Marvel Studios is well underway in the process of perfecting the Multiverse Saga. It has been doing that ever since the Infinity Saga concluded, which has so far amounted to three years of both film and streaming TV content. There have been highs and lows along the way, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe is back on track to delivering two absolutely groundbreaking Avengers movies that will bring back Robert Downey Jr. in the new role of villain Doctor Doom.
It has long been speculated that the Multiverse Saga would conclude with these two Avengers movies, much like how the Infinity Saga bowed out with the double-header of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame (albeit with two movies in between). But the recent updates about Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars have confirmed that this will be the case.
As exciting as that is (as it gives us an idea of how the MCU will plan out its new endgame), it also puts a clock on a lot of the projects in development; projects that were expected to be a part of the Multiverse Saga. While that actually benefits the likes of Spider-Man 4 (which now has a release date between those two movies), it does potentially rule out others being a part of the saga - something that a new report suggests could happen to one of its most anticipated titles.
Doctor Strange 3 unlikely to be released as part of the Multiverse Saga
Prolific industry insider Daniel Richtman reports that Doctor Strange 3, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, is unlikely to release as part of the Multiverse Saga. Of course, it's important to note that it is still in development, according to multiple reports, but this new update simply suggests that we shouldn't expect to see it as part of the current saga.
While this might create some storyline issues given where the sequel was expected to go, the good news is that we will see Cumberbatch don the former Sorcerer Supreme's magical cloak again much sooner than that. The actor recently confirmed that he would be back to begin filming Avengers 5 (which we now know is titled Avengers: Doomsday), so we can likely expect him to also appear in sequel Avengers: Secret Wars the next year, too.
A third Doctor Strange movie hasn't been officially acknowledged by Marvel Studios but a number of insiders and scoopers have reported that it has been in quiet development since the monumental performance of 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (which grossed over $900 million at the box office, making $300 million more than its 2016 predecessor). It's still expected to happen but its potential positioning outside of the Multiverse Saga does create some interesting dilemmas for the franchise.
The mid-credits scene of Doctor Strange 2 featured Charlize Theron making her MCU debut as Clea, a sorceress who tells Stephen Strange that his actions throughout the movie have triggered an incursion that she needs his help fixing. It was thought that this would play into the plot of the third movie, but with Strange returning in Avengers: Doomsday and the sequel now not expected be a part of the Multiverse Saga, it sounds like it might have to be wrapped up during the Avengers movies instead.
That's not the first time this has ever happened, as multiple MCU movies often tease an upcoming installment in the franchise rather than their own direct sequel, but given that Clea is such an important character to the Doctor Strange lore in the comics, fans hoped she might be involved in the sequel. Now, that could very well still happen, but as incursions are a huge part of the multiversal lore that the MCU has crafted for itself, it's likely that this particular Doctor Strange plot thread will be resolved before the next standalone installment.
The thought of Doctor Strange 3 not being a part of the Multiverse Saga is disappointing for sure, but we can take comfort in the fact that the Master of the Mystic Arts will return in the very near-future. His own sequel, however, that sounds like it will now be a part of the next chapter of the MCU, which is highly expected to be the Mutants' Saga. It's good to know that Doctor Strange could still be a focal point of the MCU when that story begins.