The Marvel Cinematic Universe will release Avengers: Doomsday in 2026, the first Avengers movie since Endgame in 2019. The ensemble movie will feature an entirely new generation of new heroes. But as for our legacy Avengers, Benedict Cumberbatch has ruled out his involvement as Doctor Strange.
In 2019, Avengers: Endgame wrapped up the stories of two of the franchise’s biggest stars: Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Chris Evans’ Captain America. In the years since, the MCU has been introducing fans to myriad new heroes. We’ve got a new Captain America after Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) took the mantle. Moreover, heroes like the Fantastic Four, Yelena Belova, Spider-Man, and many others will participate.
Perhaps the most surprising update about the movie so far sees Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU to play Doctor Doom. The next interesting update comes from Benedict Cumberbatch, who recently stated that Doctor Strange does not participate in Doomsday. In recent years, Strange has become a core character; the glue that ties everything together. The fact that he’s reportedly not involved is surprising indeed.
Speaking to Variety, Cumberbatch explained his absence from Doomsday, saying “the character not aligning with this part of the story,” but added that he’s involved “in a lot” of its sequel, Secret Wars (2027). “He’s quite central to where things might go,” he teased.
One thing to consider is that the Avengers movies have done similar things before. For instance, the Russo Brothers left out Hawkeye from Infinity War, only for him to play a key role in the sequel. What’s more, Doctor Strange had a lot of screen time in Infinity War and Endgame. It makes sense to free up room for other heroes to take the forefront in the next generation of movies.
Indeed, Cumberbatch could be tricking us all. Those Marvel NDA’s are strict.
