Is Doctor Strange Appearing in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?

For months, Marvel enthusiasts have been debating one pressing question, and it doesn’t involve Doctor Doom. The big query is whether Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange will appear in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, and the answer has varied depending on who you ask and when.

The confusion largely stems from Cumberbatch himself, who has provided fans with a rollercoaster of contradictory statements over the past year. Initially, he suggested that his character would not be part of this storyline, only to later retract that statement and confirm his involvement, leaving the specifics of his role ambiguous.

Marvel Studios made a significant splash with the announcement of the ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ cast. The studio transformed the casting reveal into a grand online event, showcasing its extensive cast through a viral livestream that featured director’s chairs with each actor’s name, confirming iconic characters like Thor and Captain America, along with members of the Fantastic Four and several actors from the original X-Men films.

While the announcement was thrilling, attentive fans quickly noticed some notable absences. One glaring omission was Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, the sorcerer who has become pivotal to the MCU’s multiverse narrative. This absence sent the fandom into a frenzy almost immediately.

It’s important to note that Strange wasn’t the only significant name missing from the initial reveal. Chris Evans’ name was also absent, although the MCU veteran has since been confirmed to reprise his role as Steve Rogers, giving hopeful fans a reason to believe Strange could still be added later.

Reports suggest there may be a second casting announcement for the film, and if Strange is included, Marvel Studios would likely unveil it then.

Cumberbatch’s own remarks are where this entire narrative began. He initially revealed what he termed a spoiler in a Variety cover story, stating that his character was sitting out ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, explaining that his absence was due to the character not aligning with this part of the story. However, he mentioned that Strange would appear in the 2027 follow-up ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’.

That wasn’t the end of it. Cumberbatch later reaffirmed his involvement in a different interview, admitting he had misspoken. In a conversation with Business Insider, he reiterated that he is indeed in the next film, advising fans to take his previous statements with a grain of salt.

Even that clarification came with a twist. While promoting another project at Sundance, Cumberbatch again acknowledged his earlier mistake about Strange not appearing, but added a vague comment that echoed past instances of MCU actors misleading the public to maintain the film’s secrecy. In essence, he confirmed his involvement, though not necessarily the specifics.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this saga is the speculation that Cumberbatch might not be portraying the Stephen Strange audiences are familiar with. An industry insider suggested that Doctor Doom will have a wizard sidekick in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ who, like Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, utilizes a Sling Ring.

Another report supported this theory with further details. A well-known scooper shared an updated pre-reshoots cast list that reportedly included Cumberbatch, indicating he might play a variant described as Doom’s wizard sidekick rather than the traditional Strange fans know.

Given how the multiverse has influenced recent Marvel storytelling, this idea doesn’t seem far-fetched. Some fans have pointed out that this would allow Marvel to bring Cumberbatch’s face back on screen without complicating the version of Strange expected to play a significant role in ‘Secret Wars’.

However, nothing about this variant theory has been officially confirmed by Marvel Studios, so it remains firmly in the realm of speculation for now.

Strange’s last confirmed appearance in the main MCU timeline occurred at the very end of ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. He was confronted by a mysterious sorcerer named Clea, played by Charlize Theron, who demanded he join her in the Dark Dimension to rectify an incursion he caused.

That cliffhanger is a significant reason fans assumed Strange would be involved in the next Avengers chapter in some capacity. One outlet even speculated on what that involvement might entail, suggesting that Cumberbatch and possibly Theron would have brief cameo roles in ‘Doomsday’, while noting that since Strange played such a crucial role in the Secret Wars comics, it seems unlikely he won’t have a similarly important part in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’.

This same piece also drew a comic book parallel worth mentioning. In the Jonathan Hickman comics, within the Doctor Doom-ruled Battleworld, Strange served as his sheriff, which aligns eerily well with the current rumors of a wizard sidekick in the film.

With ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on the horizon and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ set to follow, the pieces appear to be aligning for Strange to play a significant role somewhere in this saga, even if the specifics of his costume and allegiance remain up for debate.

So, is Doctor Strange truly trading his cloak for a position at Doctor Doom’s side, or is Marvel simply allowing Cumberbatch to have some fun with the press before the real reveal? What’s your take on where the Sorcerer Supreme actually fits into this narrative?