MOVIE NEWS – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness received the second-lowest CinemaScore rating of any Marvel film, just ahead of one of the MCU’s 2021 productions.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness received the second-lowest CinemaScore of any MCU film. Directed by Sam Raimi, the film kicked off the summer movie season and follows the adventures of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) as he crosses the multiverse to protect America Chavez (Xothli Gomez) from a threat who wants to steal her powers. The film is being promoted as a significant event that will tie in with other projects in Phase 4 of the MCU, including WandaVision, Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The film is also an extension of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to tell stories for film and television.

Phase 4 expanded the roles of supporting characters such as Wanda Maximoff, Vision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier while exploring new origin stories for characters such as Shang-Chi, the Eternals and Moon Knight. Doctor Strange is the return of a fan-favourite hero in the multiverse of madness, and the smash hit Spider-Man: No Way Home the film topped Fandango’s list of “most anticipated films of the summer”, indicating that many viewers were ready to rush out to see it.

However, CinemaScore polls show that audiences gave Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness a B+ rating.

This makes it one of only three MCU films that did not receive an A grade. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness tied with Thor for the B+ rating and came in above Eternals, which received a B – still the lowest for an MCU film.

It should be noted that what CinemaScore tracks is based on a series of questions asked to audiences on the night of the premiere and is generally more a reflection of audience expectations and the marketing campaign for a given film than the quality of the production. Therefore, it may be an indicator that viewers who saw Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness went to the cinema with different expectations.

They may have expected more cameos than Spider-Man: No Way Home or they may have been put off by the horror movie vibe of the film, which was not present in the trailer.

It will be interesting to see what this means for the film’s box office, as scores tend to follow word of mouth.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will undoubtedly win its opening weekend, as it has already grossed more in one day than the first Doctor Strange film did in its opening weekend. It is expected to take the lead over Firestarter next week, but the more muted reaction from audiences means that if negative reviews of the film, as recorded by CinemaScore, are spreading, it could take a steep dive in the coming weeks.

Source: The Direct