Strange ... and whatever other superheroes might lend a hand.

Is It Any Good?

Director Sam Raimi's signature love of adventure and the macabre makes this Marvel sequel darker, more twisted, and more exciting than many other MCU movies. Fresh off of his scene-stealing supporting role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange here faces one of the MCU's most formidable and powerful beings -- and teams with one of its most intriguing characters. America Chavez is fascinating, but while she has a lot of screen time in The Multiverse of Madness, her backstory is less important than the urgent fact that she's being hunted across the multiverse. Gomez is a charming and expressive young actor, and her time with Strange brings out his softer, less brusque/arrogant side. She's one of three women characters in the film whose performances elevate the movie beyond the original. McAdams is sort of the opposite of most of the MCU women, who start out as friends, rivals, or colleagues and end up as lovers. Christine is the one who got away. She returns here in two incarnations, and she's just the no-nonsense, truth-telling partner Doctor Strange needs in the titular madness of the multiverse.

Then there's Olsen, whose Wanda seems to be in a perpetual state of grief over what she's lost since the battle against Thanos. She embodies the Walt Whitman quote "I am large, I contain multitudes." She's empathetic even when she makes unimaginable choices (like keeping an entire town under her control in order to live out her domestic fantasies in WandaVision). Of all the post-Blip Avengers, she's the one most unable to move forward, and there's an authenticity to her anguish that makes her storyline so heartbreaking. Raimi, working from a script by Loki writer-producer Michael Waldron, leans into darkness and horror that's both physical and psychological. Luckily for audiences, there's laughter to be shared, too, as well as top-notch cameos that may leave viewers gasping in surprise. This isn't the best, the funniest, or the most star-studded Marvel film, but it is memorable, melancholy, and good for a fright.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Doctor Strange's violence and how it veers into horror. How does it compare to what you've seen in other Marvel movies? For those familiar with director Sam Raimi's work: Which scenes here were reminiscent of his famous horror films?

  • How does "not getting the girl" impact Doctor Strange? How does the alternate Christine show him compassion and love? What does he learn from the two Christines?

  • What were Wanda's motivations? Why might this be seen as problematic? How do you feel female characters are generally portrayed in the MCU?

  • Why is the relationship between America Chavez and Doctor Strange important? How does representation play a role in her character profile?

  • Discuss the various Marvel superheroes who appear in this sequel. Which ones act as role models, and which ones don't? Is what's right and wrong always obvious?

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