Doctor Strange 2 merchandise might have just spoiled the new Marvel movie's villain

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The pieces are coming together

Doctor Strange
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

One of the villains in Doctor Strange 2 – full title Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – might have just been revealed, thanks to a Marvel puzzle.

Australian retailer Booktopia is now selling what appears to be an official 1000-piece puzzle depicting Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sorcerer Supreme doing battle with a villain that might be familiar to fans of Marvel’s comics.

One eye? Green tentacles? A general Lovecraftian vibe? That sure looks like Shuma-Gorath, a supernatural demon who rules over countless realities and has locked horns – and tentacles – with Doctor Strange in the past. If he does turn up in the Sam Raimi-directed sequel, he’s likely going to be one of the most powerful entities to ever appear in the MCU. Where’s Wanda when you need her?

Curiously enough, recent Disney Plus series What If…? also featured a semi-unseen villain in its premiere that some fans thought looked just like Shuma-Gorath, so the seeds might have already been sown in that regard.

If the omnipotent being appears, there’s every reason to believe Benedict Cumberbatch’s recent tongue-in-cheek soundbite. When Tom Holland asserted that Spider-Man: No Way Home was the most ambitious standalone superhero movie ever made, Cumberbatch replied on Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast: "Only until Doctor Strange 2 comes out."

We’ll have to wait a little longer to find out if that’s the case. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been delayed from March 25, 2022 until May 6, 2022. Thor: Love and Thunder has shifted to July 8, 2022, while Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has leapt to November 11, 2022.

Want to find out what else is just over the horizon in the MCU? Here’s our complete guide to Marvel Phase 4.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.