In the first Disney+ Marvel series of Phase 4, Wanda got the Darkhold and then started to learn magic. In Loki, Sylvie broke the universe and created the multiverse. Both these events made fans ask a question- what would Doctor Strange do now?

Different fans came up with different answers. But no one quite thought that it would be like the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer. Here we will tell you about why we need to look at Strange closely, and the secrets that the third Spidey movie could be hiding.

Doctor Strange Seems Different In Spider-Man: No Way Home

Compared to the other Avengers, Doctor Strange has always been a voice of reason. He was the one who knew the odds of Endgame and kept Tony Stark’s outlandish impulsive behavior in check.

In the No Way Home trailer, he can be seen in a frozen Sanctum Sanctorum wearing a Columbia sweatshirt. When Peter goes to the sorcerer supreme to ask for his help, Strange agrees.

Wong warns him and tells him not to do any spell that could change the fabric of reality. We can see Strange appear hesitant and somber at first.

But then he winks.

Now, this seems to be very out of character for the sorcerer that we know. It just seems so jarring to see a Strange who agrees to do spells that can change the very fabric of reality. So could this wink have a meaning? We think so. And as such, we bring some theories:

1. A Dark Sorcerer Supreme

There are plenty of rumors going around regarding an upcoming episode of Marvel’s What If…? series. Rumors say that this episode will follow an alternate Doctor Strange. He will go down a darker path and become an evil Sorcerer.

So could this be the alter-Strange who has replaced the sorcerer supreme we know and love? But wouldn’t have anyone noticed? That remains to be seen.

However, many people think that this isn’t a solid theory since What If…? is considered to be an anthology series. As such, it’s not related to any of the ongoing MCU storylines.

However, since the multiverse has been introduced, there’s just no way to tell in what ways it will affect canon.

2. Mephisto

Fans have been wanting to see Mephisto since WandaVision. But still, now Marvel’s equivalent of the devil hasn’t shown up in any of the shows. But it’s possible that he might show up in the most anticipated Marvel movie to date.

Many think that Mephisto might be involved because of the Sanctum Sanctorum freezing. As such, it could be a reference to hell freezing over. After all, there’s just no way to know from the trailer why the Sanctum was frozen in the first place. And it certainly seems weird that it got frozen.

Apart from this, there’s a shot in the trailer where a protester holds up a sign saying that Peter is a “devil in disguise.” So could this be another sly reference to Mephisto meddling with the multiverse before Peter asks for Strange’s help?

It should be noted that Mephisto meddling with Peter isn’t anything new. In the comics, he has already stuck dark bargains with Spider-Man.

3. It’s Only Stephen

When Thanos snapped away half the population of the planet, different Avengers reacted in different ways. Natasha let her roots grow out, Steve was optimistic, and Thor took a little break. But we haven’t seen how the Avengers reacted to everyone coming back.

However, it can be determined from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that the social climate post-snap on Earth was very stained. So it could be that Doctor Strange is just learning to take things not that seriously.

After all, maybe he lightened up after the grim events of Infinity War and Endgame. So maybe the movie is showing the lighter side of the character. It also should be noted that this isn’t the first time we have seen Strange wink at one of his friends.

After all, he did wink at Tony Stark during Avengers: Infinity War. This was right after he cast the Winds of Watoomb spell to counteract the dust and wind created by Thanos’ children in New York.

Also, Strange has been a bit of a cocky character, and he has shown off that cockiness after showing off his mastery over the magic arts. So this could be the side of him that inadvertently ends up creating the multiverse.

But we will get definitive answers only when the movie releases.

Spider-Man: No Way Home comes to theaters on December 17.

Find Out: Doctor Strange’s Spell Mistake In Spider-Man: No Way Home Explained