Fittingly, the recent MCU sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness went through all manner of versions and variations, with star Xochitl Gomez now revealing that the Marvel project had an overwhelming total of 33 rewrites. Leaping to the defense of writer Michael Waldron, who has been heavily criticized by some for the Doctor Strange sequel, Gomez offers some insight into the pressures put on Waldron behind-the-scenes (via @DrStrangeUpdate).

Released last year, and the 28th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness further unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. The sequel takes audiences on a journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.

Directed by horror maestro Sam Raimi and starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, Elizabeth Olsen as the now-villainous Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch, with Xochitl Gomez joining the fray as America Chavez, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was met relatively well by both critics and audiences, though many leveled criticisms at the MCU follow-up.

The main attack line taken from both critics and audiences aimed at the overly brand-savvy approach to what could have been a major mix-up of the MCU formula. Instead of the madness of the multiverse making unique decisions and taking audiences on an exciting, unexpected journey, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness instead feels more strangled by the Marvel brand than ever before. Which, considering the revelation that it required as many as 33 rewrites, suddenly starts to make a lot of sense…

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Doctor Strange 3 Will Introduce Charlize Theron as the Sorceress, Clea
Marvel Studios

Hopefully, the development of Doctor Strange 3 will fare better than its predecessor. While there are no solid details regarding the threequel, star Benedict Cumberbatch has declared that he would love to come back for more. “I would love to do another one. Doctor Strange is such a complex character, and it feels like there is so much more to explore with him. He is such a brilliant character, and I’m still having a wild time playing him, ” the actor said.

Based on the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness mid-credits scene, it is pretty much guaranteed that Doctor Strange 3 will follow the Avenger as he enters the Dark Dimension alongside the sorceress Clea, played by Charlize Theron. “We always knew we wanted to introduce Clea, who in the comics is you could say the great love of Doctor Strange, but really in a lot of ways his formidable equal as a sorcerer herself,” Michael Waldron said last year. “Her backstory is fascinating, she’s the niece of Dormammu, the giant floating head from the first movie.”

Until then, the MCU marches on. We are now in Phase 5 of the ever-growing franchise, which is all set to feature sequels such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, and Captain America: New World Order, as well as Thunderbolts and the Blade reboot.