It has been just two weeks since the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 28th feature film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), was released exclusively in movie theaters from Kevin Feige’s Marvel Studios. Now, in a new tweet from Disney, that has since been deleted, the Disney+ release date has likely been revealed.
After months of waiting and expectation, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness from director Sam Raimi and writer Michael Waldron debuted in movie theaters. Acting as a sequel to Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange (2016) and more recently, Tom Holland’s (Peter Parker) Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) from Jon Watts, the newest MCU adventure saw the return of Benedict Cumberbatch as the eponymous Master of the Mystic Arts and former Sorcerer Supreme, alongside newcomer Xochitl Gomez (America Chavez) and Elizabeth Olsen as the fan-favorite anti-hero, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch.
Related: ‘Doctor Strange’ Franchise Likely Continuing Without Benedict Cumberbatch
The Marvel movie progressed the mechanism of the MCU Multiverse following the lore built into projects like Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, What If…?, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, establishing multiple Doctor Strange Variants like Defender Strange and an evil Doctor Strange reminiscent of Doctor Strange Supreme from What If…?. Multiverse of Madness also saw the return of Chiwetel Ejiofor (Karl Mordo), Rachel McAdams (Dr. Christine Palmer), and Benedict Wong (Wong).
The Doctor Strange sequel opened to a massive box global box office, and despite its significant second-weekend drop, has retained the top spot in multiple territories, going on to net almost $800 million worldwide. While the Doctor Strange film still dominates in movie theaters, Marvel fans are likely awaiting its streaming release to get another taste of the Multiversal adventure.
With The Walt Disney Company’s and Marvel Studios’ system of launching first in theatres and then on Disney+ around 45 days later (following the huge Black Widow (2021) debacle), it was expected that the streaming service will begin showing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness sometime in June. And that seems to be the case considering the now-deleted tweet from Disney+ Germany. From Streamr (@StreamrNews), the apparent date of Disney+’s Doctor Strange release is:
According to Disney+ Germany, #DoctorStrange in the #MultiverseofMadness will be coming to @DisneyPlus on 22 June.
News and image via: @DragonSkill01
According to Disney+ Germany, #DoctorStrange in the #MultiverseofMadness will be coming to @DisneyPlus on 22 June.
News and image via: @DragonSkill01 pic.twitter.com/l57F0ho3C0
— Streamr (@StreamrNews) May 19, 2022
It is not surprising that the Doctor Strange sequel is eyeing a June release. Per Marvel’s 45-day exclusivity window, a June 22 streaming debut would mark 47 days since the theatrical opening at the beginning of May. The Walt Disney Company nor Marvel Studios have corroborated this news, but with the official German account posting and then deleting, it stands to reason that June 22 is when fans will be able to experience the Multiverse in the comfort of their own home.
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That being said, one of the Mouse House’s most popular animated movies of all time, Encanto (2021) got its streaming release just a month after opening in theaters to a lukewarm reception. Encanto then went on to be Disney’s quickest movie to reach 200 million hours streamed, proving there is immense power in Disney+, and, in the words of CEO Bob Chapek, “…audiences will be our North Star as we determine how our content is distributed. And we do not subscribe to the belief that theatrical distribution is the only way to build a Disney franchise.”
Marvel Phase Four still has a long way to go. Next up will be Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) from director Ryan Coogler. For the small screen, Ms. Marvel releases in June while She-Hulk debuts in August.
Will you be watching Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on Disney+? Let us know in the comments down below!