Trey: hello and welcome
to a bonus episode of MCU.

Need to know a podcast dedicated
to the Marvel cinematic universe

and everything you need to know.

And, and this one is just going to be me.

Unfortunately, the schedules for
Judy and I are not aligning for Dr.

Strange and the multi versus madness.

When this episode drops the earliest,
you will be able to see it is when the.

And so after that, I'll be out of
town that following weekend, which

means we wouldn't be able to get
to record until the weekend after.

So rather than waiting until then,
I'm going to put out a very quick,

very, very quick reactions episode.

And then whenever Jude and I get back
in sync with our schedules, we'll

circle back to a more traditional,
quick reactions episode of Dr.

Strange and the multi-verse.

So this one will be short, but,
uh, we're going to start with

the preschooler thoughts before
jumping into the spoiler zone.

So preschooler thoughts,
my general reaction to this

film is I really enjoyed it.

I think it's a lot of fun and I think
the strength of it is the continued

inventive use of magic beyond just
being beams of light shot at each.

And it's not even just in the
way that magic is used in combat.

It's just the, the overall anchoring of
magic in terms of traversal, in terms

of using it to get through obstacles.

It is fun in a way that I feel like
is continuing the tradition of the

first one that very much made me
happy to see in the sequel story-wise

there are definitely strong character.

But it still feels like an event
movie where the spectacle outpaces

the story, not to say that's
bad, but in, in terms of Dr.

Strange and Dr.

Strange and the multi-verse of
madness, I think the original stilts.

Is the stronger of the two for me.

Uh, I've mentioned before, Dr.

Strange is in the top five of
all the MCU movies, partly due to

the strong story that it tells.

Uh, you don't have to look
further than the review episode.

We did a few weeks ago where we
were just boasts gushing over how

wonderfully crafted that film is.

And this one doesn't quite hit the same
narrative strengths, but again, it is

incredibly fun for what it sets out.

In that regard.

One of the things that it feels like
is in its objectives is bringing a

horror aspect to the MCU in a way
that's been flirted with for awhile.

But man, this, this movie delivers
on it because right from the get go

in the trailers, you could feel there
was this looming sense of dread and

without getting into too much spoilers
just yet dread I think is a very

common theme throughout this movie.

So yeah, I think that's where
I want to leave my priests.

Uh, so like I said, you're going
to hear an audio cue and on the

other side, it will be fair game
for all spoilers in the MCU.

We'll see you on the other side

and we're back.

All right.

So where do I want to start?

There's so many good things
that I want to talk about.

I know the obvious ones would be the
cameos, but I'm actually start here

with American Chavez a few weeks
ago when we did our reaction to the

trailer and may a few weeks ago,
who knows time is nothing anymore.

Whenever we did our reactions episode,
I talked about America Chavez and

how I felt like she was going to be.

The key to this story.

And I feel like I was right.

Like, we got that cold open where we saw
America Chavez on an adventure in, in

media Rez with a different doctor strange.

And that was our introduction
to the character.

And I have to say.

Hit me in a way that I wasn't
expecting that this huge blockbuster

Marvel movie, literally the first
word spoken or spoken in Spanish.

And that made me really happy.

I didn't, I didn't, I wasn't necessarily
looking for that, but the fact that

America Chavez and that version of Dr.

Strange were speaking in Spanish
was really, really touching.

However it doesn't last very
long because we see that Dr.

Strange is willing to sacrifice
American Chavez before she is

sent through the multi-verse and
landing in the one that we know.

Sticking with just the character herself.

So Gomez, I think is
wonderful in the role.

I think she holds up well in the quick
pace of delivery that we seen from

Benedict Cumberbatch from the first movie
and all his other appearances and the

different non titled movies and so on.

And this one, they have great chemistry
together and I'm really happy to

see that by the end of this movie,
she has sort of an apprentice type.

Uh, she's definitely someone I want to
see around the MCU for quite awhile.

And if that means we see her in Dr.

Strange three or somewhere else, I'm
very happy that she's sticking around

because given her multi-vessel travel
powers, I wasn't sure where she was going

to ultimately land, but it seems like
she's here to stay for the long run.

And I'm very happy about that.

Now, moving along, another
one of the things I wanted to

talk about is Elizabeth Olsen.

The Scarlet witch, Wanda Maxim off my God.

What an incredible
performance on her part.

You know, I talked about it in the pre
spoiler thoughts, section, how this movie

has a very continued theme of dread.

And that is in part because of Elizabeth
Olson's performance as the Scarlet with.

Whenever her intentions
are fully revealed.

She becomes this unstoppable force
that has no equal in this movie.

And so a lot of it is the protagonist
running away from a character.

They know they cannot stop and
every time she is on screen, it is.

Uh, especially when we get into the
Scarlet witch versus the Illuminati,

the quick work that she makes of all
of them is wild, incredibly wild,

and not just the quickness of it, but
the way she blows the inside of black

bolt's head, the way she turns Reed
Richards into just literal strings.

Yeah.

Reed Richards in here, and the way that
she just takes captain Carter in his.

My God, Elizabeth Olson is
a force to be reckoned with.

And, and when I say she has no equal,
I mean, the movie itself recognizes it.

The only one that is able
to stop her is herself.

Because once we see American Chavez,
give her what she's been looking for.

It is the reaction of her children and
the guiding of a different multi-verse

of her that is able to finally
quell the Scarlet, which is quest to

get her children back at any cost.

And on that note, you know, we've
talked about it a lot of how important

are the Disney plus shows going to be?

I think we got our answer in multi
versus madness because this movie

definitely assumes that you've seen
one division and it doesn't try

to retread too much ground at all.

There are some quick like
summaries here and there.

We like, we get the dream sequence
where Wanda is living a happy life

before we see that she wakes up in
her own bed and she is alone again.

And that dread sets back in.

You know, I don't know if somebody
who hasn't seen one division would be

able to completely gather everything
that's going on with her motivations,

but there's enough there that it's
functional, but it is fully rewarded.

If you have seen Wanda visions.

We've got our definitive answer here.

It is.

It is going to be influencing the
movies and it doesn't necessarily

feel beholden to catch the audience
up to speed more so than just

functional knowledge for this film.

All right.

So I talked about it a little bit.

Let's go ahead and talk about the cameos.

I think that's another one of
the big things to highlight here.

In this quick episode, I
texted TK upon leaving the film

and I had two thoughts and.

The first one that I put
is captain freaking Carter.

It made me so, so happy to see Haley at
well in live action as captain Carter,

I think she was easily the standout
of what if and seeing her in live

action just was incredibly awesome.

You know, captain America, fan
boy, getting to see the shield

and action is always a delight.

But the thing that felt really exciting
is that captain Carter was able to

deliver the, I can do this all day
line and it doesn't feel cheesy.

And I think that level of, or that
threading of the needle was going

to be so delicate to translate that
character from animation to live action.

And I think they did it.

Unfortunately, I am a little upset
of how she was bifurcated with

the shield by the Scarlet witch.

So I don't think we're going to at
least see that version of captain

Carter in live action, but I hope
this doesn't mean we won't see a live

action captain Carter elsewhere, since
this is just a one rendition in the

multi-verse moving on from there.

I think one of the bigger cameos
outside of what was confirmed is.

We got John Krasinski as Reed Richards.

Now the, I had heard
rumblings of this going in.

Unfortunately I logged into Twitter
and I wasn't looking at any tweets

in particular, but the trending
section on the right-hand side of the

webpage was showing John Krasinski
the night of the movie premiere.

So I kind of put two and two together.

I figured that would be the case,
but seeing them on screen was

still really, really exciting.

I am still wrestling with the question.

Is this going to be our Reed
Richards moving forward?

Is this just one iteration of
the character that's kind of to

lean into the fan casting without
having to commit to John Krasinski

as being the definitive one?

I'm not sure I can go both ways
because as fan servicey, as the MCU

can get, they do it really well.

It wouldn't shock me
if it's just a way to.

Give a wink and a nod to the fans.

But at the same time, there's a
quick line exchanged between the

Scarlet witch and Reed Richards,
where they talk about his wife.

And it's not just John Krasinski
that has been heavily fan casting.

It has been Emily blunt
as well as Sue storm.

So whether or not that's going to be
the case, who knows, but it was very fun

to get to see John Krasinski in this.

And, you know, I'm wondering.

What it's going to mean for his
stretchy powers, because that is going

to be a power that is very hard to
translate into live action, I think,

and we only get a taste of it here.

Everything happens so quickly that I would
like to get another watch in hopefully

before Jude and I do our review, but I'm
curious, I don't know if this is just them

kind of playing it close to the chest, or
if this is a, Hey, we're still figuring

out the stretchy power look on screen.

Another, one of the cameos that
I really enjoyed was Leshanna

Lynch as captain Marvel, uh, in
this universe of the Illuminati,

Maria Rambo is the captain Marvel
character rather than Carol Danvers.

Uh, I thought that was a nice
touch, especially because if I'm

not mistaken, very limited comic
book knowledge, but if I'm not

mistaken, I think she was originally
captain Marvel before Carol Dan.

So.

That was a good nod.

Uh, the other one, I only read about this,
so I didn't know much because I have not

seen the Inhumans, but, and some Mount
was black bolt in that show and got to

re portray his character in this one.

So.

I don't know what it means.

If in humans is being regarded as
Canon, or if this is just a different

depiction with the same actor,
getting to relive the character.

So we'll time will tell on that one.

Finally, another one of the cameos I
really enjoyed, and this is the one that

was the big one in the trailer itself.

But professor Xavier, when they played
the original X-Men cartoon theme as his

entrance in his little yellow Hubbard.

It was hard not to have a grin ear to ear.

It was just so exciting to see
him as part of the Illuminati.

He's such a major force in
the comic book, movie, world.

I mean, the X-Men were part of the
original surge of the superhero films.

And I liked that it's not just him
sitting around and being a part of the.

We get to see him and action as well.

Whenever he enters in the mind of
the Wanda that has been day walking

or dream walked by the Scarlet witch
and is trying to rescue her from the

mental prison before the Scarlet.

Snaps his neck.

So all of that is a wonderfully
done with the Scarlet witch,

slowly hunting them down.

Uh, they had a lot of hubris and
thinking that they could stop her

so easily, but she makes quick work.

So, yeah, I don't know what it
means for the cameos that they're

done away with so quickly.

If this means there's no ramifications and
it was just a fun nod to fan casting and

previous depictions, or if this means in
the prime universe, somewhere out there,

these characters exist time will tell.

Uh, but I, I can't wait to see
where they go next with the.

Peek into the wider
universe that we got here.

All right.

Finally, one of the last things I
want to touch on of course is Dr.

Strange.

Uh, his story really seems to center
around this idea of justifying the means.

So his decision to give up the time
stone is something that is under

constant questioning here in this
movie, which I wasn't expecting,

but it makes complete sense.

In fact, we see Dr.

Wes from the original doctor.

In the wedding scene, questioning him
about whether or not that was the right

call and strangest, very confident about
it, but it is through the doubt of Dr.

West, that that puts into motion strange,
really examining what it means when

he says there is no other way because
he in this multi-verse is not the only

one who continues to use that same.

We see in the very beginning,
whenever the first version of Dr.

Strange is running away with America
Chavez and he realizes that he has

to kill her to stop at that time.

We didn't know, but to stop the Scarlet
witch from getting her powers, he,

once again uses there's no other way.

Uh, we see it again with the universe
that the Illuminati is set up where

that strange, justified his means of
using the dark hole to stop nanos.

But unfortunately that also
meant him sacrificing himself

because he had been corrupted.

So just to pause there, I personally
am a fan of those stories where it

is a character who is metaphorically,
seeing how close they can get to

the fire without getting burned.

The thing that I think works in this film,
This all culminates into the moment where

6 1, 6 strange is using the dark hole to
dream walk into zombie, strange to stop

the Scarlet, which of course there's clear
objections from Christine who has seen

a strange, who has used the dark hole
before and saw how it corrupted them.

And we see that even though he doesn't
put too much of a stop to it, Wong is

very much not happy with it, but he
doesn't want to know what it is that

stranger is doing to save the day.

So once again, we find strange justifying.

And he's put in that situation again,
where all things point towards him

having to stop American Chavez before
the Scarlet, which can get her powers.

But the thing that separates this
strange is that in the moment,

instead of doing what all the
other strangers have done in the.

He enables America Chavez to be the one
to save the day, his belief in her ability

to do this, rather than taking away that
power is what is ultimately stopping

the Scarlet witch, rather than just
delaying the inevitable over and over.

I like that, that pairs with the
line of advice that professor Xavier

gives them back at the council.

I can't remember word for word,
but it's something to the extent of

just because someone has stumbled
along the way does not mean they're

lost or something to that extent.

And so rather than condemning the
actions of previous multi-verse

versions of a character, it is
allowing each individual one to be

responsible for the choices that.

Uh, and I like that that's reinforced with
how the Scarlet, which has stopped again.

I said it earlier, America Chavez gives
her what she wants by showing the universe

in which she can go and be with her kids.

But in order to do it, she has to
take away that Wanda from her kid.

And all throughout the movie, she's
justified it as though she would get to be

with them, but seeing the horror in their
eyes as they see what she's become is

what helps her realize how far she's gone.

And that Wanda assuring her, that those
kids will be loved is the compassion,

the similar compassion that strange
gives to America Chavez that Wanda gifts

to the Scarlet witch, which spurs the.

So again, I, I, I would need
to see, see it more times to be

able to really ruminate on these
themes, but quick reactions.

I enjoyed what they're doing here.

So yeah, just to round this off
some, some quick things, I liked one,

there is a music battle between Dr.

Strange and the sinister strange.

I can't remember what exactly he's called.

He's not the one from what if, but there's
a moment where they have a battle with

musical notes that I think is one of
the coolest pieces of action in this.

Uh, again, that is more towards
the inventive use of magic that

the series continues to hold.

Uh, and it had me grinning
ear to ear a second.

I really am so glad that Wong
made it out of this movie.

I know when we first talked about this,
Jude was very adamant that long was

going to die if not the Wong, but a wall.

I'm happy to say that
that is not the case.

And he lives to see another day.

And I love their continued back and forth
where even though Wong is a sorcerer

Supreme, strange, still isn't giving
him the proper respect that he deserves.

And by the end of the film, he gives him
that respect that he is so desperately

missing in the beginning of the.

So, yeah, I touched on it a
little bit, but I just want

to highlight it one more time.

This film is incredibly
gruesome and incredibly creepy.

Uh, this might be.

Like I've seen this talk
on, on social media.

This is definitely not one for
kids because it goes into some

very horrifying territory.

So for example, there is a scene in
which the Scarlet witch is trying to

come out of a magical prison that strange
has put her in through the reflections.

And as she comes out of one, it
is almost like the ring where she

is just crawling out on all four.

Uh, the way that she is able to, or
the way the movie to picks her invading

people's minds by having her physically
appear behind them is incredibly creepy.

Uh, and the deaths, again, I talked
about it in the cameos, but those

deaths were incredibly gruesome.

So yeah, that is, that is
something that sets this movie

apart from all of the other MCU.

Oh, so the, the Intacs we've
gotten two of them this time.

The first one is a continuation of
how the movie ends, where we see Dr.

Strange goes out for a walk and is
an incredible amount of pain as a

third eye opens on his forehead.

Uh, the credit start, and then we
pick back up again with him walking

down the street before he is greeted
by a woman played by Charlie's.

So, I don't know who that is as far as
comic books go, but it's clear that Dr.

Strange can never have a day
of peace because he has quickly

ushered away into a new adventure.

So I'm assuming that is setting
up what's to come and Dr.

Strange three and I'm very much
hoping it doesn't take as long to

get to that one as it did from Dr.

Strange to Dr.

Strange and the multi-verse.

Uh, the last in tag is
with Bruce Campbell.

As we see pizza, Papa is finally
free of hitting himself in the

face, which is a very odd thing
for our strange to force him into.

I don't know how I feel about
that, but letting it set up the

fact that we get the in tag where
Bruce Campbell's like, it's over.

That at least it's worth it.

And is up there with captain
America imbuing the value of

patients at the end of homecoming.

Uh, it's always fun.

Whenever the Intacs are self-aware
enough to make fun of people

staying long enough for the extra.

So, yeah, I think that's going to do it.

Uh, like I said, this is
a very quick reaction.

We will definitely circle back once
Jude and I have our schedules sinked

up again to dive into it more.

But again, since we are
doing two episodes on Dr.

Strange and the multiverse of
madness, I thought this would be

a great way to put a call out,
to see what you've thought of Dr.

Strange and the multi-verse and madness.

And we can discuss those and
read those reactions whenever

we do the fuller review.

So if you want to get it on that,
You can reach us at MC you need to

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or if you'd like to call in with

your thoughts, you can leave us a
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We'd also like to thank Nick Sandy for
the use of our theme song, which is

his rendition of the Avengers theme.

Find more of his work in a SoundCloud,
which is linked in the show notes as well.

That's going to do it.

Thank you so much for listening
and we'll see you all next week.