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

[Thomas Shey]

I find that the fact that we see her trauma every step of the way rather keeps it from being a trope. We've had several male characters have difficulties dealing with what they've been through in the MCU already. To not have a woman also represented would be a problem.

And in general, the MCU version of magic seems to lean in to being that way; as noted Strange dances around the edge of it constantly.

 

[Thomas Shey]

This is a fair point. Agatha doesn't really seem "corrupted" by the book anymore than she was already, and she might have had the thing for years for all we know. On the other hand, I think the movie does a good job in its own scences highlighting how destructive and corrupting the book is....by its affects on other strange's in other multiverses. So I think the movie is consistent within itself, its just not necessarily consistent with Wandavision. On the other other hand, perhaps the fact taht Agatha was already pretty twisted means the book didn't have much it needed to do.

Agatha may have also had the advantage that she knew up-front the risks she was dealing with, so even if she was corrupt from the start, the slope wouldn't necessarily been that steep. In the case of Wanda, well, a friend has a quote she uses that applies: "Desperate people do desperate things." On a more or less comparable level, I'll direct people to Strange Supreme from What If? who knows better than Wanda what he's getting into and still goes there.

 

[Older Beholder]

And I guess all the plot threads that got established in Wandavision (nuVision, the twins, Agatha) are just getting dropped.

Agatha is getting her own series.

I don't think you can count out anyone showing up in the MCU, it'll just take a while.
That's one issue with the fact that Marvel being more a group of franchises under one banner at this point, it can take 4-5 years to get back around to each thread of the story.

 

[Davies]

I find that the fact that we see her trauma every step of the way rather keeps it from being a trope. We've had several male characters have difficulties dealing with what they've been through in the MCU already.

Name one of those characters who became a murderous supervillain.

 

[Umbran]

Name one of those characters who became a murderous supervillain.

Hawkeye (as Ronin).
Doctor Strange (in What If...? and Multiverse of Madness)

And need we note that Stark's drive to make a suit of armor for the world led to the creation of Ultron, and who knows how many deaths in Sokovia?

 

[Davies]

Hawkeye (as Ronin).
Doctor Strange (in What If...? and Multiverse of Madness)

And need we note that Stark's drive to make a suit of armor for the world led to the creation of Ultron, and who knows how many deaths in Sokovia?

Allowed redemption, not the real Doctor Strange, and allowed redemption versus crushed to death -- an actual punishment for witches, I abruptly realize. Wonder why.

 

[Imaculata]

Allowed redemption, not the real Doctor Strange, and allowed redemption versus crushed to death -- an actual punishment for witches, I abruptly realize. Wonder why.

Wanda surely will redeem herself again in a future movie. Keep in mind that in the comics, Wanda is often a villain. Whereas the other male examples are usually portrayed as the heroes.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Allowed redemption, not the real Doctor Strange, and allowed redemption versus crushed to death -- an actual punishment for witches, I abruptly realize. Wonder why.

Assuming that's what happened. And redemption-by-death is a thing too; as I noted, its entirely legitimate to argue destroying every copy of that book ever evens the scales out considerably.

 

[Davies]

Wanda surely will redeem herself again in a future movie. Keep in mind that in the comics, Wanda is often a villain.

No. She is not often portrayed that way. And even if she was, it doesn't matter.

Whereas the other male examples are usually portrayed as the heroes.

GEE, I WONDER WHY.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

I find that the fact that we see her trauma every step of the way rather keeps it from being a trope. We've had several male characters have difficulties dealing with what they've been through in the MCU already. To not have a woman also represented would be a problem.

Okay, I just re-watched the last ep of WandaVision.

I must have missed the final post-credits scene when I watched it first time, because I have no memory of it. Not that it really changes how I feel about Wanda's suddenly becoming a homicidal maniac. Yes that scene hints at Wanda dabbling with Forbidden Things. But... so what? That scene, with some oft repeated lines about "the Darkhold is Bad, mm'kay" comes across as inadequate motivation for Wanda's extreme change. And that, the failure to give justification equal to the character's change, is why it feels like a lazy trope. Look, it's clearly a case of YMMV. I don't object to Wanda going bad. I object to the way in which it was done in MoM.

Regards not seeing any of the MCU's female characters have trauma responses when several of the male characters do, I agree that would be poor. But, as @Davies has pointed out, Wanda's response to her trauma, and the come-uppance she gets given, are written dramatically differently to those written for Hawkeye, Thor, Strange and Stark. Also, let's not forget Black Widow. Or Captain Marvel's arc in her first movie. Or Wanda in WandaVision. There's plenty of women with trauma there.

I'll just finish with I enjoyed MoM. It was dumb fun. Exactly what I expect from Sam Raimi.