Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced fans to the alternate world of the MCU called Earth-838, where the people go on red and stop on green.
More importantly, the new reality that was shown in the film is also the home to the Illuminati, a very powerful group protecting the world against threats, and also a reality where Tony Stark’s Ultron program was a success.
The universe of The Illuminati doesn’t seem like such a great place when you look closely. The film’s head writer, Michael Waldron, confirms it in a recent interview with Empire Magazine.
Waldron described Earth-838 as a “police state” and reveals that the heroes’ reaction to the threat that Thanos brought made them a threat to the people they are trying to protect.
"The funny thing about Memory Lane is that... It's not in there, but my secret history of 838 is it's a little bit of a police state," Waldron said during the interview. "And you can see, everybody is dressed uniformly, it's like a little bit of an Orwellian feel to it. Cause I was always like, 'Alright, why does this Memory Lane thing exist?' I wrote a bunch of what was essentially fine print that I do think we recorded, but it just doesn't... You can't quite hear it, but it's like the guy is saying in the background, he's like, 'Disclaimer: Any memories of crimes committed or so-and-so can be admissible in a court of law...' Memory Lane is really the state's attempt to minority report you into admitting a crime you committed. That's my dark secret about Memory Lane."
Waldron also noted in a separate interview with Vanity Fair how "[he doesn't] know how much of that translates on the screen," but that the authorities in Earth-838 could "store your memories and if they find any crimes committed, you can be liable."
According to one of the writers of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the universe of Earth-838 is such a nightmare that it is possible the people living in that world will see Wanda as a hero for her actions against the Illuminati.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently available to stream on Disney+.
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