Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

also known as “Daktaras Streindžas beprotybės multivisatoje,” “Docteur Strange dans le multivers de la folie,” “Doctor Strange az őrület multiverzumában,” “Doctor Strange En El Multiverso De La Locura,” “Doctor Strange în Multiversul Nebuniei,” See more »
MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for intense sequences of violence and action, frightening images and some language.

Reviewed by: Eric Tiansay
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Very Offensive —Not recommended
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: • Young-Adults
Genre: Sci-Fi Horror Action Superhero Adaptation Sequel
Length: 2 hr. 6 min.
Year of Release: 2022
USA Release: May 6, 2022 (wide release)
DVD: July 26, 2022
Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picturesclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Relevant Issues
Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Films and TV shows that promote foolish idea of multiverses (an infinite number of parallel universes)

Learn about spiritual light versus darkness

Fantasy magic

What does the Bible say about sorcery?

About magic and magicians mentioned in the Bible

Spells / enchantments

What is the Occult?

The Occult—What does the Bible say about it?

Madness

Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Fantasy witch

About witches in the Bible

Witchcraft

About Wicca and Paganism

Modern witchcraft

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of people in the U.S. who self-identify as witches (Wicca or neo-Pagan) since 1990, according to reported studies by Trinity College (Connecticut), The American Religious Identification Survey and The Pew Research Center.

Examples of common modern Wicca beliefs that are in opposition to God’s revealed Word(see partial list)

Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Featuring Benedict CumberbatchDr. Stephen Strange
Elizabeth OlsenWanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
Chiwetel EjioforKarl Mordo, a former Master of the Mystic Arts and mentor-turned-enemy of Strange, who is hunting other sorcerers
Benedict WongWong, Sorcerer Supreme
Xochitl GomezAmerica Chavez, a Lesbian teen with ability to travel between dimensions
Michael StuhlbargNicodemus West, surgeon
Rachel McAdamsChristine Palmer
Patrick Stewart
Bruce Campbell
See all »
Director Sam Raimi
Producer Marvel Studios
Kevin Feige
See all »
Distributor

Macabre, spiritually dark and demonic

Prequel: “Doctor Strange” (2016)

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” has casts a spell that will likely please diehard fans of the comic books, but it’s not a magical, family-friendly experience for Christian viewers or young moviegoers.

The latest entry in the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was directed by Sam Raimi, best known for the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy movies and the “Evil Dead” horror movies.

Spidey’s motto, “with great power comes great responsibility,” is nowhere to be found in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” as Raimi has created Marvel’s darkest superhero flick yet.

Touted as the first horror film in the MCU, the PG-13 rated film—which really deserves an R-rating—features dark and occult content, gory violence, gruesome and disturbing imagery that most likely will scare young children. The film is also marred by its foul language and politically correct representation.

The Marvel movie picks up where “Spider-Man: No Way Home” left off with its multiverse plot and finds Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) coming to the aide of a teen girl named America Chaves (Xochitl Gomez), who can jump across various universes.

Q & A

The idea of the multiverse isn’t scientific—it’s a hypothetical suggestion based on a particular view of the past that’s grounded in naturalistic, atheistic beliefs. Instead of trusting man’s fallible Word, let’s trust God’s infallible Word.

Multiverse: Is Our Universe One of Many? Answer

However, a demonic force is trying to steal America’s powers, which she can’t control and is only activated when she is scared.

The adventure that follows sees Doctor Strange face off with Wanda Maximoff / The Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), meet up with his old girlfriend (Rachel McAdams), enlist the help of a former sidekick who is now the Sorcerer Supreme (Benedict Wong) and encounter his former-friend-turned enemy Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor).

“You break the rules and become a hero,” Wanda tells Strange. “I do it, and I become the enemy. That doesn’t seem fair.”

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” juggles a variety of elements—part sentimental, part horror, part comedy and lots of familiar MCU action.

Living up to its tagline of “Enter a new dimension of Strange,” the film is a visual spectacle and the special effects are spectacular, mind-bending, breathtaking and creative, including a scene where Strange finds himself in a mystic duel where notes from sheet music are hurled like ninja stars.

Additionally, there are solid performances by Olsen, Cumberbatch and Wong as well as some surprise extended cameos from actors and characters that may thrill fans. Also, on the positive side are themes of courage and teamwork as well as sacrifice for the good of others.

The best line in the movie is from a character who wants to show mercy to someone who is being judged by a group: “Just because someone stumbles and loses his way doesn’t mean he’s lost forever,” he proclaims. “He deserves a second chance.”

The dialog echoes the sentiment of Romans 5:7-9:

“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”

On the downside, the film’s overall pacing seems relentless, disjointed and fragmented at times.

Additionally, the character of Chavez is a member of the LGBTQ community in the comics. In the film, it is revealed that Chavez has two moms; a moment seemingly responsible for the movie being banned in Saudi Arabia, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“It’s just great that other people feel represented with her being on screen, and I think it’s a really big deal,” Gomez told The Hollywood Reporter of her character. “She’s representing the LGBTQ [community], Latinas, teens and girls. There’s just so much right there.”

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, frightening images and some language, the film has much questionable content.

For example, there are jump-scares, a resurrected dead body with a disfigured face, violent deaths, graphic depictions of a decomposing body, and an entire village is decimated during fatal fight scenes that has have a high body count.

There are multiple scenes of characters burning to death and shown turning into ash. People are also shown exploding, crushed by a large statue, appear to fall to their deaths, impaled by a metal fence, have their necks snapped, and one character is cut in half by her shield—although it’s shown slightly off screen. In a few scenes, Wanda, who resembles a zombie, is covered with blood on her face and shirt.

There’s also some salty language, including some mild to moderate profanity and vulgarity: “God-d*mn,” “sh*t” (3)—including “Holy sh*t, “cr*p” (3), “a** (3),” “Son of a b*tch,” “d*mn,” and “h*ll” (5).

There’s no sex or real romance, but there are scenes of two characters embracing, holding hands and staring longingly at each other.

There’s a “good spell” book, the Book of Vishanti, that gives good guys “whatever they need” to battle the evil they’re fighting. Supposedly written by an ancient demon, there’s also the Darkhold, which corrupts those who try to use it, and the film shows the corrupted individuals. One character asks a friend to guard his body to prevent the “souls of the damned” or demon-like creatures from taking his life.

In my opinion, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is a fairly entertaining spectacle, but not much fun.

As one IMDB reviewer wrote: “You can’t help that feel somewhere in the multiverse, there’s a better version of this movie that exists.”

A Rotten Tomatoes reviewer echoed those thoughts by writing: “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is an oddly-named; poorly-written; and too-bizarre-for-its-own-good movie that may end up only being enjoyed by those who love the comic books.”

Editor’s Note: Christian Spotlight recommends viewers SKIP this film. We also sadly recognize that the Disney company has for some time now become an active enemy of biblical Christianity.

  • Violence: Extreme
  • Occult: Extreme
  • Profane language: Moderately Heavy
  • Vulgar/Crude language: Moderately Heavy
  • Drugs/Alcohol: Moderate
  • Nudity: Shirtless man
  • Sex: None

What are DEMONS?

Who is Satan, the enemy of God and all people?

Learn about DISCERNMENT—wisdom in making personal entertainment decisions

cinema tickets. ©  Alexey SmirnovEvery time you buy a movie ticket or buy or rent a video you are in effect casting a vote telling Hollywood, “I’ll pay for that. That’s what I want.” Read our article

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Neutral
Neutral—I have watched every Marvel TV show, movie… etc. And this is the first one I felt a bit uncomfy with. I realize Doctor Strange himself uses “magic.” But it always felt more like a fantasy sort of magic.

But in this movie Wanda (aka Scarlett Witch) uses the Dark Hold (a book for evil spells) to send a demon and other evil beings to chase down a new character we are introduced to named America Chavez. And given Wanda’s power make her glow red, it seems fitting given she comes off as evil. Her spells seem WAY more grounded and close to that I have seen of satanists. Including a symbol that looks almost exactly like a pentagram near the end.

Again, I accept Strange and his spells because you never think of satanists or witchcraft. It’s fantastical in nature. But Wanda’s is WAY to close to actual witchcraft/satanist stuff.

Normally I would take my family to see it, including my parents. But I don’t think they are going to like the more witchcrafty/devily feel of it. If you have kids, I wouldn’t recommend they see it as they are way to impressionable, this movie does a good job at it.

Now if that wasn’t bad enough. America Chavez actress is a LGBT actress. And in the movie you briefly see her with her “parents'… two women. The whole planets lore is it’s a universe where only woman exists. Have no idea how babies are made, but that’s not the point really.

It’s shame because I love Strange and Wanda. And the worst thing about all this is this movie is VERY important to some big changes in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). So if you miss it, you will miss out on a ton of important info regarding the multiverse.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Matt S, age 40 (USA)
Negative
Negative—This is the first Marvel movie that made me deeply spiritually uncomfortable, because the “magic” it contains veers into occult / satanic territory (necromancy, possession, and harnessing demons to do “good”). And it’s not just the villain doing these things, but also the hero. Rather than fight evil magic with good magic, Strange uses the same “evil” spells as the villain to defeat them—by opening a spell book he knows is evil, and using one of its spells to possess a dead body and control the demons in the “in-between” world.

Seeing his decaying zombie corpse march into a pagan temple to do battle against the villain with multiple demonic arms coming out of his back sent a cold chill over me. By making Strange into a Necromancer, Marvel is blurring the lines between Good and Evil and suggesting the end justifies the means if your intentions are “good.” But evil is always evil.

As Jesus said, you cannot cast out one demon with another. What is wicked and forbidden will never be good. It was a super creepy and spiritually unsettling twist in a movie that had been, before that, dark but brilliantly entertaining. It was positively demonic at the end.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Charity Bishop, age 39 (USA)
Negative—This movie is a absolute Satanic mess. There is no redeeming grace, no redeeming qualities or characters in this movie. My 14 year old brother, 17 year old sister and myself went to this movie on opening night and we are still deeply disturbed and disgusted by it. the evil imaginary, characters and graphic deaths, of fan favorite characters, and literal demons will disturb anyone. This movie was dark, unholy, and had no presences of God in it. When I went to this movie I went thinking it would be like any other Marvel movie. That there would be silly banter, fight scenes and a redeeming arc. But this one was nothing like the ones before. It was depressing, gross, horror-filled with non-stop demonic imagery. In this Marvel world there is no God to be seen, there is only evil, demons, witches and wizards. I do not recommend this to anyone of any age. It will drag your spirit down.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Joanna, age 31 (USA)
Negative—I chose to spend my Mother’s Day at the movies with my three sons and was looking forward to a fun comedic, action packed and heartfelt Marvel adventure like we had experienced so many times before. Unfortunately it was the exact opposite. I spent the second half of the movie telling my boys to cover their eyes, while I looked around at the many small children that appeared terrified as they watched the horrible images and content that once it began did not stop until the movie ended! I wish someone had warned me against going to see this movie which is why I am leaving this review. I do not watch horror movies and would never subject my children to a movie like this knowingly.

It is a movie filled with graphic horror images, witchcraft, satanic rituals, bloodshed, violent images of killing and many jump scares which have no place in a film marketed towards children and youth. There is also the addition of Disney’s seemingly highest political priority (which again has no place in a children’s film) and that’s to push the LGB… agenda on our children by giving “America” the main female character two moms. It is a completely unnecessary addition to the film other then to undermine the sanctity of God’s plan for the family which is to have a mom and a dad.

I have and will continue to speak out against this movie so it will not take more Christian families hard earned resources that can be spent on movies that are deserving of our time and money.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Cynthia Shears, age 45 (USA)
Negative—That there are multiverses implies there are multiple eternities—begins Marvel and Hollywood’s now open war against the thou shall nots in the Bible.

Thanos was totally evil but at least he was on a physical realm and did not even know about time travel! Gay xters as Heroines. Heroes and villains basically using the same dark magic and the solid loophole that Wanda could deceive her own self shows the silliness of her so called Mega powers, and we haven’t even seen a dormaamu demon Strange’s main antagonist in the comics in full action yet. I bet that’s the next movie plot… and guess what it made over 900 million dollars—means many people have seen it. And we think Hollywood and Marvel have not come to bargain? for our kids for our realities for our Faiths? I hear even unbelievers in Saudi Arabia banned it.

In the last days…
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Abi, age 50 (Nigeria)
Negative—The first movie focused on Dr. Stephen Strange and his self-destructive pride. It showed that even if we lose our abilities, we can still find ways to help others and that contentment can still be found even if someone loses all of his money. It did have characters practice magic and was sometimes creepy and scary, but in this second movie, the magic is more destructive rather than constructive.

Additionally, there is a sorcerer that possesses a corpse. Somehow the corpse is still able to move and see, which makes no logical sense, but children would have trouble processing this. I know I would have as a child, even though it is one of the “good guys” possessing the corpse.

One of the major points is that the villainess has been corrupted by using magic. Not only is this depicted as self-destructive to her, but also people completely innocent of the situation. She is attempting to steal other people’s lives because she believes this will give her back what she lost.

Most of the characters do not show much sadness for multiverse duplicates that are killed. This is in contrast to Spider-man: No Way Home where people from other universes are treated as having the same rights. We don’t find the camaraderie here. Doctor Strange shows compassion to America, but he is an exception.

There are additional content issues with this movie, but the movie left me wondering what Scott Derrickson, the director of the first Doctor Strange movie, originally had planned before he left his position as director. The story in this movie doesn’t ponder the philosophical questions that the first does, which was part of what had originally attracted me to the story as a Christian. The other parts that attracted me were that they had put more effort into making the medical content more accurate than other media portrayals and Mordo’s questioning of sorcery. Unfortunately, both the medicine and Mordo are missing from the sequel.

I did enjoy this movie, but it has many flaws.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Ejh, age 30 (USA)
Negative—This was a horrible movie, one that I would recommend everyone to NOT see. There are so many things wrong with it as it encourages and glorifies the occult/satanic/demonic throughout the film.

The main character, Doctor Strange, is seen using the dark magic to do “good” where he takes possession of a dead version of himself looking like a zombie and uses demons to help him in his fight against another evil character Wanda.

Wanda is seen chasing Strange and his companions looking very much like a zombie covered in blood and complete with the typical limp while somehow catching up to Strange who is running at full speed. She meditates surrounded in rich occult/satanic imagery and also possesses another version of herself to wreak havoc in that world. She puts America on what resembles a sacrificial table with what is or looks to resemble satanic markings where red energy is drawn out of her filling grooves in the markings. The entire scene is highly suggestive of human sacrifice with the red energy obviously meant to look like blood and the scene made my wife and I very uncomfortable and disgusted.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 2
Tom, age 47 (Canada)
Comments from non-viewers
Negative—It is very sad that we can not trust the Disney company anymore to be family friendly and safe for viewing. They are actively promoting an anti-God, anti-Judeo-Christian worldview in their movies. They are a part of the world system with Satan at its helm that has aligned itself against God.

The warning I think of by the Lord Himself is found in Mark 9:42—“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him (read Disney Co.) if a heavy millstone is hung around his neck, and he is thrown into the sea”.

There is still time to repent. God is loving and merciful and forgiving.
Beth, age 65 (USA)
Negative—I haven’t watched this movie and am truly/highly hurt by marvel. I hate the direction that Disney and Marvel are taking and am thinking very differently about them. Doctor strange used to be my favorite movie/character but now I renounce and hate both. I loved “no way home” but now I don’t like it as much as I did. I will never forgive Marvel and am not afraid to say that I am a Christian and will refuse/hate/ignore anything that goes against God. I have never watched the movie, never will watch the movie and everyone I know has told me how wrong it is. I hate marvel and everything now stands for!!!
Princeton, age 13 (USA)

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

Secular Movie Critics
…One of the year’s worst… Everything, including the overabundance of CGI, is ugly as sin. … [1/4]
Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
…The film feels like a collection of ideas that never add up. …
Todd Gilchrist, AV Club
…“Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness” is a ride, a head trip, a CGI horror jam, a what-is-reality Marvel brainteaser and, at moments, a bit of an ordeal. It’s a somewhat engaging mess, but a mess all the same. …
Owen Gleiberman, Variety
…There may be a universe in which I feel the barest thread of emotional connection to even one thing that happens during the 126 minutes of loud, smeary nonsense that is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But I doubt it. …
Johanna Schneller, The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
…a bizarro plot that serves up philosophical, ethical and spiritual mind games in between the sometimes repetitive but slick and exhilarating action sequences, this is one of the weirder Marvel movies yet. …
Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
…a new low for Marvel’s digital gloop factory… sends Benedict Cumberbatch across multiple planes of existence – to little end… [2/5]
Robbie Collin, The Telegraph [UK]
…Marvel sequel kicks off with relentless exposition, before buckling further and further under the weight of its magical MacGuffins… It turns out that the point of the multiverse, and of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, isn’t its creative potential. It’s its cameos. A million universes could exist, and they’d all contain surprise appearances by people and things fans can hoot and holler over, before being purchased as toys on the way out of the cinema. … [2/5]
Clarisse Loughrey. The Independent [UK]
…The Multiverse idea gets further beaten to death… This isn’t one of the best movies of this genre. But when at its best, it takes Marvel places it’s been entirely too timid to go before, and I’m NOT talking about this endlessly flogged “multiverse” business. … [2½/4]
Roger Moore, Movie Nation
…There isn’t much of a love story here. There isn’t much of anything, even as there’s too much of everything. …
A.O. Scott, The New York Times
A barrage of special effects, splashes of horror, and nothing up its sleeve… the real trick is making the audience care. For all of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’s mind-bending universe jumping, that particular magic never manages to arrive in the theater. …
Oliver Jones, Observer (NYC)