Doctor Strange 2 writer reveals the fight between Scarlet Witch and the Illuminati was inspired by James Cameron's Aliens

Writer Michael Waldron has revealed how the 1986 sci-fi classic inspired the fight between the Illuminati and Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the sequel to the 2016 Doctor Strange and the 28 movies in the MCU.

In the movie, Doctor Strange is tasked with protecting a young girl named America Chavez, who has the ability to travel between the multiverses at will.

Strange must protect the girl from the Scarlet Witch who seeks to use the girl's powers to reunite with her children, and the plot does have some similarities with James Cameron's 1986 follow up to Alien.

In Aliens the iconic Ellen Ripley played by Sigourney Weaver travels to a remote colony in space with a group of marines. They soon realise the that the colony is overrun and even the battle-hardened marines may be no match for the alien threat as they get picked off one by one. This is similar to the fight in Doctor Strange 2 as the powerful Illuminati gets picked off one by one by Scarlet Witch.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone writer, Michael Waldron talked about how Aliens inspired him and how he doubted if the scene would make the final cut.

Talking about the scene he said, "I was watching Aliens a lot as I was writing. Because just tonally this movie is a thriller and a [feature-length] chase. I just love how Aliens goes to great lengths to tell you how badass the space Marines are — and then they just get slaughtered. Then you are really scared of the Xenomorphs for the rest of that movie, and that’s what I wanted to accomplish with Wanda. At the end of that Illuminati sequence."

He further added, "I hope you were truly terrified of the Scarlet Witch. It’s been awesome being in the theater hearing the cheers, then the gasps and the groans. [Laughs] I mean, you know, people were feeling something at the movies. That’s good!"

Well, both Michael Waldron and director Sam Raimi succeed in creating a terrifying battle and probably the most brutal one in the history of the MCU, which often tends to stay away from graphic depictions of violence.

Doctor Strange 2 is currently running in theaters and has grossed over 530 million worldwide making it the third highest-grossing movie of 2022.