Dr Strange asks “Are You Happy?” in the Multiverse of Madness

In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Christine Palmer unexpectedly asks Dr. Strange, “Are You Happy?” She makes this query at her own wedding, following a brief discussion about how close they used to be, indicating that Strange and Palmer had some sort of past romantic relationship that had not been successful.

Doctor Strange asks "Are You Happy?" in the Multiverse of Madness

Stephen Strange responds with a quick “of course” he is happy. His answer is not entirely convincing, as he is Dr. Strange, a famous superhero, part of the team called the Avengers, and he has access to incredible powers. Who wouldn’t want that? Is this not happiness in itself? Yet, the scene leaves us with an impression that Dr. Strange may be feeling something other than joy, despite his attempts to conceal it. He may be experiencing a mixture of emotions due to his past with Palmer and the uncertainty of his future.

We then meet Wanda Maximoff (aka Scarlet Witch) who is struggling with the fact that she does not have a family, longing for one almost on a desperate level. This comes as a continuation of WandaVision, where Wanda is trying to revive Vision, her synthezoid (android) lover, back to life as she mourns deeply over his death in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) at the hands of Thanos.

This gives rise to the events of the Multiverse of Madness (which I don’t want to spoil any further). Yet, the question of “Are you happy?” still lingers as a central theme of the movie, being mentioned four more times throughout the movie.

Here we dive into character backstory, character development, and their psychological profiles:

  • Doctor Strange has fame and superpowers, but he is missing the companionship of a woman (Christine Palmer).
  • Wanda Maximoff (aka Scarlet Witch) is still heartbroken over her lost family.
  • America Chavez lost her parents due to the accidental use of her own powers, and 
  • Christine Palmer has no superpowers, but she has strong feelings for Doctor Strange.

Are You Happy? – Answer by Optimal Happiness 

Overall, we see that:

1. Relationships, such as love, family, and friends, define a sense of happiness on a deep level.

2. Accomplishments, such as desires for glory, prestige, and superpowers, are glorified as the ultimate goal of happiness in our modern society, but often (such as in the case of Dr. Strange) they are not enough to give us the ultimate happiness.

3. A sense of purpose, drives our lives (such as it does all characters in the Marvel Universe), but again, it is not enough to make someone happy.

Indeed, the question “Are you happy?” drives our lives on a deep, fundamental level. People are willing to go to extreme lengths to seek out happiness, often at the expense of other people and things. This is an egocentric way of living, and in today’s world, we can see the detrimental effects of prioritizing selfishness over the collective good.

As such, I ask you, the reader: “Are you happy?” Chances are that your life is not as content as you would like it to be, due to the state of the economy. But my message remains consistent: you can still find joy and contentment, no matter who you are or where you live. All you have to do is learn our Optimal Happiness formula and strive to become the happiest version of yourself. By following this formula, you can take charge of your own life and achieve unprecedented levels of happiness.

Roman Russo

Roman Russo

Roman Russo is the visionary founder, senior happiness coach, and Chief Happiness Officer of Optimal Happiness. He has written the revolutionary Optimal Happiness: The Fastest and Surest Way to Reach Your Happiest Potential, a must-read book about achieving our happiest potential. After researching this field for over eight years, Roman is confident that anyone can become happy and invites us to undertake this transformation. Are you ready to start living the life you always meant to live?

Leave a Reply

“The problem is that of optimization,” states Roman Russo, author of Optimal Happiness: The Fastest & Surest Way To Reach Your Happiest Potential. Most people will tell you how to be less unhappy or more happy, but no one is speaking about how to be the happiest we can be. And this is the difference that makes all the difference. By not looking at our happiest potential, we fall short of achieving it. After all, we all have hundreds of ideas on how to be happier or less sad, but most people still feel like they are not living their best lives. As such, Optimal Happiness explores the question of how to be the happiest we can be, regardless of who we are, where we are from, and what our life circumstances are. It proposes a complete formula for happiness and explains how to optimize the formula so we can be happy today and forever, breaking down what it really takes to become one of the happiest people alive (spoiler: it isn’t what most people think it is).

Recent Posts

Follow on Facebook

Or Follow Us On

Happiness Newsletter

Win our exclusive happiness coaching session when subscribing to our transformational Happiness Newsletter.​​


    You May also like