Marvel gave us all a great reason to tune in for the Super Bowl a couple of weeks ago by releasing a brand new Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer. We already covered it in great detail, as the second Doctor Strange 2 trailer delivers two significant cameo confirmations. But Marvel released two separate Multiverse of Madness videos during the Super Bowl, and one of them contains a mind-blowing detail that we nearly missed.
It’s a plot detail that might explain a small Spider-Man: No Way Home plot hole. But before we can look at it, we’ll warn you that some spoilers will follow below.
The No Way Home plot hole
No Way Home has several plot issues that Sony and Marvel need to iron out via future MCU creations. Some of them are easy to explain, while others are more problematic.
The No Way Home plot hole that’s relevant for Multiverse of Madness concerns a particular costume element that we saw in the movie. Despite the events in Infinity War and Endgame, where we saw Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) give up the Time Stone to Thanos (Josh Brolin), the wizard is still wearing the Eye of Agamoto around his neck.
The magical piece of jewelry is used to house the Time Stone. But the MCU doesn’t have any Infinity Stones that superheroes like Strange can use. They’ve been turned to atoms by a Thanos who feared someone might want to abuse them.
So why is Strange still wearing the Eye of Agamoto around his neck in No Way Home? The artifact is still useful in the Mirror Dimension, where Strange battles Peter Parker (Tom Holland). It’s the kind of detail that’s easy to miss in the movie.
But the Doctor Strange 2 Super Bowl trailer comes into play to show the Eye in action again.
We did say that Marvel released two different clips for Multiverse of Madness during the game. It aired a shored version of the second trailer during the Super Bowl, while the complete Doctor Strange 2 trailer was released online. But the two clips aren’t identical.
The Doctor Strange 2 Super Bowl trailer revelation
It’s probably obvious where I’m going with this by now. The short Doctor Strange 2 Super Bowl TV ad offers us a great Eye of Agamoto detail that we nearly missed. And, in the process, it explains why Strange still needs the amulet, despite not having the Time Stone anymore.
Marvel never shared a good-quality version of the Super Bowl trailer online. And we focused on other details in the versions that we did see. Like the fact that Defender Strange appears to die early in the movie. Or that Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) works for the Illuminati. Or that the group of mysterious superheroes has captured America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) and Doctor Strange.
But YouTube channel New Rockstars found a good quality version of the Super Bowl TV spot. And they’ve spotted something hiding in plain sight that many people might have ignored. I certainly did.
Doctor Strange uses the Eye of Agamoto even though it doesn’t have an Infinity Stone in it. That’s a mind-blowing detail. It means the mythical object that Strange controls has additional powers that we’re going to see explored in Multiverse of Madness.
The fact that Strange uses the Eye of Agamoto in previous MCU adventures might be the reason you won’t realize he’s doing it again. You’re used to seeing his hands gesturing in a certain way to unlock the Eye and reveal the Time Stone. Doctor Strange moves his hands in the opposite direction to unlock the Eye of Agamoto again in the Super Bowl trailer.
The mysterious new spell
Inside it, there’s something else, something that opens a physical door to a different part of the multiverse. The scene also includes America Chavez and the Christine Palmer variant. That’s one more reason to ignore the gesture, as your mind is racing to figure out what’s happening.
Thanks to a different Multiverse of Madness leak that delivers a big plot detail, we know that the scene in the Super Bowl trailer might happen after Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) attacks the Illuminati. Strange, America and Christine are looking to escape Wanda.
They will need to open that door. That might be the only way for them to get to a Mirror Dimension of a different reality. It’s there where they’ll find the Book of the Vishanti, that plot leak said. That plot leak, by the way, fits well with a massive plot leak that Doctor Strange 2 trailer 2 seems to confirm.
Doctor Strange using the Eye of Agamoto in the Super Bowl trailer might indicate that he’s indeed about to enter the Mirror Dimension. And this might be enough to confirm the recent plot leak. We’ll have to wait for May 6th to see if that’s the case.
You can watch the full Doctor Strange 2 Super Bowl TV spot below, complete with a closer look at the Eye of Agamoto spell.
