Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is theatrically releasing in Australia on May 5, and while we got a new trailer just recently (asking more questions than answering them, mind you) we’ve still got a bit of time before we can see what this latest movie from Sam Raimi is all about.
Written by Loki’s Michael Waldron, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stühlbarg and Rachel McAdams.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness follows on from several different Marvel movies, so you’ll want to watch them all before you head out to see Multiverse of Madness in May.
What movies should you watch ahead of Multiverse of Madness?
An easy starting point is the first flick.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange (2016), which introduced surgeon-slash-sorcerer Stephen Strange following teases in The Winter Soldier (2014), functions as an origin story, so you’ll want to watch that to understand how Doctor Strange became the Sorcerer Supreme.
Thor: Ragnarok
He next appeared in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) advising Thor on the location of his father Odin, but this isn’t a particularly necessary watch. A fun one, yes — but not essential.
Avengers
From there, Strange appeared in both Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), where he helped save the world from Thanos.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Oh, and Doctor Strange shows up in Spider-Man: No Way Home(2021), which should also be on your watch list. He plays an essential role in the film.
WandaVision
Because Scarlet Witch will play a prominent role in the upcoming Doctor Strange movie, it’s also a good idea to check out WandaVision (2021) to find out how Wanda Maximoff finally embraced her chaos magic, and why that spells trouble for Doctor Strange in Multiverse.
X-Men
Finally, while we wouldn’t call this essential to understanding the upcoming Doctor Strange movie, it’s worth watching for the full story. Briefly in the second Multiverse of Madness trailer we could hear Patrick Stewart’s voice. Patrick Stewart, mind you, was the actor who played Professor X in the X-Men movies. You should definitely add a few of those movies to your list, as they’ll likely tie in some way. The X-Men actor for Quicksilver also appeared in WandaVision, playing the same character… But not as we knew him.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to release on May 5 in Australia. While you wait, why not check out all the other sci-fi, horror and fantasy films coming our way this year. This article has been updated since it was first published.