Benedict Cumberbatch has cleared up what’s next for his Doctor Strange role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – a role he was originally cast in all the way back in December 2014.
The 48-year-old actor has played the Sorcerer Supreme across two “Doctor Strange” films, the third and fourth “Avengers” movies, and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” along with a cameo in a “Thor: Ragnarok” post-credits scene.
In a new and lengthy interview with Variety, he confirms he’s not involved in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” film, which is about to begin filming in the UK.
According to the interviewer, the actor seemingly let this slip by accident before realising what he’s done. Once he realised, he went forward anyway explaining that when Jonathan Majors was fired last year by Marvel, things changed for the next “Avengers” films.
As a result, his absence in ‘Doomsday’ was due to the “character not aligning with this part of the story”. He then adds Doctor Strange will be “in a lot” of 2027’s “Avengers: Secret Wars” film, saying he’s “quite central to where things might go”.
Cumberbatch also hints that “Doctor Strange 3” film could be coming whilst praising Marvel for their collaborativeness:
“They are very open to discussing where we go next. Who do you want to write and direct the next one? What part of the comic lore do you want to explore so that Strange can keep evolving? He’s a very rich character to play. He’s a complex, contradictory, troubled human who’s got these extraordinary abilities, so there’s potent stuff to mess about with.”
“Avengers: Doomsday” will kick off shooting in the UK shortly ahead of a May 2026 release, while “Avengers: Secret Wars” is expected to film next year for a planned May 2027 release.
No word on a potential production or release date for “Doctor Strange 3,” though it’s likely the cameo by Charlize Theron as Clea will come into play in the next solo movie.
