Credit: Marvel Studios/Sony PicturesEven though Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange has appeared in two Avengers films, the actor has confirmed his character isn’t an Avenger.
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Doctor Strange has appeared in several movies in the MCU as the character worked with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and also played a role in the final battle in Avengers: Endgame (2019). From there, Doctor Strange helped Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) as Spider-Man wanted the world to forget his secret identity.
This didn’t go well for Doctor Strange as he will deal with the consequences of his decisions in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). It seems that his decisions will lead to fans getting to see more of the Multiverse as there are reports that the movie will include a cameo of the Fantastic Four, X-Men, and possibly even Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool.
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While talking in a recent interview, Cumberbatch shared how he didn’t believe his character was an Avenger as his character didn’t hang out “at Stark Tower with Nick Fury” with the other Avengers:
“People say that you were in the Avengers, but you’re not an Avenger, right? No, I’m not. I’m not at Stark Tower with Nick Fury. No, he’s sort of outside of that realm, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a character trait. I think that is just a job title. He’s there to protect the reality of the Avengers in a different way to what they have been fighting up until the point that everything collides in the last two Avengers movies, so he holds his position as an adult on the periphery of that, but I think only for so long. There’s always a moment where he has to work with people and team up. And you know, we might see that in the next film; you have to wait and see.”
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It’s true that Doctor Strange didn’t show up at the Avengers compound or visited Stark. The magic-user spent most of his time at the Sanctum Sanctorum as he was seen to be a loner. With the Illuminati rumored to have a role in Doctor Strange 2, it’s possible that Strange will end up becoming one of the main members of the secret society and potentially work with other superheroes again.
Cumberbatch revealed that Strange’s “isolation” will be challenged in the upcoming film as he will be forced to interact with other characters:
“You can’t be a superhero in isolation. They have to interact with people. Good, bad or indifferent. And whatever the outcomes are, there has to be an exchange. I think there is a buddy thing going on with Wong, for sure. That’s the sort of odd couple relationship akin to Watson and Sherlock. It’s no secret that Wanda Maximoff is a big part of the next film, and that’s all I’m gonna say. I can feel the little infrared dots creeping over the horizon.”
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Fans already knew that Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch will have a large role in the film, but the film hasn’t confirmed what type of role she will have. Some fans believe that Wanda will end up as an antagonist in the film as WandaVision teased that the hero wasn’t trying to be the hero in her own story. The film will definitely explore who she is as the character was last seen reading the Darkhold at the end of WandaVision.
More on Doctor Strange 2
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Doctor Strange 2 is directed by Sam Raimi and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange in the main timeline, but he will also play other variants in the movie such as Zombie Strange, Defender Strange, and Strange Supreme. The movie will also star Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff, America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), Wong as the Sorcerer Supreme (Benedict Wong), Mordo, (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Rintrah (Adam Hugill), Charles Xavier/Professor X (Sir Patrick Stewart), and potentially other characters from the Marvel universe.
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Do you think Doctor Strange should be an Avenger? Let us know in the comments section what you think!
There are many things to look forward to in the Marvel Cinematic Universe while we wait for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. On Disney+ you can expect Moon Knight on March 30, Ms. Marvel in Summer 2022, and She-Hulk to debut this year. For movies, Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness comes out on May 6, followed by Thor: Love and Thunder on July 8, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on November 11.