With the help of Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff, Doctor Strange 2 further opened up the MCU to the multiverse. It also conjured a mountain of ticket sales in the Philippines.
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When Spider-Man: No Way Home swung onto theaters in December 2021, collectively shaking audiences around the world, many waited with bated breath to see where the MCU would go from there. And up next on the docket was Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The sequel to Doctor Strange looked to answer our lingering questions. Aside from what the title promised, the sequel also saw the return of Wanda Maximoff following her realization as the Scarlett Witch after the events of WandaVision. And clearly, fans and moviegoers, especially in the Philippines, we’re ready to eat it all up, multiverse style .
DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MONEY
A little over a week since its May 4 release in the country, the movie is the highest grossing film of 2022 in the Philippines so far. The pandemic forced many Filipino Marvel fans to watch the recent MCU releases online or away from cinemas. So, Pinoy fans showed their support for the MCU this go around, creating new box office records. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is already a box office king. Currently, the film has the 9th highest opening film of all time for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 10th in the highest opening of all time for a Disney film, and 13th in terms of the highest opening weekend of all time in the local box office.
These feats are quite impressive considering that not every cinema in the country is fully operational due to the pandemic. But Pinoy MCU and movie fans in general expressed their warm reception of the movie at the box office. It also does help that most of the country is under Alert Level 1. Also, IMAX screens in the country went back into operation on May 4 so some fans were eager for the upgraded experience when viewing the film.
But first, the story. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness follows Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) as he encounters America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a young girl who has the ability to create star shaped portals to travel the multiverse. She is being chased by a monster that is trying to steal her powers. Doctor Strange then convenes both old and new allies, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), and Wong (Benedict Wong), among others, to protect America and unlock the secrets of the Multiverse. But that is easier said than done when dealing with the mystical side of the MCU.
MAGIC MEETS HORROR IN THE MCU
If you haven’t seen the movie yet, we feel that it’s a worthy watch, especially if you’re a fan of the MCU. For starters, it’s directed by Sam Raimi, the same director behind the original Spider-Man trilogy. He’s known for his horror tinged meets quirky style, and it comes off well in the film. Visually, it’s one of the most unique in the MCU. It offers a nice change of pace considering how most MCU projects can come off as looking the same. This is also the scariest MCU project to date. While it’s not R-rated horror, it’s more of Saturday night horror movie vibe to hit. The violence on display is also slightly more mature than what is normally expected.
You get to see more Doctor Strange and Wanda’s unique powers, putting to screen one of the most creative fights ever in the MCU. Elizabeth Olsen also delivers one of her best performances as Wanda Maximoff in this film. The story itself is surprisingly simple when you think about it and it’s not as ambitious as Endgame. But comic book fans will get a kick out of what this movie has to offer. And not to mention the fact that the sequel opens some exciting doors for where Doctor Strange and the rest of the MCU can go from here.
Catch the release of MCU’s newest film in cinemas nationwide. Check here for showtimes.
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