A week is all that remains between you and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The most anticipated Marvel movie of the year is finally here, an adventure that can reshape the MCU and deliver the pivotal elements to move the Phase 4 storyline further. That’s because the multiverse will be at the front and center of the film. And the watch that Doctor Strange 2 trailers and promos keep referencing might be directly connected to all of that multiversal magic.
Before we explain why Marvel keeps showing Stephen’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) watch in its Multiverse of Madness marketing, we’ll warn you that massive spoilers will follow below.
The watch appeared in the first Doctor Strange movie, which you should see or rewatch before Multiverse of Madness. It was a gift from Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), the love of Stephen’s life. We also learn how important Palmer is to Stephen in What If…?, where we see what a monstrosity the evil Strange from episode 4 becomes after losing her.
Where does the watch come from?
Getting back to the watch, this short sequence of scenes will remind you about the watch and why Stephen loves it so much:
It’s the fact that Christine gave it to him that makes it so important. It doesn’t matter that it’s an expensive piece — or it doesn’t matter anymore. The watch is broken, just like Doctor Strange. And just like his love story with Christine.
But Multiverse of Madness will tell us that Christine will marry someone else, with Strange attending the wedding. It’s not just a rumor anymore. It’s something that Marvel also showed at CinemaCon 2022 earlier this week.
It was just a few days before the CinemaCon preview that Marvel released new Doctor Strange 2 stills, including Cumberbatch in wedding attire. Among those images, we also had the following photo. Stephen is probably at the Sanctum, where he’s repairing the watch.
That’s an interesting detail. Several years later, Strange hasn’t fixed the watch. And we see the watch is broken in other scenes of the trailer. We have no idea when Doctor Strange fixes his watch and how that’s relevant for the plot.
Doctor Strange 2 sightings
But it might mean that he’s ready to move on. It’s not just Christine that he might let go, but also parts of the old Stephen with it. This is just speculation, of course. And the symbolism of Christine’s watch can be thoroughly discussed once Multiverse of Madness is over, and we kn