Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness features a handful of fun cameos; some from Marvel characters making their MCU debut and others from alternate versions of heroes we've met before.
One appearance that was teased heavily in its trailers was that of Patrick Stewart's Professor Charles Xavier. In the sequel, the telepathic mutant can be seen hovering around in a bright yellow pod, which is a not-so-subtle nod to X-Men: The Animated Series – and the theme tune plays when he makes his grand entrance.
He's not strictly a take on the 2D interpretation, though. And now, screenwriter Michael Waldron has opened up about the "different version" of the X-Men leader presented in the film, and how he worked with Stewart to try and make him an amalgamation of previous iterations.
"He uses a line from Days of Future Past that he says to Stephen. But also, we drew from the classic cartoon version of that character," he explained in a recent chat with Variety. "He's a variant who has qualities of a bunch of different versions of those guys from across the multiverse."
Prior to Doctor Strange 2, Stewart's Xavier last appeared in Logan, and the character met a rather tragic end. "If we had not made Logan, then yes, I would probably be ready to get into that wheelchair one more time and be Charles Xavier. But, Logan changed all that," Stewart told Digital Spy in 2020, when asked about the character's future on screen. Fortunately, the concept of the multiverse allowed the actor to revisit the character in another way.
Following on from the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness sees Benedict Cumberbatch's titular sorcerer try to protect teenager America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), as she's pursued by a relentless enemy who's keen to steal her dimension-hopping powers. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, and Elizabeth Olsen also star.
For more on the movie, check out our pieces below. Be warned if you've not seen it yet, though, some of them contain major spoilers...
- Doctor Strange 2 ending explained
- Doctor Strange 2 post-credits scenes explained
- The Illuminati in Doctor Strange 2, listed and explained
- Our guide to Marvel Phase 4
- The rumored Doctor Strange cameos that never came true
- All the Doctor Strange 2 Easter eggs listed
- What does 616 in Doctor Strange 2 mean?
- Where does Doctor Strange 2 fit on the Marvel timeline?
- The TV history of the Darkhold, explained
- Our full WandaVision recap
- The Marvel movies and shows to watch before Doctor Strange 2
- When is Doctor Strange 2 on Disney Plus?
- How to watch the Marvel movies in order
- Is Doctor Strange 2 too scary for children?
