Doctor Strange’s newly acquired third eye can fix his power loss from Infinity War and make him even more powerful in the MCU’s future.
Dr. Strange in The Multiverse of Madness showed audiences Dr. Strange after the events of Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home, as well as the consequences these two movies had on the Sorcerer Supreme. Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness sees the titular doctor severely depowered and stripped of the title of Sorcerer Supreme. Having lost the time stone to Thanos, Strange seems to be in a place of wanting to prove himself and his power.
After willingly giving Thanos the time stone on Titan in Avengers: Infinity War, Strange lost many of the powers that made him one of the strongest and most skilled Avengers. His abilities were unique, and he was well-versed in the mystic arts. While his power level wasn’t elaborated on in Avengers: Endgame audiences got hints of it in Spider-Man: No Way Home with the reveal that while Dr. Strange was blipped for five years, Wong became Sorcerer Supreme. It also highlighted that Strange lost one of his greatest tools in the time stone, as that is what Peter Parker originally sought Strange out for. Strange was depowered so that Multiverse of Madness could build his power back up.
Doctor Strange’s Third Eye Can Replace The Eye Of Agamotto
The reveal at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that Strange had acquired a third eye, one akin to the Sinister Strange variant’s, vastly changes his potential moving forward. This new power, while having the same time-reversal powers as the Eye of Agamotto, is still highly useful for Strange to continue within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While time travel and reversing time aren’t off the table for Dr. Strange, the addition of the third eye might indicate a move towards different dimensions and alternate realities, which was something Multiverse of Madness only scratched the surface of.
Having powerful allies like America Chavez might come in handy if Strange needs to jump between realities. Doctor Strange 2‘s mid-credit scene introducing Clea points toward Dr. Strange’s third eye being an important power moving forward. In the comics, the third eye was a physical manifestation of the Eye of Agamotto and typically was seen as a power for good, though because Strange got it after using the Darkhold, the MCU version of the third eye could represent the exact opposite. It could point towards a new, darker side to Strange that audiences have yet to meet.
Doctor Strange Should Be Among The MCU’s Strongest Avengers
After the amazing feats he achieved in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Dr. Strange was one of the most powerful members of the Avengers and was one of the key reasons why they eventually won. His subsequent depowering made sense for setting up Multiverse of Madness, but it didn’t seem like Strange was the type of person who just kept rolling with the punches when it came to his power. Although Doctor Strange was whom Spider-Man sought out, he seemed more annoyed or inconvenienced that Wong was Sorcerer Supreme than angry.
Moving forward, audiences will likely see Dr. Strange acquire more power. Even though it will be different from the kind he held while being Sorcerer Supreme and wielding the time stone, it indicates the next chapter in his story. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a fun ride exploring the darker side of Strange and the multiverse. It also succeeded in giving Strange new powers in his third eye that will be useful in regaining some of his lost power, but also by highlighting where audiences can see him turn up next.