Superhero epic ‘Doctor Strange’ scores biggest opening of the year

Disney and Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” has scored the biggest theatrical opening of the year, grossing $185 million at the domestic box office this weekend, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore.

Internationally, the superhero epic collected $265 million for a global cumulative of $450 million — the sixthhighest worldwide debut of all time.

The second “Doctor Strange” film also posted the second-biggest opening of the COVID-19 pandemic — behind only Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ($260 million domestically) and ahead of Warner Bros.’ “The Batman” ($134 million), which previously was the biggest domestic launch of 2022.

Directed by “Spider-Man” veteran Sam Raimi, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” sees Benedict Cumberbatch reprise his role as the titular wizard opposite Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, also known as the Scarlet Witch. Rounding out the main cast are Benedict Wong as Wong, Rachel McAdams as Dr. Christine Palmer, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo and franchise newcomer Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez.

As of Sunday, “Multiverse of Madness” posted a 75% positive rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes and a B-plus rating from audiences polled by CinemaScore.

On the increasingly crowded Marvel timeline, “Multiverse of Madness” takes place after the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which also featured Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange and likely gave the latest Marvel blockbuster a significant boost at the box office.

“Multiverse of Madness” and “No Way Home” were released by rival studios that not long ago engaged in a fierce fight over Spider-Man, the most