Doctor Strange 2’s Original Villain Would Have Been So Much Better

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I have to admit, Multiverse of Madness really occupies a strange space within the Marvel Cinematic Universe for me. As a follow-up to the 2016 Doctor Strange, it promised a deep dive into the multiverse – and as a key part of the Multiverse Saga, it certainly delivered on that premise with an amazing, world-hopping fight between Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange and Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch. However, despite all the excitement, the movie ended up getting a pretty mixed reaction. A lot of us longtime fans were disappointed with how Wanda Maximoff’s character arc played out, and felt the film didn’t really explore the different worlds within the vast multiverse as much as we’d hoped. It’s a controversial installment, that’s for sure!

Many people don’t realize that Multiverse of Madness could have been a very different movie than the one released in 2022. Initially, Scott Derrickson, who directed the first Doctor Strange film in 2016, was set to return for the sequel. However, he left the project due to “creative differences” with Marvel Studios. His original vision for Doctor Strange 2 was ultimately abandoned in favor of the story we see in Multiverse of Madness. Now, three years later, more information has emerged about those early plans, including details about the villain, who some believe would have resulted in a stronger film than Multiverse of Madness.

Nightmare Was the Original Villain of Doctor Strange 2

At the premiere of the new horror film The Black Phone 2, screenwriter C. Robert Cargill discussed his initial ideas for Doctor Strange 2, including his original choice for the film’s primary villain. Cargill collaborated with director Scott Derrickson on the first Doctor Strange movie, and both were initially set to return for the sequel before leaving Marvel Studios. In an interview with The Direct (via ), Cargill explained that he originally envisioned Nightmare as the main antagonist for the Doctor Strange sequel, a storyline that would have delved deeper into the iconic comic book character’s Dream Dimension and Nightmare Realm. Cargill first revealed that Nightmare was considered as a villain for the original Doctor Strange film. He stated that Marvel “liked the concept” but proposed delaying the character’s introduction until the sequel, believing Nightmare was “better suited for a second movie.” Cargill and Derrickson agreed to this suggestion, leading them to choose Kaecilius and Dormammu as the villains for the 2016 film. Despite this change, they remained committed to featuring Nightmare in Doctor Strange 2. They continued brainstorming how the villain could be incorporated into the ongoing story of Benedict Cumberbatch’s powerful MCU hero. See Cargill’s complete statement below:

Sadly, those plans didn’t happen. Although initially set to direct the sequel, The Black Phone, Spider-Man director Sam Raimi took over. Derrickson explained he had disagreements with the studio about the film’s creative direction, which became more obvious when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was released. Marvel Studios wanted the second Doctor Strange movie to connect with the broader Multiverse Saga, continuing Wanda Maximoff’s story from the WandaVision Disney+ series and establishing key plot points for future Avengers films. Derrickson and Cargill’s initial idea for a standalone Doctor Strange sequel didn’t align with the studio’s vision for a major franchise film that would be essential to the overall story. In a further interview with The Direct, Cargill shared that he never formally agreed to work on the next Doctor Strange movie before Derrickson left the project. He also expressed his desire to return to the Marvel universe for future Doctor Strange films, which could potentially introduce Nightmare, as originally intended.

How Nightmare Could Have Improved Doctor Strange 2

Marvel Studios might have erred by abandoning the initial ideas for Doctor Strange 2. A truly frightening exploration of the Dream Dimension, especially Nightmare’s domain, would have been a natural progression from the first film, enhancing the horror aspects and impressive imagery of the Doctor Strange series. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness touches on this, but it received criticism for some underwhelming visual effects and the storyline of its primary antagonist. Scarlet Witch also faced backlash from many Marvel fans who believed the film didn’t give her emotional arc from WandaVision enough weight. The Disney+ series showed Wanda Maximoff grappling with the loss of her husband and children, whom she created within a magical reality that unintentionally trapped the people of Westview, New Jersey in a sitcom-like world. At the series’ conclusion, Wanda frees those she held captive, accepting the wrongfulness of her actions. However, the Doctor Strange sequel reworks Wanda’s story, presenting her as a completely corrupted villain driven by the Darkhold. Viewers unfamiliar with WandaVision were surprised by Scarlet Witch’s sudden change in character, while those who had watched the Disney+ series were upset by how she was portrayed in Multiverse of Madness. In the end, her story arc left most audiences feeling unfulfilled.

Including Nightmare and the Dream Dimension would have greatly benefited Doctor Strange 2. Nightmare is a classic Doctor Strange comic book villain who deserves to bring his terrifying presence to the MCU. He’s naturally suited for the big screen, and his Nightmare Realm could have created the amazing visuals and frightening scenes fans expect from the Doctor Strange series. Introducing him would also allow the MCU to delve into the supernatural worlds often seen in the comics. This would better reflect Doctor Strange’s comic book role, where he frequently travels to other dimensions but is primarily known for protecting Earth from mystical dangers like Nightmare, Mephisto, and Dormammu. Ultimately, Nightmare feels like a more fitting villain for Doctor Strange than someone like Scarlet Witch, who focuses on traveling across the multiverse.

Will Nightmare Ever Appear in the MCU?

As a huge Marvel fan, I really think Nightmare deserves a spot in the MCU. He’s such a fantastic villain in the comics, and I think he’d be incredibly compelling on the big screen. Honestly, it would be a real shame if Marvel didn’t include him, especially within the Doctor Strange series. Right now, we don’t know if a third Doctor Strange movie is even happening. While Multiverse of Madness had a bit of a mixed reaction and wasn’t a massive box office hit, that doesn’t necessarily rule out a sequel. But, with everything going on with the Multiverse Saga, things are complicated. Unless they’ve secretly started working on it already, I doubt we’ll see Doctor Strange 3 before Avengers: Secret Wars, which is set to wrap up the saga in 2028. And to make things even more uncertain, there are rumors that Secret Wars will essentially be a “soft reboot” for the MCU, meaning a lot of characters and storylines could be reset. We don’t know if Benedict Cumberbatch will continue as Doctor Strange after that, and if he doesn’t, it could be a long time before this new, rebooted franchise is ready to tackle a complex character like Nightmare and the Dream Dimension. It’s a big opportunity that I hope they don’t miss!

Let’s hope we don’t have to wait much longer to see Nightmare appear in a live-action Marvel movie. As one of the most frightening villains in Marvel Comics, Nightmare is a character worth seeing on screen. Considering the somewhat uneven response to Multiverse of Madness, it might be a good idea to bring back Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill for Doctor Strange 3. This would give them the opportunity to revisit their original ideas for introducing Nightmare into the MCU, plans that were unfortunately shelved.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness​​​​​​is available to stream on Disney+.

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2025-10-03 06:44