The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for constantly expanding, thanks to new titles arriving in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Without a doubt the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movie is Avengers: Doomsday, which featured a huge cast and the return of Robert Downey Jr.. Benedict Cumberbatch won't stop confirming he's got a role as Doctor Strange, so why is Marvel being so weird about it?
What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is very limited, but fans are hyped to see entire teams of heroes interact. The Doomsday cast announcement confirmed a ton of actors, but not the Sherlock star. Back in January Cumberbatch confirmed he had a role, which is why fans were shocked when he wasn't given his own chair in the live stream announcement. While speaking with the Brazilian outlet Omelete, he joked about now being included in the cast list, offering:
I don’t know, maybe they didn’t have enough chairs.
Well, at least he's got a good sense of humor about it. While Kevin Feige confirmed that Doomsday will feature more actors than were listed, it's wild that Cumberbatch keeps confirming that he's going to appear in The Russo Brothers' blockbuster. After all, Marvel security is notoriously tight.
The discourse surrounding Doctor Strange's possible inclusion in the next two Avengers movies have last months. Originally Cumberbatch claimed he was only in Secret Wars, but later when back and claimed he was mistaken and would in fact appear in Doomsday. Hey, at least the 49 year-old actor is communicating with fans at all.
I have to wonder if these continued comments about his role in Avengers: Doomsday landed him in hot water with the studio. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will recall that actors are typically tasked with guarding the secrets of the shared universe. Although some stars like Tom Holland have accidentally revealed spoilers before.
Doomsday has been shooting since back in April, with The Russo Brothers balancing its large ensemble cast for the months-long production. While Cumberbatch has confirmed multiple times that he's got a role, only time will tell how much the former Sorcerer Supreme factors into the mysterious story.
Fans have definitely been waiting to see Cumberbatch's character return to the MCU, especially after Doctor Strange 2's ending. The credits scene for Multiverse of Madness showed him with a third eye and introduced Charlize Theron's Clea, but he hasn't been seen since. Hopefully some of our questions are answered if/when he pops back in up in Doomsday. Fingers crossed.
All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters December 18th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list. I'm just hoping that the studio officially confirms that Strange will be there when its released.
