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- 5 Plot Holes That Don't Add Up in “Doctor Strange 2”
5 Plot Holes That Don't Add Up in “Doctor Strange 2”
by
amanda prahl
Everett Collection / ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is officially here, and it’s every bit as trippy as we would expect. The multiverse-exploring, horror-tinged adventure sends Doctor Strange and his allies on a quest to track down a dangerous source of dark magic that threatens the multiverse, crossing paths along the way with Wanda Maximoff, aka the more-powerful-than-ever Scarlet Witch.
While the movie is mostly about the holes forming in the multiverse and the fabric of reality, there are a few holes in the plot, too! Although the overarching plot coheres pretty well, there are definitely a few moments that raise questions when you think about them a little bit. These are a few of the moments in “Doctor Strange 2” that left us scratching our heads – did you catch these too?
Everett Collection / Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
How Does Doctor Strange Still Have the Eye of Agamotto?
The Eye of Agamotto is one of Doctor Strange’s defining artifacts. Up through “Avengers: Infinity War,” the amulet housed the Time Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones. During Thanos’s invasion, however, Strange gave up the stone, after which Thanos used it in the Snap and then destroyed it along with the other Infinity Stones.
In “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness,” however, Strange is clearly wearing the Eye of Agamotto again. The simplest explanation is that he has simply crafted a new amulet, without the Time Stone, as more of a symbolic reminder than an actual power source. The end of the movie seems to contradict that, though. Strange develops his “third eye,” which is directly tied to his Infinity Stone-containing Eye of Agamotto in the comics. Without the Infinity Stone, how could this Eye of Agamotto have the same power to help Strange develop this supernatural “extra” sense of sight?
Everett Collection / Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
Did Wanda Forget Everything She Learned in "WandaVision" in "Doctor Strange 2"?
Wanda’s arc on “WandaVision” was all about learning to handle her grief without destroying everyone. In the end of that show, she came to terms with her grief, let go of Vision and their children, and admitted that she knew she’d done a lot of bad things and needed to do better in the future.
When we pick up with her in “Multiverse of Madness,” though, it seems like she’s completely forgotten all of that. Her single-minded determination is to “rescue” the sons she lost, and she’s willing to destroy realities and kill anyone who gets in her way. The corruption of the Darkhold could be an explanation, but it’s not a particularly satisfying one in terms of character development.
Everett Collection / Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
What Does Strange Remember About Spider-Man?
At one point, Strange mentions that his first experience with the multiverse was with Spider-Man, referencing the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” But, one of the most defining moments at the end of “No Way Home” was when Strange’s memories of Peter Parker, just like everyone else’s memories of him, were wiped away.
The fact that Strange remembers working with Spider-Man, but doesn’t remember Peter Parker specifically, raises a lot of questions. Why does Strange think he helped Spider-Man with a multiversal problem? How much of that adventure does he actually remember, and how does he think it was resolved if Peter Parker has been erased? If he has gaps around the spots where Peter, not just “Spider-Man,” would be, why isn’t he curious about that missing information?
Everett Collection / Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
Where Is the Time Variance Authority in "Doctor Strange 2"?
First introduced in “Loki,” the Time Variance Authority is supposed to be keeping an eye on multiversal shenanigans. Even in a post-“Loki” world, where the Sacred Timeline has splintered, the TVA supposedly still exists, even though they don’t remember much of what happened on “Loki” (or Loki himself). With all the multiverse-hopping and threats to reality itself, why isn’t the TVA involved at all in “Multiverse of Madness” (other than the movie’s creative team not wanting to add even more cameos to a cameo-packed movie)? They never made an appearance in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” either, for that matter, so what does the TVA even really do at this point? They still exist, but if they’re not getting involved with multiverse problems, what do they do?
Everett Collection / Disney+/Courtesy Everett Collection
Why Isn't Vision in "Doctor Strange 2"?
The crux of the movie is Wanda’s desperation to regain the life she briefly experienced with a family that loved her. We see an alternate version of Wanda and alternate versions of her sons, but Vision never seems to be a factor at all. It seems very strange, given how Wanda’s previous reality-warping magic was rooted in her deep love (and grief) for Vision, that he plays no part in Wanda’s latest quest.
Realistically, the answer is probably just that actor Paul Bettany wasn’t available or that the movie didn’t want to feel like a “WandaVision” rehash, but it does leave a bit of an emotional gap in explaining Wanda’s narrow focus.
