Marvel fans are buzzing with excitement for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Sam Raimi’s genius is not to be taken lightly, and even early reviews claim that we are about to strap in for a ride that is equal parts fascinating and horrifying!
But since Marvel has so much going on (some not even in the “right” order), it may get you confused about when exactly Doctor Strange 2 takes place.
In the MCU timeline, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes place right after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. This puts it at either late 2024 or early 2025.
Now Marvel has not yet put Doctor Strange 2 on the official MCU timeline. For one, it does so only after the film/show is released, and two, it could have something to do with the plot.
Marvel is known for having a very cohesive universe, where movies inevitably influence each other. But there are three in particular that are directly tied to Doctor Strange 2:
- Loki, which begins in 2012 but takes place outside the realms governed by time.
- WandaVision, which is set in 2023.
- Spider-Man: No Way Home, that occurs in the winter of 2024.
As implied in the trailer and several promo materials, Doctor Strange 2 is a direct consequence of Spider-Man NWH. Being the armchair analysts that we are, we’re also aware that several shots of film continue to show a winter landscape.
Despite this, it’s more likely than Doctor Strange 2 takes place in early to mid-2025. Why? Simply because of Hawkeye.
Hawkeye (which I have deemed as the best Holiday show) takes place in New York during the heart of Christmas, 2024. Since Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum is also located in the same city, I feel like Hawkeye would have some mention if the world was being dragged through a multiverse chaos like we see in Doctor Strange 2’s scenes.
This has to mean that the movie takes places after the events of Hawkeye as well — setting its timeline to 2025.
Now just to play the devil’s advocate, is it possible for Doctor Strange 2 to be set between Spider-Man NWH and Hawkeye? It’s a really tiny window, but it’s possible if the movie takes a Loki approach, where majority of the action takes place outside the MCU universe.
We know that America Chavez can literally punch open dimensions, plus we’ve seen multiple versions of Strange. So it’s possible that Strange goes multiverse-hopping to fight the next biggest threat and returns to “Sacred Timeline” right before the events of Hawkeye.
In any case, we don’t need to speculate much more as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be in theatres tomorrow, May 6.
About Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the sequel to the 2016 movie Doctor Strange. The film is directed by Sam Raimi with a screenplay by Jade Bartlett and Michael Waldron.
It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Xochitl Gomez.
The sequel revolves around the dangerous consequences of Doctor Strange opening the multiverse.
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