Tomorrow will deliver the latest episode of Marvel’s What If…?, and our first look at it is now here in the form of a sneak peek. A recent poster confirmed that this week’s installment of the animated anthology series will focus on a power-hungry variant of Doctor Strange, and sure enough, today’s clip introduces us to a version of the Master of the Mystic Arts who’s a little different from the one we’re familiar with. For one, he doesn’t have a beard.
The minute-long teaser, which you can find above, sees Strange dragged down into the grand and hidden library of the lost books of Cagliostro, where he encounters a cryptic sorcerer named Obeng. Strange reveals that he’s interested in Cagliostro’s writings because legend says he found a way to break “an absolute point in time”. Intriguingly, this Strange isn’t the disheveled traveler from his 2016 origins movie, but is clean-shaven and clad in an Armani suit.
This perhaps tells us that the variant hasn’t gone through the same hardships to track down Kamar-Taj as the regular Strange. However, he is still intent on discovering the secrets of sorcery – in this case, specifically how to control time. In comments responding to the above video, fans suggest the Nexus Event in this reality is what occurred if Christine Palmer was caught in a car crash instead of him. That would explain why Strange wants to change time, so he can avert her death. Rachel McAdams has been confirmed to reprise her role in this show, after all.
Clearly, whatever his backstory is, this iteration of the former surgeon goes down a darker path than the character we know and love, as his generally sinister appearance in the trailers attests to. So far, What If…? has served up an approachable Thanos and murderous Ant-Man, so, sure, why not an evil Strange? Don’t miss episode 4 when it debuts on Disney Plus this Wednesday, September 1st.
Published: Aug 31, 2021 12:40 pm