Doctor Strange 2 Villain Rumored To Be Shuma-Gorath

A new rumor suggests the Elder God Shuma-Gorath will be the real villain in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Multiverse clearly lies at the heart of Marvel’s Phase 4 plans, but in the MCU it involves a lot more than simply alternate dimensions. The MCU draws inspiration from comics like Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #21, which revealed Earth lies at the center of an infinite sea of possibilities; alternate timelines are just one swim-stroke removed, but the further away you get, the crazier things become in Marvel’s Multiverse. That’s why Doctor Strange featured a memorable “Magical Mystery Tour” in which Strange’s astral form was blasted through countless dimensions.

All that makes Doctor Strange 2 particularly exciting for fans of Marvel’s trippier concepts, given the film bears the title “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” It’s generally been assumed the villain will be Nightmare, but that’s based on comments from screenwriter C. Robert Cargill and director Scott Derrickson, neither of whom are actually involved with the sequel anymore. Now, rumors are circulating that the villain of Doctor Strange 2 will be far more formidable: an Elder God named Shuma-Gorath.

According to The Illuminerdi, this monstrous interdimensional entity will serve as the main antagonist in Doctor Strange 2. Apparently, the Elder God is pursuing the reality-jumping America Chavez because he wants to take control of her, using her powers to gain complete control of the Multiverse. Assuming these reports are accurate, they’re clearly only the beginning of the plot, because they don’t indicate how America Chavez finds her way to Doctor Strange and the Masters of the Mystic Arts – or what role Scarlet Witch will play.

Shuma-Gorath is one of Doctor Strange’s most terrifying villains, a cosmic entity who ruled Earth in primordial times but was banished from this dimension along with the rest of his fellow Elder Gods. “Before all was, I was,” Shuma-Gorath told the Avengers during one confrontation. “Before time was, I waited. I fed on the screaming souls of the universes. I drank the spoiled milk of dead stars. I am the emptiness outside all understanding. I am Shuma-Gorath.” This monstrous entity has played a key role in some of the most important Doctor Strange stories, including Marvel Premiere #3-10, the tale in which Stephen Strange proved himself worthy to become the next Sorcerer Supreme.

It’s possible Marvel Studios will switch Shuma-Gorath up a bit for the MCU, merging him with his fellow Elder God Chthon. In the comics, Chthon left behind a book of forbidden magic called the Darkhold, and every time it is used the fabric of reality is weakened; he’s also tied to the Scarlet Witch, as the secret source of her Chaos Magic. WandaVision retconned the MCU’s Wanda Maximoff as the Scarlet Witch, wielder of Chaos Magic, and even ended with her in possession of the Darkhold. It thus seems intriguing that WandaVision set up one Elder God, while we now have reports of a very different – even more formidable – one being involved in Doctor Strange 2. Rather than repeat the similar ideas, Marvel could have taken the route of combining the two similar characters and concepts – and that would perhaps mean Scarlet Witch is an antagonist as well, bound to serve Shuma-Gorath’s will. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we get more information on Doctor Strange 2, given the film has recently ended production.