We can all agree that the Stephen Strange and America Chavez dynamic was one of the highlights of Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness. After duetting with teenagers for two movies in a row – America, and Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home – MCU fans are starting to believe Benedict Cumberbatch’s character is at his very best when he’s serving as the curmudgeonly uncle to the Multiverse’s super kids.
“Can we agree that Dr. Strange’s best dynamics are with kids?” one Reddit user proposed, adding a montage of Stephen with Peter and America.
A very spot-on comparison emerged in the comment section, equating Doctor Strange to Gordon Ramsay in the way “he is straightforward to the point of being arrogant with adults but patient and more like a mentor with kids.” That’s what makes the moments Stephen shares with kids so sweet – they bring out a different, more lovable side to the typically stand-offish Master of the Mystic Arts.
“The “fuck you for fucking up but only if you knew better first” mentorship style,” one user perfectly illustrated, while another pointed out that “being a doctor helps him be kind to kids who need help.” The bit of history that was shared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness about Stephen losing his sister at a young age might also be a big reason why the cloaked sorcerer was so protective of America, the same user noted.
One user hopes to see “more of [America] and Strange’s father/daughter relationship in the MCU.” “I’m so tired of the MCU giving us these parent/child dynamics and then ruining them immediately,” they said.
As for Peter, Stephen’s approach might have been a little harsher, but that’s only because the teen was acting up all throughout No Way Home. “Kinda funny how he was mostly frustrated and annoyed with Peter but pretty affectionate and warm towards America,” one Redditor commented. “He was actually really cool with Peter at first,” one user counter-argued, adding that Doctor Strange’s biggest issue is “when people won’t let him [help], or don’t give him enough information to create a plan in advance.”
The highlight of the comment section, though, was one fan bringing back a fantastic quote by Infinity War antagonist Ebony Maw. “Your powers are quaint, you must be popular with the children,” Maw told Stephen, in an attempt to mock him. Well, the alien super villain, Reddit users argue, was more right than he knew.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is available to stream now on Disney Plus.