Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Breaking Down the Potential Villains

The trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has left fans speculating about who the main villain or villains could be. Based on the brief scenes and clues, here is a breakdown of the top candidates and theories about their possible roles:

Shuma-Gorath the Many-Tentacled

Eldritch horror entity Shuma-Gorath is rumored to be one of the main villains in the film. In the comics, Shuma-Gorath is an immensely powerful cosmic entity from another dimension who seeks to invade and conquer Earth. Its tentacled form and mind-bending abilities would make for a truly nightmarish opponent for Doctor Strange. However, some argue the monster briefly glimpsed in the trailer more closely resembles Gargantos, a lesser demon in Marvel who can mimic other creatures. So it’s possible Gargantos may serve as a minion or herald for the true villain.

The Scarlet Witch Takes a Dark Turn

Wanda Maximoff’s descent into madness is heavily implicated by the trailers. In one shot, Strange seems to be fighting her while Wong comes to his defense. It’s unclear if she starts as an ally who turns on Strange, or was an enemy from the beginning. A popular theory is that Wanda accidentally unleashes an evil variant of herself from crossing into dangerous alternate realities. This Darkhold-corrupted variant Wanda could be the main antagonist Strange must defeat to save his dimension. Wanda’s full villainous potential as the Scarlet Witch promises high stakes and emotional drama.

Superior Iron Man’s Mettle is Tested

Another candidate is Tony Stark from another universe who went down a different, darker path after the events of the first Avengers movie. Calling himself Superior Iron Man, this Tony transforms himself into a cold, calculating villain who sees himself as superior to all others. It’s possible the chaos of the multiverse allows him to crossover into Strange’s universe, where the two genius heroes would surely have an epic clash of wills and technology. Their moral philosophies diametrically opposed, Superior Iron Man could provide a formidable scheming foe.

The Deadly Dangers of a Zombie Doctor Strange

In the Darkhold book that corrupted Wanda are spells to raise the dead. One sinister possibility is that a corrupted, zombie version of Doctor Strange himself rises from an alternate fallen timeline. Going by the name Sinister Strange, this undead Strange would know his normal self’s powers inside and out, making him a frightening opponent. He may even retain shadowy vestiges of his former intelligence and sorcery, animated by dark forces beyond his control. Fans are intrigued by the prospect of Strange battling an infected version of his own corpse, in a horrific permutation of his character.

The Multitude of Multiversal Madnesses

With the door to the multiverse now open, the film leaves room for a multitude of enemies. Strange could face threats like Dormammu, Baron Mordo or Lilith, the Mother of Demons, who want to invade or destroy humanity. There’s also the intriguing possibility of multiple villains working in tandem - for instance, a diabolical team-up between Scarlet Witch, Superior Iron Man and Sinister Strange. By tapping into a limitless multiverse of characters, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness promises to take the MCU’s storytelling to mind-bending new heights of madness and action. Fans can hardly wait to see its secrets unravel next year.