Summary
In recent years, Dr Strange has become one of the most powerful and important characters in theMarvel Cinematic Universe, with Marvel pushing him as a focal point of the story. Audiences have enjoyed that, and Benedict Cumberbatch’s performances are exciting to watch.
However, while aDoctor Strange 3movie is expected, nothing is confirmed at this point, meaning it’s unknown when the Sorcerer Supreme will return to the MCU. Those questions have now been answered, though, with Cumberbatch giving a significant update on the future of Dr Strange.
During an interview withVariety, Cumberbatch confirmed that plans for him toappear inAvengers: Doomsdayended up being changed due to Marvel firing Jonathan Majors after he was convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Kang was initially slated to be the main villain in the nextAvengersmovie, but plans have since been changed, and because of that, Dr Strange isn’t going to be involved. Cumberbatch revealed that this has to do with “the character not aligning with this part of the story.” Fortunately, it doesn’t mean that Dr Strange is done with the MCU or future Avengers projects. He confirmed that Dr Strange will be “in a lot” ofAvengers: Secret Wars, which will be released the year afterAvengers: Doomsdayin 2027.
Marvel has obviously had to undergo many script changes because Kang is no longer an option, as they decided not to recast the role. Instead, Marvel chose to bring backRobert Downey Jr to play Doctor Doom, and he will take on the role of the main villain. It’s something completely different from what people were expecting, and evidently, it has impacted members of the cast as well, with Cumberbatch being one of them.
It’s positive news forAvengers: Secret Wars, as clearly Marvel is already well on its way to getting that movie prepared if Cumberbatch is aware that he will be heavily involved in it. Audiences know very little about either movie at this stage in terms of plot, but it will likely become obvious whatAvengers: Secret Warsis going to be about onceAvengers: Doomsdayhas been released, as the story should follow on in some aspect. Adding Dr Strange to the mix after that will certainly ramp things up, considering he’s one of the most powerful heroes in the MCU at this point.
Ultimately, the news will be disappointing to anyone who is a fan of Dr Strange because it means they will have to wait even longer for him to make another appearance in the MCU. However, if he didn’t serve any purpose inAvengers: Doomsdaythen it would have made no sense for Marvel to force the character into the movie just for the sake of it. There are always detailed plans when it comes to theMCU, and Doctor Strange’s part in that is going to have to wait a little while longer,withAvengers: Secret Warsset to be a big momentfor the character.
MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.
