Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessintroduced a handful of Stephen Strange variants to the MCU. Although fans didn’t get to spend that much time with them, newly surfaced artwork gives a much better look at Earth-838’s disgraced hero, Supreme Strange.
While Marvel comic book readers had long been familiar withthe concept of the Multiverse, the MCU has only started integrating character variants for the past couple of years, namely inLoki,Spider-Man: No Way Home, andDoctor Strange 2, withAnt-Man and The Wasp: Quantumaniapossibly expanding on it to kick off Phase Five. However, in last year’sDoctor Strangesequel, every variant, including the film’s Illuminati lineup, only enjoyed short-lived cameos, which is why the characters' artwork comes in handy to appreciate them in further detail.
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In Supreme Strange’s case, the concept art comes from Marvel Studios Visual Development Supervisor Ian Joyner (@ianjoynerart). The artist shared artwork featuring Benedict Cumberbatch’s variant that showcases the sorcerer’s full costume. As Joyner explains in his Instagram post, a fellow Marvel artist had already designed a great concept for Strange’s foe Mordo, which is why he wanted both Earth-838 sorcerers to share the same aesthetic.
The standout feature in this design is the cape, as Cumberbatch is not seen wearing it inDoctor Strange 2during his sole scene as Supreme Strange. In the scene, the corrupted sorcerer is blasted away by Black Bolt due to his use of the Darkhold, which triggers a dangerous incursion. Besides that flashback scene, Supreme Strange’s only other appearance is in statue form outside the Sanctum Sanctorum before the main Doctor discovers what’s going on in that Marvel universe.
It’s not clear why Supreme Strange’s costume and cloak of levitation are blue, but it’s fair to say that could have something to do with his relationship with the Illuminati. After all, blue is alsoReed Richards' signature colour, and it’s the one that’s most dominant in Maria Rambeau’s Captain Marvel costume. Along with Earth-616’s vanilla Doctor Strange, the other variants that appear inMultiverse of Madnessare Defender Strange, Sinister Strange, and Undead Strange, all of whom get more screen time than Supreme Strange.
Joyner’s artwork has also been featured inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,Thor: Ragnarok,Black Panther,Ant-Man and the Wasp, andAvengers: Infinity War. So, it’s fair to say this talented artist has had a huge influence on the MCU’s look and feel for the past few years.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis now available on Disney Plus.
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