The release date of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is inching closer. With this, speculations are rife about various aspects of the film. Of particular interest, is the question of the main villain of the movie. Nothing definitive has been announced, but this hasn’t stopped fans from speculating about the identity of the antagonist.
The buzz is that the villain in Doctor Strange 2 might be Nightmare, an old nemesis of the Doctor. In this article, we’ll examine the hints and clues being cited as evidence for this theory, comment on the trustworthiness of the same, and end with our thoughts on the whole matter.
Hint #1: An interesting detail in Loki
In the premiere of Loki, The God of Mischief compares the Time Variance Authority (TVA) to a “nightmare”, to which Morbius responds jokingly: ” that’s another department”. Further, since Michael Waldron wrote both, Loki and Doctor Strange 2, this theory seems plausible. Later, more hints were dropped. Marvel released a trailer and then a teaser, and Nightmare was mentioned in both.
Hint #2: A possible reference in the Trailer
In the trailer of Doctor Strange 2, Doctor Strange complains about his recurring bad dreams. Then he says, ” and then the nightmare begins”. This statement seemingly teases Nightmare being a part of the film. Nightmare and Doctor Strange go back a long time and have been at odds recurrently. Nightmare is a demon who haunts dreams.
Hint #3: Another Reference in the Doctor Strange 2 Teaser
Marvel then released a teaser, where Wanda Maximoff repeats what Dr. Strange had said in the earlier trailer, “every morning, the same nightmare”.
This repeated mentioning of dreams and nightmares has fans speculating about the appearance of Nightmare in the movie as Doctor Strange‘s antagonist from the comics. While all this seems tempting, we advise caution.
Are These Doctor Strange 2 Hints Proof Enough?
Outside of these hints, there is nothing else pointing the presence of Nightmare in the film. Marvel hasn’t featured him in any of their promotional material, nor has any leak confirming his presence been reported by a reputable source. For now, all this is mere speculation. Nothing else.
Marvel is known to be deceptive with its trailers and teasers. Keeping fans guessing and engaged seems to be the idea. Come May the 6th and everything would be clear. It seems marvel likes to keep its fans on the edges of their seats.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases on May, 6th, 2022.
