Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness fight coordinator Lian Yang recently revealed stunt rehearsal video of an ultraviolent scene that ended up cut from the movie. The action-horror MCU film follows the titular hero embarking on a journey through the multiverse as he attempts to protect the young inter-dimensional being America Chavez (Xóchitl Gomez). With Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) using the Darkhold to strengthen her powers, she aims to absorb Chavez's multiversal powers in an attempt to reunite with her children.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
From Sam Raimi, the director of horror films such as Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, and Drag Me To Hell, the Doctor Strange sequel included many elements of the genre to make the film one of the most frightening and gruesome in all the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One particular scene had the Scarlet Witch take out members of the superhero team the Illuminati one by one in horrific fashion. The hero-turned-villain used her powers to cut Mr. Fantastic (John Krasinski) into ribbons, she forced Black Bolt (Anson Mount) to scream internally, thereby causing the destruction of his brain, and Wanda used Captain Carter's (Hayley Atwell) shield to split the super-soldier in half.
Yang recently took to social media to share a pre-visualization of another ultraviolent action scene not included in Scarlet Witch's battle with warriors at Kamar-Taj from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Performed in the padded safety of the stunt team's studio, the scene features a stunt performer portraying Maximoff as she takes on a number of foes, dispatching them in various ways. Check out Yang's video below.
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The elaborate one-take action sequence shows the incredible planning and coordination of the stunt team needed to pull off such a visceral and violent scene. Although the added visual effects are relatively crude, the blood effects do more than enough to convey the Scarlet Witch's brutality. With every death as brutal as the last, it is clear why such a violent scene was not included in the PG-13 MCU film.
However, the scene would have perfectly conveyed the absolute depth of Maximoff's despair, as well as the lengths to which she intends to go to reunite with her children. With her most violent scene coming over halfway into the Doctor Strange sequel — killing Earth-838's superheroes — showing a high level of brutality early on in the film would have truly established her power and the fear it instilled in both Chavez and Strange. Although Maximoff's siege of Kamar-Taj had the villain kill a substantial number of warriors, the scene was not nearly as barbaric as the superhero team encounter. With Scarlet Witch's death never shown on screen, perhaps there may be a chance for the character to truly show off what she's capable of in the future.