Dr Strange 2: In the Multiverse of Madness (Spoilers)

[Hussar]

Which is, in fact, nonsense. He is still holding the scalpel. America Chevez IS the scalpel. And he has been using other people as his scalpel for ages. His whole plan for defeating Thanos involved spending 5 years dusted whilst others did everything.

No, he engineers the deaths of half the people in the universe.

Wait, what?

Are you saying Doctor Strange is to blame for the Blip? That he, what, went on holiday for five years to defeat Thanos? Now there's an interpretation that I've never seen before.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Are you saying Doctor Strange is to blame for the Blip?

"Blame" is too strong a word, but he certainly chose to let it happen so that it could un-happen. Which still left dead all those people who died as a consequence of other people being dusted (such as passengers in vehicles). Which would be many many billions across the universe.

Now, all the other outcomes may well have been worse, and his choice was the lesser evil. But choosing a lesser evil is not the same as choosing good. Captain America wouldn't have made that call.

That he, what, went on holiday for five years to defeat Thanos?

I'm sure he is the sort of person who hates holidays.

 

[Hussar]

"Blame" is too strong a word, but he certainly chose to let it happen so that it could un-happen. Which still left dead all those people who died as a consequence of other people being dusted (such as passengers in vehicles). Which would be many many billions across the universe.

Now, all the other outcomes may well have been worse, and his choice was the lesser evil. But choosing a lesser evil is not the same as choosing good. Captain America wouldn't have made that call.

I'm sure he is the sort of person who hates holidays.

Wasn't the whole point that there was one, and only one outcome where Thanos didn't just win? That was pretty firmly established wasn't it? Or am I misremembering. So, wasn't the options - Thanos blips everyone, end of story, or Thanos blips everyone and five years later we undo the Blip.

Not sure that's really the "lesser of two evils" as much as "this is the only option, full stop".

Again, this is an interpretation I've just never seen anyone make before. That Doctor Strange had any other option.

 

[Eric V]

Wasn't the whole point that there was one, and only one outcome where Thanos didn't just win? That was pretty firmly established wasn't it? Or am I misremembering. So, wasn't the options - Thanos blips everyone, end of story, or Thanos blips everyone and five years later we undo the Blip.

Not sure that's really the "lesser of two evils" as much as "this is the only option, full stop".

Again, this is an interpretation I've just never seen anyone make before. That Doctor Strange had any other option.

Tony asked how many versions they won in, and Strange said "one." So no, according the established narrative, Strange had no other option.

 

[Eric V]

Captain America wouldn't have made that call.

If that's true, then the universe would be in the same position, except, you know, not having all the blipped people restored. Thank goodness Cap isn't in charge of that call.

 

[Eric V]

While you can roll off anything with the blame-the-writers card on this sort of thing, I still think this assumes she's thinking straight in a way I don't believe she's depicted as until after the confrontation with Agatha.

Ok, so...what does she think is happening to the townsfolk? Because there's a moral imperative to ask the question.

 

[MarkB]

Ok, so...what does she think is happening to the townsfolk? Because there's a moral imperative to ask the question.

I think she was under the impression that they were effectively 'asleep' in their bodies as their fictional personae played out her fantasy, that they were unaware of what was happening. She's shocked when she's told that they're completely aware, and that they're experiencing her own nightmares.

 

[Eric V]

I think she was under the impression that they were effectively 'asleep' in their bodies as their fictional personae played out her fantasy, that they were unaware of what was happening. She's shocked when she's told that they're completely aware, and that they're experiencing her own nightmares.

I don't know...I never got the impression that she considered things and concluded that it's ok because they're asleep in their bodies...

...mind you, even if that's the case, it's still really messed up.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If that's true, then the universe would be in the same position, except, you know, not having all the blipped people restored. Thank goodness Cap isn't in charge of that call.

That's one way to look at it - that it takes someone who is not a good guy to make the tough decisions.

Another way of looking at it is if Cap had been on the spot he would have found another way, even if another way did not exist, because the MCU is ruled by the laws of narrativium, not the laws of pragmatism.

 

[Eric V]

That's one way to look at it - that it takes someone who is not a good guy to make the tough decisions.

Another way of looking at it is if Cap had been on the spot he would have found another way, even if another way did not exist, because the MCU is ruled by the laws of narrativium, not the laws of pragmatism.

Please. Strange made sure people got back with their families.

Cap has NO knowledge on how to deal with things of this nature...but if you want to say they'd write it so that he somehow did, fine. Of course, that also means there's no point in talking about whether or not Strange is a good guy or bad guy, how good Steve is, etc. It's all just writing...and bad writing at that if Steve somehow has a solution that Strange doesn't.