We all knew that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was going to be a monster, but even then, Sam Raimi’s superhero sequel has gotten off to a box office start that can only be described as incredible.
After its first weekend in release, the 28th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s big screen filmography has hauled in a mind-blowing $450 million, according to the latest estimates. To put things into perspective, Benedict Cumberbatch’s second solo outing has earned more in three days than Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals managed during their entire theatrical runs.
While some may point to the pandemic as being a major factor, that didn’t prevent titles like Fast & Furious 9, No Time to Die, and of course Spider-Man: No Way Home, from flying substantially higher, so praise must be pointed squarely in the direction of the reality-hopping, mind-melting, and boundary-pushing PG-13 blockbuster.
Once again, the MCU has planted a flag at the summit of the cinematic mountain and dared anyone to come close. Bear in mind, Doctor Strange 2 has a clear run ahead of it for the next three weeks until Top Gun: Maverick arrives, so it’ll almost certainly be the second highest-grossing pandemic-era blockbuster by then, with the $902 million of China’s The Battle of Lake Changjin the number to beat.
Realistically, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness should be the top-earning title of 2022 within the next week and a half, with The Batman‘s $764 million set to be demolished in no time at all.
