Ranking Every Action Scene In Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
9. Zombie Doctor Strange Vs. The Souls Of The Dead
You know it is a Sam Raimi movie when your third act starts with the hero possessing a rotten corpse of a version of himself so he can face the villain from another universe.
This is not a battle in a traditional sense, since no one is throwing a punch in this scenario. Only there are shrieking Sam Raimi-style damned souls trying to take over Doctor Strange’s body and soul, and it is up to his willpower to fight them off. Doctor Strange realizes that he is the master of the mystic arts and so used the souls of the damned as his weapon instead of being taken over by them. In the end, Doctor Strange comes out of the fight with a cloak made of the souls initially trying to kill him.
Visually, we have the very unique moment of a Zombie Doctor Strange wearing a cloak made of damned souls like a power-up. The thematic message is all about Doctor Strange finding that he can use all his flaws and inner demons for the greater good.
Like other Strange variants before him, he is breaking the rules of the universe by playing god and Dream Walking, but now he can admit it is a flaw within him he cannot get rid of and wear them on his sleeves (or in this case, collar) instead of arrogantly tricking himself into believing he is some ultimate arbiter of right and wrong.
The best version of Doctor Strange is the one who knows his flaws, warts, maggots, souls of the damned, and all.