It's been a thrilling experience keeping up with the highs and lows of the Multiverse Saga. As that sentence would imply, it's been a far from perfect ride as the once infallible Marvel Cinematic Universe began to show some signs of age and overexposure, but the highs have most certainly been worth it. I mean seriously give us more Spider-Man: No Way Home, Deadpool and Wolverine, WandaVision, Agatha All Along and you're good! And it's been an overall fun experience trying to predict which characters would pop up where - a long-favorite attribute of the MCU movies and shows.
As we approach Avengers: Doomsday - and the beginning of the end of the Multiverse Saga - fans are starting to wonder if some of their favorite characters will resurface. This is, after all, one of two Avengers movies that will serve as one part in the conclusion of its Saga, and we all know how two-part Avengers movies that close Sagas like to surprise people. But as we wait for that, one MCU veteran has confirmed that he will return - the only question is: When?
Benedict Cumberbatch confirms Doctor Strange return ahead of Avengers: Doomsday
Benedict Cumberbatch has confirmed that he will be back on our screens as Doctor Strange in the not-too-distant future. In a new interview with Collider, the MCU star revealed that he "has more than a sense" of what his Marvel future looks like and that we "definitely will" see him again. Although he didn't say where exactly that return will take place, it's a reassuring update for fans who have been on quite the emotional rollercoaster when it comes to whether he would be back or not.
Cumberbatch's most recent on-screen MCU appearance came in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness when the former Sorcerer Supreme faced off against Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch in a battle across the multiverse itself. The film received mixed-to-positive reviews but it was a huge success at the box office, grossing $950 million - over $300 million more than 2016's Doctor Strange. Naturally, fans have been eager to see him again - especially after the post-credits scene seemingly set up a third movie.
Cumberbatch, who most-recently voiced Stranger in episodes of animated series What If...?, previously announced that he wouldn't appear in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, saying that he had a much bigger role in the 2027 sequel Avengers: Secret Wars. However, he backtracked on those comments shortly afterwards, implying that he would have some involvement in Doomsday. But fans were again perplexed when Marvel Studios announced the full cast for the 2026 movie and Cumberbatch's name wasn't among the returnees. So you can see why they were a little worried about the character's future.
The star's recent confirmation that he will return certainly suggests we'll see him in at least one of the upcoming Avengers movies. The running theory is that his earlier comments could end up being correct in that he will be a member of the sequel's main cast while audiences are also predicting that he will have some kind of involvement in Doomsday, likely appearing in a post-credits scene to set up that sequel.
What's also interesting is that Doctor Strange 3 is reportedly in development, with Marvel Studios hoping to make the movie after the Multiverse Saga comes to an end. That would suggest that the post-credits teaser in Multiverse of Madness, which features Charlize Theron's Clea and Cumberbatch's Strange jumping into the Dark Dimension to stop an incursion, will play into Doomsday and Secret Wars - not Doctor Strange 3.
Well have to wait and see when the former Sorcerer Supreme makes his way back onto screens in the MCU, but it goes without saying that fans can all breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they will see him again in the near-future.