Box Office: ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Aims for Massive $175 Million-Plus Opening Weekend

J. Kim Murphy The doctor is in.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” goes to some odd places in the course of its runtime, ping-ponging beyond the MCU to places beyond.But it never stops in a game show universe.Thankfully, we corrected that. We asked the film’s stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong and Xochitl Gomez to play a Strange Quiz – a trivia game where every answer has the word “Strange” in it.

Warning: The following podcast has major spoilers about Disney/Marvel’s  Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, in particular its epilogue.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment WriterSPOILER ALERT: This story discusses the main post-credit scene in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” currently in theaters.For as long as he’s been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) — former genius neurosurgeon turned master of the mystical arts — has only had eyes for one person: Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams).

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains a major “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” spoiler. 

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is finally here.The sequel finds Benedict Cumberbatch reprising his role of Doctor Strange after the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and teaming up with a post-“WandaVision” Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) to travel the multiverse and, well, save the world. Much of the story has been kept under lock and key, so fans have been eagerly anticipating the film’s release for months.But while “Multiverse of Madness” is now playing exclusively in theaters, some fans are no doubt wondering, when is “Doctor Strange 2” on Disney+? The answer is we don’t quite know for sure yet, but we can make an educated guess.While Disney has yet to officially announce a Disney+ streaming date for “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” we can look to how “Eternals” rolled out to get an estimate for how soon the film will be streaming.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is finally here, and TheWrap recently sat down with the film’s director and cast (including, of course, the former Sorcerer Supreme himself, Benedict Cumberbatch) to discuss all things “Strange.”Learn how Sam Raimi became involved in the project, whether Benedict Cumberbatch is eager to make more “Doctor Strange” movies and how Rachel McAdams got pulled back into the multiverse. Plus hear from the current Sorcerer Supreme (Benedict Wong) and the MCU’s newest recruit (Xochitl Gomez).

Wilson Chapman editorIn “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” longtime Marvel Cinematic Universe hero Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) is at her most villainous, butting heads with the title character (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) over the course of the film. But Olsen, whose portrayal of the mystical Scarlet Witch has made her a consistent MCU fan favorite, insists that no matter what Wanda goes through, she’ll continue to defend the character.“I remember people saying at the end of ‘Wandavision,’ ‘She has no accountability!'” Olsen told Variety senior entertainment reporter Angelique Jackson on the red carpet at the “Multiverse of Madness” premiere on Monday.

. Benedict Cumberbatch returns as the titular superhero, making his sixth onscreen appearance as the character finds himself a mentor of a younger generation of heroes, first to Spider-Man in and now to America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) in the long-awaited sequel.

WARNING: Major spoilers below for “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”Benedict Cumberbatch is back in his wizard cape and costume for “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”The sequel to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 2016 superhero flick reunites Cumberbatch, 45, with stars Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg and Chiwetel Ejiofor, with Elizabeth Olsen and Xochitl Gomez rounding out the main cast.However, there were many shocking cameos that made fans literally gasp in the movie theater.The film followed Dr. Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch) as he teams up with America Chavez (Gomez) to stop Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Olsen) throughout several universes.About almost halfway through the two-hour Sam Raimi-directed movie, a medley of characters appear in a series of surprising cameos.WARNING: Stop reading to avoid spoilers.There is one point in the story where Dr.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaThis sorcerer still reigns supreme.Disney and Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” earned a formidable $36 million in Thursday previews, setting the stage for what could be a massive $175 million-plus debut this weekend. This ranks as the eighth largest preview performance ever, behind “Avengers: Infinity War’s” $39 million in 2018.

It’s the first week of May, and you know what that means, right? The Marvel Studios machine has pumped out another feature and is ready to take over the world yet again. This time, we get “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” and boy, oh boy, The Playlist Podcast has some thoughts.

A very marvel-ous season! Nearly five months since the last Marvel Cinematic Universe flick hit the big screen, this summer will have two highly anticipated sequels coming out: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder — and that’s just the tipping point for 2022 movie releases.

WARNING: This post contains SPOILERS. Do not read if you don’t want to know!

Elizabeth Olsen stands in between the two Benedicts – Cumberbatch and Wong – at the premiere of their new movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, on Thursday night (May 5) in New York City.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” a giant movie that has the unenviable task of being a sequel to the original “Doctor Strange” standalone film (released way back in 2016), a follow-up to the enormously successful “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (which heavily featured Strange) and a second season of sorts to “WandaVision,” the inaugural Marvel Studios series for Disney+ that aired more than a year ago.In “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” directed by the one and only Sam Raimi, Strange (once again played by Benedict Cumberbatch) starts to unravel a mystery that could impact not only his world but all of the worlds, leading him to team up with psychically powered orphan Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and MCU newcomer America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who has the power to open star-shaped portals to other universes.Perhaps the biggest surprise is saved for the end, during the movie’s credits. But if you were befuddled as much as you were dazzled, we’ve got you covered.

If you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you may want to what Benedict Cumberbatch’s net worth is and how his salary for the Doctor Strange movies compares to his other MCU films.

Get Tickets for To catch up on the storylines so that you're fully ready to watch the newest movie, keep reading to find out which Marvel movies and series you should stream beforehand. What better movie to watch before the sequel than the first  film. The 2016 movie, available to stream now on Disney+, tells the story of Stephen Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), a brilliant, but self-involved neurosurgeon who loses everything after his hands are damaged in a car accident. On a quest to heal his injuries, Strange travels to Nepal to study mystic arts and unlocks his true potential as a magician.

Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness introduces a major new character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.After the end of the sequel in which Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, saves the day, he is interrupted by a new arrival in the MCU.The character is played by Charlize Theron, and invites Strange on a new mission after telling him he “caused an incursion and we’re going to fix it… unless you’re afraid”.Theron’s casting had been kept under wraps, as she is playing Clea, a major love interest for Strange from the comic books.Clea first appeared in Strange Tales #126. She is the daughter of Prince Orini, who is the heir to the Dark Dimension, and Dormammu’s sister, Umar.She met Strange when he first went to battle Dormammu in the Dark Dimension when he was trying to conquer Earth, where Clea teamed up with Strange to save the planet and ended up moving to Earth with him.The Dormammu narrative was cut short in the MCU films as Strange defeated the villain in the first film.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” has arrived. In this adventure, which serves as both a sequel to 2016’s “Doctor Strange” and a direct follow-up to both the Disney+ original series “WandaVision” and last year’s blockbuster “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (where Doctor Strange co-starred with Spider-Man). This time around, the good Doctor (once again played by Benedict Cumberbatch) teams up with Wanda aka the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and newcomer America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) on a multiverse-hopping trek.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the latest timeline-bending entry in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, has kicked off at the international box office, collecting $27.2 million on opening day.The film is currently playing in 20 overseas markets, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Korea. “Doctor Strange 2” opens in North America and several other territories on Friday.

Clayton Davis The horror genre is one of the most undervalued art forms in the space of critical accolades. However, scramble in the superhero factor, like Marvel’s newest entry, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” from Sam Raimi, and you have a product that will indeed generate discussion and divisive reactions.To get it out of the away nice and early, the anticipated sequel is not a contender to go into the history books like the two previous superhero features that managed to make the cut, “Black Panther” (2018) and “Joker” (2019).

Refresh for latest…: Disney/Marvel’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness began offshore release on Wednesday in 20 markets and is already doing some crazy numbers. With $27.2M through yesterday, the first-day overall results are only 4% below Spider-Man: No Way Home and a staggering 153% ahead of the original 2016 Doctor Strange, as well as 210% ahead of The Batman on a like-for-like basis at today’s rates.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters at midnight, and Benedict Cumberbatch‘s salary for the Marvel film was recently revealed.

Benedict Cumberbatch has been avoiding giving any spoilers about “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness” away, but one thing he is definitely clearing up is whether Tom Cruise makes an appearance in the film.

Benedict Cumberbatch is giving fans what they want – an actual answer to the theory that Tom Cruise pops up in his new movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is predicted to be a big Phase Four entry with many special guest stars. The first “Doctor Strange” film came out in 2016, which means a lot (truly, a lot) has happened in the period between movies, including an introduction to the Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther and even Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Ant-Man, Captain Marvel, Shang Chi and the Eternals also entered the picture.The “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” films complicated things a bit for the MCU, as did Marvel’s very first television series “WandaVision,” whose powerful Wanda Maximoff will return to help Doctor Strange learn more about the multiverse.

Naman Ramachandran The latest in the Downton saga, Universal’s “Downton Abbey: A New Era” topped the U.K. and Ireland box office with £3.07 million ($3.8 million), according to numbers released by Comscore.

Benedict Cumberbatch may have what it takes to face the multiverse but taking on Guillermo is a whole other story.

Happy times are here again for movie theaters this weekend with Disney/Marvel’s long-awaited Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness set to fire up the summer box office season we didn’t have a year ago.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which is the follow-up to several Marvel projects.The MCU officially entered its Phase Four with the January 2021 premiere of the meta “WandaVision” Disney+ series and kicked off the new Phase’s theatrical era with the long-awaited “Black Widow,” which was released that summer in theaters and on Disney+. And now, another title is set to spur fandom excitement with the arrival of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the sure-to-be chaotic (and if reviews are to be believed, horror-adjacent) follow-up to the 2016 magical action-adventure starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. But before you eagerly head to theaters, there are several must-watch MCU entries you should get acquainted with first to ensure you’re in the know about any potential references and sequential events — particularly with the mind-bending multiversal concerns presented in “Doctor Strange 2.” So, without further ado, here’s your viewing shortlist of shows and films — in chronological order — to stream in preparation:This unfortunately short-lived ABC series gives depth to an oft-overlooked character in the MCU: the highly skilled Strategic Scientific Reserve agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell, reprising her role from “Captain America: The First Avenger”), who would go on to become one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D.

On the same night as the Met Gala, some major stars were on the red carpet on the other side of the country!

Eternals” was vile, “Black Widow” was OK, “Shang-Chi” was a lot of fun) has been joined by one of the worst films so far in the bloated 27-movie franchise — not to mention one of the worst of the year — “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”That, unbelievably, is a movie title and not a doctoral student’s 250-page dissertation.Running time: 126 minutes. Rated PG-13 (intense sequences of violence and action, frightening images and some language.) In theaters.Now we have a firsthand idea of what it was like to witness the fall of the Roman Empire.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” promises to expand the MCU in a major way: by opening up the multiverse, of course. First teased majorly in last year’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” the multiverse paves the way for different iterations of the same character to populate the MCU as we know it, and “Doctor Strange 2” finds Benedict Cumberbatch’s titular sorcerer (along with Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff and some other friends) hopping from reality to reality, encountering different versions of themselves as well as new heroes destined to spawn new MCU franchises of their own.The first “Doctor Strange 2” reviews are in ahead of the film’s May 6 release date, and while Marvel movies are usually fairly critic proof, last year’s “Eternals” – which was the first Marvel movie to earn largely negative reviews in years – stumbled at the box office.

the Met Gala on Monday and their fashion choices set social media alight with memes. Shawn Mendes, Tessa Thompson, Blake Lively and Kylie Jenner were some of the celebrities who were given the meme treatment for their head-turning looks. Hitmaker Shawn delighted fans for eschewing a regular black suit for the event and instead donned a navy coat with a flared burgundy collar that saw him draw comparison's to Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film CriticThe Marvel Cinematic Universe is a busy place. With its crisscrossing sequels, superheroes who dart in and out of each other’s movies, and labyrinth of laws and totems and over-the-cosmos-and-far-away lands, it’s become a metastatic playground, the kind of place that even the most ardent comic-book fans have to dedicate themselves to keeping up with.