Sam Raimi Almost Answers Whether Scarlet Witch Or Doctor Strange Is More Powerful

"Who would win in a fight?" is a question that has plagued office water coolers and playgrounds alike since the dawn of superheroes, with fans debating which of their favorite characters would come out on top in a big battle. From theorizing if Superman could beat Goku to how Batman could take down the Justice League (a phenomenal comic does answer this question), this decades-old quandary has inspired countless debates. Now, in the era of cinematic superhero universes and multiverses offering different aspects of known characters, the debate is as strong as ever, and we're getting some big screen answers. In fact, the director of "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," the MCU's shortest movie in three years, has just chimed in on the power and strength of Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch. 

During an interview with Fandango, Sam Raimi teased what fans can expect from his triumphant return to superhero movies in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." The next chapter in the MCU, the film promises to explore different versions of Marvel's arrogant wizard, as well as other returning characters and accents, such as Wanda Maximoff.

But that makes fans wonder, after years of seeing them both grow wiser and stronger, who would win in a fight? Leave it to Raimi himself to offer a thoughtful and diplomatic answer:

"Wow. That's a question I've been asking kids on the playground since third grade. Who is stronger, this character or that character? Well, I think Wanda's magic, from Marvel lore, is more powerful than almost any of the other characters in this picture, but Doctor Strange has the knowledge of the mystic arts that Wanda doesn't have, and he's got the help of Kamar-Taj."

This is a very sound answer. We have seen how powerful Wanda is, having enslaved an entire town in "WandaVision" and even willing two children into existence. But then again, Strange does have the entire knowledge of the Sorcerer Supreme's library. Then, there's the question of the multiverse, as Raimi points out:

"If you were to pit them against each other, different altered versions of themselves ... there could be a Doctor Strange out there that's more powerful than our Wanda. Or there could be a Wanda out there who is more powerful than our Wanda here. So, because of these altered versions, it's all a mixed bag of possibilities."

Indeed, when you take the entirety of the multiverse into consideration, it becomes much trickier to answer the "who would win" question. Is Wanda stronger than Strange? She may have crushed Thanos if he hadn't unleashed hellfire from his ship in "Avengers: Endgame," but could she beat the evil Doctor Strange from "Marvel's What If?" in a fight?

We may find out when "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" hits theaters on May 4, 2022.