How Doctor Strange 2 Makes Spider-Man: No Way Home Even Better

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This article contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has typically been praised more for its imaginative visuals and lead performances than its script, but that doesn’t mean the film’s script is weak on all fronts. In fact, it features arguably the most compelling development yet in the character arc of its titular protagonist.

Some fans have criticized Doctor Strange’s role in Multiverse of Madness, claiming that the Master of the Mystic Arts feels like a passive observer to the Scarlet Witch’s story. But while Strange may not always feel like the main focus of the film, he nevertheless undergoes a major shift — one that massively recontextualizes his role in a previous appearance. Indeed, Doctor Strange’s character development in Multiverse of Madness makes Spider-Man: No Way Home even better in retrospect.

Doctor Strange 2 Features The MCU's Greatest Villain (So Far)

The most interesting thing about Doctor Strange’s role in No Way Home is that unlike Iron Man or Nick Fury before him, he primarily serves as an antagonist in Peter Parker’s story. While he initially appears as an ally, he soon becomes an ideological foil to Spider-Man, with his cold and pragmatic viewpoint coming into conflict with Peter’s hopeful idealism. Strange believes that the best way to deal with the multiversal villains like Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus is to simply send them back to their home universes, even if it means signing their death warrants in the process. But inevitably, Strange’s ruthless methods cause him to clash with Spider-Man, who has faith that the villains can still be saved.

Both heroes are simply trying to do the most good they can as their respective