A new and exciting rumor spinning out of the Marvel Multiverse suggests that Shuma-Gorath will be the villain in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The inclusion of the supervillain in the new film has yet to be confirmed by Marvel Studios, but The Illuminerdi attests that the sequel to 2016's Doctor Strange will introduce the multi-limbed menace. Be that as it may, please take the following report with a grain of salt until we get the official word from Marvel Studios.
According to The Illuminerdi, the Elder God is hot on the trail of the reality-jumping, star portal-punching America Chavez because he wants to gain control of her powers and use them to rule the Multiverse. Details become a bit scarce after that, including how Chavez finds her way to Doctor Strange or how Wanda Maximoff enters the picture.
According to Marvel Fandom.com, Shuma-Gorath was one of the Great Old Ones, also named Many-Angled Ones. Ruler of hundreds of dimensions, Shuma-Gorath came to the Earth-Realm million years ago along with the other Old Ones, ruling the Earth and feasting on the ape-men. Hundred of millions of years ago, Quoggoth rebelled, fancying himself more powerful than his creator. Shuma-Gorath defeated Quoggoth but couldn't destroy him, so imprisoned him on the island that became, for a time, Magneto's base in the Modern Age.
Obviously, that last bit with Magneto is likely to be omitted from the character's backstory, seeing as Marvel has yet to introduce the X-Men to the MCU. In fact, a lot could change about Shuma-Gorath if and when he arrives as a part of the new film. For example, Shuma-Gorath could be merged with the Elder God Cthon. In the comics, Cthon left behind a book of dark magic called the Darkhold. Each time the book is used, the after-effects weaken the fabric of reality. After all, magic always comes with a price. Shuma-Gorath (also known as one of the best playable characters in Marvel vs. Capcom 2) also has ties to the Scarlet Witch, as the mysterious source of her Chaos Magic. Considering that Wanda has the Darkhold by the end of WandaVision, this could be a way to link Shuma-Gorath with her character.
I have to admit that this is one of the wildest rumors I've heard regarding Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and I'm all about it. Shuma-Gorath is a larger-than-life villain that points to Marvel taking big risks in Phase 4 and I want that more than anything. Go big or go home, right?
Directed by Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness boasts a script written by Jade Halley Bartlett and Michael Waldron. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange, Benedict Wong as Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo, Rachel McAdams as Dr. Christine Palmer, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, and Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is scheduled to cast a spell in theaters on March 25, 2022.