The release of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” was supposed to bring the X-Men alongside other properties owned by 20th Century Fox into the main MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) timeline. However, as the credits roll, one can’t help but feel disappointed at how little the movie delivers. 

The film follows Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) as he protects a young, multiverse-traveling girl named America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) from Wanda Maximoff, also known as The Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). Doctor Strange and America Chavez go on a multiversal journey in an attempt to escape from Wanda Maximoff, which puts them in various predicaments. 

A highlight of the movie was Elizabeth Olsen’s brilliant portrayal of Scarlet Witch. Back in “WandaVision,” Scarlet Witch used her magic for self-gain without quite knowing the consequences it would bring, and in the new movie,  she has made the full transition into a villain. However, the viewer can still sympathize with her. The prophecy of the Scarlet Witch declares that she will one day rule over the entire multiverse, but all Wanda desires is to be reunited with her two children, Billy (Julian Hilliard) and Tommy (Jett Klyne) from “WandaVision.”

That being said, the pacing of the movie is completely out of sorts. Granted, many MCU movies have a similar problem of pacing–especially ones featuring large amounts of characters–but in this film, it feels like the characters are just jumping from one set piece to another with no rhyme or reason. Additionally, all of the film’s major cameos are revealed in one scene, which makes that one part incredible, but consequently makes the rest of the movie feel lacking. 

Further, for all the speculation around how this movie would change the MCU forever, it really just felt like another standard Marvel production. While some could argue that this is simply due to the film being over-hyped, the marketing and previous statements from Marvel executives about the movie made it seem that every other release in phase four of the MCU was leading up to Doctor Strange’s comeback. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, it just feels like your average Marvel movie.  

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is also a victim of too much being revealed before the film even came out. Almost every big cameo was shown in the trailer or other promotional footage. Because of this, it is very easy for anyone to piece together what is going to happen in the movie just by watching preliminary clips. It makes everything that would’ve been a big reveal or plot point in the movie feel boring or predictable. 

For being a movie titled “Multiverse of Madness”, not very much of that madness is shown. While there is a scene towards the start of the film that features the characters traversing many different multiverses, it mellows out after that and at least half of the movie is set in the main MCU timeline. This was incredibly disappointing, since that one segment was one of the most visually appealing scenes of any Marvel film. It just feels like a waste for there to be such a lack of similar visuals in the rest of the movie. 

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is unable to live up to the excitement surrounding it. While it does have a stellar villain and impressive visuals, it ends up being far more forgettable than many fans would have anticipated. It certainly isn’t the worst Marvel movie ever made, but to say it’s one of the most disappointing would not be far-off.