Doctor Strange 2 exec reveals who built the Ultron bots on Earth-838

One of the Doctor Strange 2 producers revealed who actually built Earth-838’s Ultron bots.

‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ was the MCU’s proper introduction to the multiverse. Thanks to new character America Chavez, Stephen Strange was able to travel across the multiverse and see how vastly different his life could have been had things gone differently.

Spoilers for Doctor Strange 2 are ahead, so be warned.

One of those variant universes was Earth-838, which featured perhaps the biggest reveal in the Illuminati. Comprised of Captain Carter, Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel, Black Bolt the Inhuman, Reed Richards of the Fantastic 4, and Professor Charles Xavier, the Illuminati provided some great world-building for this alternate universe.

However, there was one other small detail in Earth-838 that has intrigued many MCU fans. Now, one Doctor Strange producer has answered their questions.

Who is Ultron in the MCU?

In the Illuminati’s headquarters, Dr. Strange is escorted by what appear to be Ultron bots. But whereas the Ultron bots MCU fans remember from Avengers: Age of Ultron were murderous, these appear docile.

The MCU’s Ultron was originally created by Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, as a measure to protect Earth in the absence of the Avengers. In Age of Ultron, though, the AI took over and formed its own directive to kill the Avengers.

This reappearance on Earth-838 raised questions as to who built Ultron in this universe, since no variant of Tony Stark appeared in this universe, and how Ultron was kept from turning into a villain.

Ultron in Doctor Strange 2

In an interview with Empire, which is also republished in parts by The Direct, producer Richie Palmer explained how the Ultron sentries existed in Earth-838.

According to Palmer, “this is a world where Ultron seemed to work the way Tony Stark intended him to work in Age of Ultron… This is a world where Tony cracked Ultron, and it worked.”

This, in fact, allowed for the rise of Illuminati, who took the place of the Avengers in this universe. Because Ultron worked, Palmer explained, the original Avengers were able to retire.

One complication to this explanation, though, is that it doesn’t explain how Wanda Maximoff ended up with her two children. In Wandavision, Wanda had two sons with Vision, but Vision was created in response to Ultron’s destruction.

Without Ultron going on the warpath, it’s fair to ask whether Vision would have ever been created in Universe-838. And without Vision, would Wanda have settled down in America and would she have her two children? While Palmer acknowledges these issues, he doesn’t have a solid explanation for them.