Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness kicked off with a magical showdown against the multi-tentacled Gargantos – a creature that writer Michael Waldron has confirmed is not Shuma-Gorath.

For a long time it was believed that the Doctor Strange sequel’s Gargantos was a renamed version of Shuma-Gorath, a monstrous nemesis of Doctor Strange from the comics. The two characters look almost identical and both traverse the Multiverse. A rights issue surrounding Shuma-Gorath’s name led many fans to assume Marvel had simply had to rename the character for his appearance in the MCU, but writer Michael Waldron has seemingly confirmed this was not the case.

Multiverse Of Monsters

Speaking in the Director’s Commentary for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Michael Waldron revealed that Gargantos and Shuma-Gorath are two separate monsters, saying of Doctor Strange’s foe from beyond the universe: “This is the monster Gargantos, not to be confused with Shuma-Gorath.”

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While the reasons behind their similar appearances are not explained, it is possible that Gargantos and Shuma-Gorath are connected in some way, as both are beasts from beyond the universe. A tentacled sea monster called Gargantos does exist in Marvel’s comics, though his on-screen depiction bears more resemblance to Shuma-Gorath, suggesting an altered origin.

Fans will likely be pleased to know Gargantos and Shuma-Gorath are two separate characters, as Shuma-Gorath has been a formidable opponent to Doctor Strange in the comics, seeking to conquer the entire Multiverse. Gargantos, however, was quickly dispatched by Strange and Wong in the opening moments of Multiverse of Madness. This may also mean that Shuma-Gorath will have a larger role elsewhere in the MCU, possibly as the tentacled creature briefly glimpsed in the first season of What If…? on Disney Plus.

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Here is the synopsis for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness:

The MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.

Directed by Sam Raimi from a script written by Michael Waldron, the Marvel film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, with Michael Stuhlbarg, Rachel McAdams, John Krasinski, and Patrick Stewart.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is available now on Digital and Disney Plus, and will arrive on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 18th. Stay tuned for all the latest news regarding the future of Doctor Strange and Shuma-Gorath in the MCU, and subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.