‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ fan theory suggests Stephen is meddling with Darkhold

A fan theory making the rounds on the internet is that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange may use the magic from the darkly powerful book, Darkhold, in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The last person we saw in possession of the book was Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff at the end of the Disney Plus series WandaVision. After the traumatic events of Westview, Wanda banished herself to a secluded cabin in Sokovia where she studied the text. However, in the latest trailer, we’ve seen that Strange attempts to team up with Wanda.

The trailer also shows Strange levitating some glowing red orbs with his hands, which is visually distinct from the usual golden-sparkly magic we’re used to him using. Additionally, Wanda is seen juggling similar crimson orbs in the trailer, leading one Reddit user on the r/MarvelStudios subreddit to ask, “Is Strange messing with the Darkhold?”

Hopping over to Twitter, other fans were noticing the connection as well.

Another fan suggested perhaps Strange was trying to crack the multiverse with the dark text.

Was the sorcerer perhaps trying to destroy the Darkhold, rather than wield it? That was one fan’s suggestion.

Still another Twitter user put forth the interesting possibility that perhaps the Darkhold was responsible for turning Defender Strange into a zombie.

That could actually make a good deal of sense since we also see a zombie version of Wanda in the TV spot, so perhaps Wanda was cursed from meddling with the Darkhold as well.

The theory that the Darkhold’s corruption turns its users into monstrous creatures is plausible, but this would mean the zombies in Multiverse of Madness are cursed rather than being victims of a plague as seen in What If…?.

We’ll have to see if the titular sorcerer can remain in the light when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness comes to theaters May 6.