Official Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Funko Pops Reveal One Strange Cast

Trailers and posters aren't the only ways to learn exciting new details about a movie these days. Fans can learn a whole lot from various tie-in merchandise like apparel, books, or toys. And though these things may sometimes enter the grey area of spoiler territory, most of the time they're just a small tease of what's to come.

For example, Marvel.com has just unveiled the first wave of Funko Pops for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Previously, we saw the Hasbro Marvel Legends line for the film, which contained characters or variants of characters that we were more or less expecting. However, these vinyl figures offer a look at some brand new faces we haven't met yet.

Things just got out of hand

Since his name is in the title of the movie, it's a no-brainer that Dr. Stephen Strange would be prominently featured in any toy line for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." However, in the House of Ideas' announcement for this upcoming wave of signature Funkos that tie in with the next chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the company revealed that the regular Strange would be the 1000th Marvel Funko Pop. As a collector myself, I feel like there can't possibly be that many MCU Pops, so that number probably includes the lines for the comics, video games, and non-MCU movies as well. Regardless of how the math works out, I guess I'll just take their word for it.

The Strange sporting "1000" in the top right corner of the box will also have a number of variants. The interdimensional blue version will be the 1 in 6 chase figure of the wave and the metallic version will be a Gamestop exclusive. Rounding out the Sacred Timeline Stranges is a Funko Specialty Series exclusive that is "floating" in a cross-legged pose. That one will only be available at your local comic shop or toy retailer. And moving on to capital V "Variants" that would likely be discussed by the TVA, we have the Walmart exclusive Defender Strange (who we affectionately refer to as Ponytail Strange around these parts) and the common Supreme Strange, who looks to be the version of the character we see in statue form in the trailer. Or he could have something to do with that "mysterious" voice cameo that everyone is talking about and the group that he may or may not represent.

Once you Pop, you can't stop

Of course, Benedict Cumberbatch's former Sorcerer Supreme won't be the only character in the lineup. After making his Funko Pop debut in the "Avengers: Endgame" line, Wong is finally getting another figure. He only had to become the Sorcerer Supreme to get one, but we'll let that slide for now.

They will be joined by allies America Chavez and the Scarlet Witch, old foe Master Mordo, and the Kamar-Taj apprentice that resembles a green-skinned minotaur named Rintrah (who will be represented as a 6-inch figure). Even Rachel McAdams' Christine Palmer joins the party as Stephen's former professional and romantic partner makes her Pop debut as a Funko Shop exclusive.

As great as all of these look, there is one figure that stands out from the rest. Known simply as Sara, this Black woman is dressed in robes similar to those that study the mystic arts. But we haven't met her in any other MCU movie, she hasn't popped up in promotional material for the latest chapter, and I don't recall her name being mentioned in any blurbs or synopses. So who is Sara?

Que será, Sara?

There are currently two prevailing theories. In Marvel Comics mythology, there are two Saras associated with Doctor Strange and his adjacent cast of characters. The first is Sara Wolfe. She is of Native American heritage thanks to her great-grandfather, who was the shaman of their clan. But instead of following in her footsteps, she became Strange's secretary and a love interest for Wong. However, since Wong had been promised to another due to an arranged marriage, their relationship could not blossom. If this toy is of Sara Wolfe, it's possible that they may have tweaked some things in her backstory so that she actually does follow her family down the path of the mystic arts. And while they're at it, maybe Wong is an eligible bachelor that develops a thing for Sara. Sure, Strange couldn't make things work with Christine when he was Sorcerer Supreme due to the responsibilities of the position, but things could be different for Wong.

The second potential option is Sara Krowler. Although, she's probably better known as Baroness Mordo. Yep, as in the same Mordo family as Chiwetel Ejiofor's character Karl Mordo AKA Master Mordo. Sara is Karl's mother. Though she is traditionally depicted as a human with low-level magical abilities in the comics, she was surrounded by people who studied powerful magic. It's possible that her MCU counterpart has learned enough from her father and husband (or other teachers) that she has become a master in her own right. And as a result, she could have fostered that interest in her son, who grows up to fight alongside the Ancient One before breaking away and targeting other magic users.

Out of the two options, I feel like Baroness Mordo might be the cooler of the two. The only thing that gives me pause about it is that she doesn't exactly look old enough to be Master Mordo's mother. But then again, these people know magic, which does have many applications beyond messing with the multiverse. For instance, someone might use magic to make themselves look younger than they actually are. And we're dealing with a world where time travel and the multiverse have already been established as real; There are certainly ways to make it possible for Master Mordo to exist alongside the young version of his mother. But for now, we'll just have to speculate away as we wait for official confirmation about who this unknown Sara turns out to be. 

"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, Rachel McAdams, and Chiwetel Ejiofor hits theaters on May 6, 2022.