1
Credit: Marvel StudiosMarvel is keeping the secrets of Avengers: Doomsday (2026) close to its chest, but one report has seemingly just revealed an unexpected surprise for the film.
The most widely-discussed detail of Avengers: Doomsday to date has been the fact that Robert Downey Jr. is set to play its antagonist, Doctor Doom. This would mark Downey Jr.’s grand return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, seven years after Tony Stark/Iron Man sacrificed himself to destroy Thanos and his army at the end of Avengers: Endgame (2019).
For now, it’s unclear how or why Doctor Doom will bear the same face as Tony Stark. Theories range from the character being a Tony Stark variant to Doctor Doom taking over the character’s body after his death.
With the film set in the Multiverse, there’s every chance that we could see other iconic Marvel actors portraying variants of the heroes fans know and love. A new report suggests that Benedict Cumberbatch will be one of those actors.
New Marvel Role Revealed For Benedict Cumberbatch
According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Doctor Doom will have a “wizard sidekick” in Avengers: Doomsday who, like Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, uses a “Sling Ring.”
Doctor Doom reportedly has a wizard as his second-in-command in ‘AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY’.
The wizard is also said to use a Sling Ring.
(Source: @DanielRPK) pic.twitter.com/qzERab2DFZ
— MCU Film News (@MCUFilmNews) February 25, 2026
This follows a separate report from scooper MyTimeToShineHello, who claimed in January that Cumberbatch will appear in the film as “Doom’s wizard sidekick.”
Anyone who’s seen Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) will know that this isn’t the first time Cumberbatch has portrayed a variant of Doctor Strange – aka Stephen Strange, a genius surgeon turned Master of the Mystic Arts.
The film saw the British actor portray three versions of the character: the Earth-617 version, the former Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-838 who founded the Illuminati, and a version corrupted by the Darkhold.
It’s unclear where this new variant – if it is indeed new – will originate, or how he came to work as Doctor Doom’s accomplice.
Did Benedict Cumberbatch Previously Confirm a Doctor Strange Variant?
Nothing is ever set in stone in the MCU until it plays out on screen — especially with Doomsday reportedly heading into major reshoots — but the report aligns with Cumberbatch’s own comments.
Cumberbatch previously denied starring in Avengers: Doomsday. While he confirmed that Doctor Strange will appear “in a lot” of Avengers: Secret Wars, he told Variety that the character was taking a hiatus in its predecessor after major rewrites for the film post-Jonathan Majors’ exit as Kang meant the character did “not [align] with this part of the story.”
Of course, this would still prove true if Doctor Strange, as we know him, doesn’t appear in Doomsday, but a variant does.
The actor also confirmed that Doctor Strange plays a significant role in Secret Wars, which would again seem likely if his variant is partially responsible for causing whatever chaos unfolds in Doomsday.
“He’s quite central to where things might go,” Cumberbatch told Variety.
There’s also a possibility that the “wizard” by Doctor Doom’s side isn’t a variant at all, and that Cumberbatch is simply covering for a surprise turn in his character’s narrative.
As noted by The Direct, Doctor Strange played a pivotal role in 2015’s Secret Wars, uncovering the truth behind the Incursions and ultimately working alongside Doctor Doom to help create Battleworld and preserve what remained of the Multiverse. Under Doom’s rule, Strange served as Battleworld’s sheriff — one of the few who remembered the old reality.
That dynamic fits the MCU following Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where Strange becomes the only hero to witness an Incursion firsthand on Sinister Strange’s Earth. The film’s post-credits scene introduced Clea (Charlize Theron), who recruits him to fix an Incursion he caused. With Clea allegedly also returning in Avengers: Doomsday, the outlet suggests she could even be acting on Doom’s behalf to bring Strange into the fold.
Whatever happens, we’re just hoping Marvel’s fixed the CGI for Doctor Strange’s third eye by the time he’s back onscreen.
What do you think of Benedict Cumberbatch portraying a Doctor Strange variant in Avengers: Doomsday?