Will Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness make everyone's favorite mystic surgeon the strongest member of the Avengers? The MCU took a bold step in 2016 by venturing into a weird world of Doctor Stephen Strange, casting Benedict Cumberbatch in the role and opening up the franchise to all the magic and alternate world craziness that Strange brings. The character's solo movie took an arrogant but talented surgeon, stripped of his ability to operate, right to the door of the Ancient One, allowing Strange to learn an entirely new set of skills that his hospital's medical board undoubtedly would've frowned upon.
Stephen picks up the basics of the mystic arts in Doctor Strange, casting portals, conjuring energy whips, and picking up time manipulation thanks to the Eye of Agamotto, but when we meet the character again in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War, it's clear that Doctor Strange has grown in power. He's now able to effortlessly manipulate reality (infinite beers, for instance) and send Loki on a trip through the Multiverse. It's Strange who picks out the only possible way to defeat Thanos, and after being brought back into existence by Hulk's Infinity Gauntlet snap, the sorcerer holds back a deadly tidal wave during the final battle.
Strange's next appearance will come courtesy of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, now set for a 2022 release. Production on the sequel has been far from smooth, with Scott Derrickson exiting over creative differences and Sam Raimi coming in as a replacement. While the full details of Doctor Strange 2 haven't yet been divulged, Scarlet Witch has been announced to appear, and Chiwetel Ejiofor will return as Baron Mordo, most likely in the villainous capacity teased at the end of the first film. The very title "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" suggests plenty of world-hopping antics after Strange got a taste of the Multiverse in his debut adventure and, potentially, exploring the Multiverse could allow the good doctor to become the MCU's most powerful superhero.
The debate over the strongest Avenger in the MCU is a contentious one to say the least, and there are a few potential contenders. In terms of latent power, Scarlet Witch has been touted as the most formidable Avenger, with the comic character responsible for ripping a hole in the very fabric of reality. Elizabeth Olsen's character hasn't quite unleashed her full capabilities just yet, but her future in the MCU could be very significant thanks to the ambiguity of the character's red magic. While Scarlet Witch could become the most powerful Avenger, that title currently appears to be held by Carol Danvers, known to her friends as Captain Marvel. Imbued with Infinity Stone power (who isn't nowdays?), Danvers' abilities encompass speed, power, flight, energy blasts and durability, making her the most overpowered figure in the franchise. So powerful is Captain Marvel, she essentially had to be sidelined until the very end of Avengers: Endgame to ensure Thanos wasn't defeated too quickly.
MCU overlord, Kevin Feige, has flitted back and forth between Maximoff and Danvers when questioned about the most powerful Avenger in interviews, but fair arguments can also be made for Thor and Hulk. Chris Hemsworth's character can summon lightning and scrap among the best of them when armed with Mjolnir or Stormbreaker, and certainly in the earlier MCU entries, the God of Thunder appears to be the Avenger you'd least like to get on the wrong side of. But then there's Hulk, who has managed to show Thor up in battle on several occasions, besting the Asgardian in terms of pure strength. Only Thanos has come close to taming Hulk, with even the other Avengers struggling to contain his brute strength.
As alluded to above, Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange has already exhibited some wondrous skills, and has come a long way since his days stealing books from under Wong's nose and un-eating an apple. But there are a few mitigating factors to Strange's strength. Compared to others studying at Earth's various sanctums, Dr. Stephen Strange is a relative newcomer. Through supreme talent and intelligence, the former surgeon has assumed a position as the Ancient One's successor, and his involvement in the Avengers proves he's more powerful than any of his mystic friends, but Strange's rise to prominence in the magic circle has been rapid nonetheless. As such, Strange hasn't really become the Sorcerer Supreme just yet.
Compared to Tilda Swinton's character, Strange still feels like a relative beginner, and if the Ancient One returned from the dead to fight her former student, few would be foolish enough to bet their money on Cumberbatch. Vitally, the Avenger is also now stripped of his greatest asset - the Time Stone. After Thanos destroyed the original set of Infinity Stones and Captain America took the replacement set back to their own timelines, the Eye of Agamotto is now little more than a gaudy necklace, giving Strange a significant power-down.
It's inevitable that Stephen Strange will become the true Sorcerer Supreme in the MCU at some point - the Ancient One has already stated as much. But in order to achieve this, Strange must develop as a character and a leader, as well as enhancing his mystic abilities considerably. There hasn't yet been much time for this, with the 2016 movie telling an origin story and his two Avengers appearances coming as part of a very large ensemble. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the perfect opportunity to make Stephen Strange feel worthy of the Sorcerer Supreme title, and on par with the Ancient One.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may bestow a fancy new title and a prestigious new role to its title character, but how does the master of mystic arts actually grow in power? What tribulations does he need to endure, and what might his abilities look like by the time the end credits roll on Cumberbatch's second MCU solo film? In this respect, the loss of the Time Stone could be key. Strange has relied on the Eye of Agamotto throughout his MCU tenure thus far, despite knowing the inherent dangers. While the Ancient One didn't wield the Time Stone as heavily, she was drawing power from the Dark Dimension - something she acknowledged was misguided. This sets up a unique problem for Strange in Multiverse of Madness: how can he overtake his teacher without using an Infinity Stone or drawing sketchy power from the Dark Dimension?
The obvious solution is to have Doctor Strange master the mystic arts so completely he transcends the need to power himself up artificially. By delving deep into his own abilities and only relying on innate strength, Strange can surpass the Ancient One and all previous generations of the Sorcerer Supreme by conjuring magic in previously unseen ways. This might include immortality, energy blasts, dimensional banishment and a wider array of spell-casting than the MCU character has demonstrated thus far. Strange might also use the Multiverse to summon the Vishanti, god-like beings from the comics.
Indeed, the power of immortality may help Strange acquire these new abilities in the first place. The Ancient One is extremely old, it's right there in her name. Therefore, it would be impossible for Strange to become more powerful than her only a few short years after first joining her cult ("sanctum" probably sounds better in the brochures). For Strange to overcome this gap, he could be banished to a timeless part of the Multiverse in Doctor Strange 2, where he trains for thousands of years, overtaking the Ancient One in both age and strength. Perhaps he ever faces off against Death, as in the comics. After becoming powerful enough to escape, Strange could return to the exact same time period he departed, older, stronger and wiser, but now entirely ageless.
Of course, the doctor will need a villain to defeat and demonstrate his new abilities, and who better than Baron Mordo? Strange's old friend was disillusioned after learning the Ancient One's Dark Dimension secret. Like Strange, Mordo must've spent the intervening years striving to attain power from within. Strange vs. Mordo at the climax of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could be a clash between two sorcerers who have outgrown the need to rely on artifacts for strength, but after centuries training in the Multiverse, it'll be the surgeon who comes out on top, solidifying himself as the unrivaled Sorcerer Supreme and the strongest superhero in the Avengers.
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