The Master of the Mystic Arts has been off our screens for some time now. It's true; unless you count the alternate versions of the character we met in Marvel Studios' animated series What If...?, it's been four years since we previously saw Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange. The Marvel Cinematic Universe's resident 'wizard' headlined his second solo movie in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which left his character arc in quite the interesting place. Naturally, fans want to see him back.
With Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, audiences have been curious as to whether or not the Russo Brothers' big get-together film will feature the former Sorcerer Supreme. Officially, the answer is no, because Marvel Studios have not announced Cumberbatch as part of the massive star-studded cast, but as we all know that there will be surprises, it's still on the table. That much is even truer after Marvel has seemingly, quietly confirmed that he'll be involved somehow.
Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday watch-list confirms Doctor Strange's importance
Marvel Studios recently sent the internet into a meltdown when it released its official Avengers: Doomsday Must-Watch List, which compiled a list of films and TV shows that fans should watch ahead of the upcoming MCU extravaganza this December. However, it was also pretty controversial as it featured multiple titles from the Infinity Saga (and even some that pre-dated that in the likes of two X-Men movies) and a very selective list from the Multiverse Saga. Considering that Doomsday is the beginning of that saga's conclusion, many were understandably outraged by the absence of some pretty major titles.
That being said, one title that was featured on the list was - you guessed it! - 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Now, this shouldn't be surprising considering that it was one of the only titles in the Multiverse Saga to deal with multiversal phenomenons, The Marvels was completely absent from the list (despite being the movie that reintroduced this version of the X-Men on another world). Furthermore, none of the cast members from the 2022 film have been confirmed to be a part of the movie's main cast and - despite being a box office success - it developed quite a controversial reputation over time.
Before we continue, here is the full list of must-watch MCU movies that Marvel Studios has officially suggested you watch before Avengers: Doomsday:
- X-Men
- X2
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- The Avengers
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers: Endgame
- Loki
- Shang-Chi
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Captain America: Brave New World
- Deadpool & Wolverine
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Thunderbolts
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Naturally, fans have taken Multiverse of Madness' inclusion as confirmation that Strange will actually appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Again, we know that the film featured the odd sentence or two about the importance and dangers of incursions but that's nothing that couldn't be explained by the opening act of the movie, the Fantastic Four, or even Doctor Doom himself; there has to be a greater importance here. And, after all, Cumberbatch did previously confirm that he would be in the movie (after claiming that he wouldn't be).
Last year, the Doctor Strange star revealed that he wouldn't be appearing in Avengers: Doomsday, suggesting that he had a much bigger role in Avengers: Secret Wars. He then retracted those comments and claimed that he would be in Doomsday after all - only for Marvel to announce the movie's full cast and not include him. Cumberbatch has played coy about it ever since, with fans now 100% convinced that he will have a role to play in the movie.
The popular fan-theory is that all of those comments, updates, and announcements are essentially correct: Cumberbatch isn't a part of the main cast but he will appear in a post-credits scene, setting up a much bigger role in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars. And that would make sense, because Strange has arguably the most knowledge about the multiverse, so it would be fitting if he became something of a secret weapon in helping the heroes stop Doctor Doom and ultimately save it.
There's also another fan theory: Strange's most recent appearance came in the post-credits scene of Multiverse of Madness when Clea (Charlize Theron) recruited him to return to the Dark Dimension to deal with an apparent incursion that he caused. However, we now know from Avengers: Doomsday leaks that there will be a sorcerer working for Doom wearing a metal mask (that just so happens to feature a marking signifying a third eye - which Strange developed after using dark magic). Moreover, Doom will also rely on a group of Latverian Witches - one of whom is dressed in purple (which just so happens to be Clea's color). Have the two sorcerers been overtaken and corrupted by Doom? It's possible.
Regardless, the confirmation that Doctor Strange in the multiverse of Madness is one of the movies we need to watch before Avengers: Doomsday is the piece of the puzzle that MCU fans were waiting for. Given Cumberbatch's previously ambiguous comments about his involvement in the movie and Doom's reliance on sorcerers and witches, it's pretty safe to say that the former Sorcerer Supreme will be involved in some capacity. We can't wait to see what that looks like!
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on December 18, 2026.
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