Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Villain Finally Revealed?

We may finally know who the main villain inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis going to be. The long-awaited Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel is bringing back Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, with Elizabeth Olsen joining him as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. But the primary antagonist has, up to this point, remained elusive. And, if these new reports are to be believed, we’re in for a bizarre and unexpected ride.

Warning: possible spoilers ahead forDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Proceed with caution. Initially, insider Daniel Richtman stated on his Patreon that Shuma-Gorath was set to be involved in a mysteryMCUproject. Now, a new report states that the evil being is going to be the main villain inDoctor Strange 2. What’s more, the report details that Shuma-Gorath is going after America Chavez, to be played by Xochitl Gomez, as he is interested in her powers. Somehow, Chavez’s powers will help the being control the multiverse. As evidenced by the movie’s title, the Marvel multiverse is going to play a big part in what goes down.

For those who aren’t familiar, Shuma-Gorath was brought into the Marvel Comics fold back in 1972. The figure was initially aDoctor Strange villain, making its debut inMarvel Premiere#5. Generally speaking, the adversary is depicted as a gigantic, tentacled being, sort of like a huge, terrifying Lovecraftian starfish. The character was created by Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner. Shuma-Gorath is damn near invincible and is the ruler of nearly a hundred alternate universes. Just some of the figure’s abilities include energy projection, shapeshifting, teleportation, levitation and altering reality. All of that does seem to fit the bill for a movie that is going to explore the multiverse.

One thing we know for sure is that this movie has been in the works for some time and has changed hands creatively. Scott Derrickson, who directed 2016’s Doctor Strange, was originally going to direct the sequel as well. His frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill was expected to pen the screenplay. But Derrickson left the project over creative differences. Sam Raimi, director ofSpider-ManandThe Evil Dead, wasbrought in as a replacement, with Michael Waldron ofRick and Mortyfame, writing the script. Derrickson and Cargill’s version was expected to feature Nightmare as the main villain. It appears that idea was abandoned somewhere along the way.

While this remains a rumor for now, it would make sense. Outside of being a fitting villain for amultiverse adventure, it might explain why we haven’t heard any major casting announcements for the movie’s villain. A gigantic tentacle creature would surely be a CGI creation, perhaps with an actor quietly brought in to provide the voice behind the scenes.

As far as cast members who are confirmed, Benedict Wong (Wong), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Mordo) and Rachel McAdams (Christine Palmer) are on board. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as any further details are made available.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis currently set to hit theaters on Aug 15, 2025. This news comes to us viaThe Illuminerdi.