Marvel Star Benedict Cumberbatch Says Doctor Strange Is Skipping Avengers Doomsday But Is a 'Central' Part of Secret Wars

Benedict Cumberbatch reveals Doctor Strange's pivotal role in future MCU installments. While skipping Avengers: Doomsday, the character will be "quite central" to the sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, according to Cumberbatch's interview with Variety. He even let slip a potential spoiler before adding, with a laugh, that a third standalone Doctor Strange film is also in the works.

Cumberbatch emphasized the character's rich potential for future exploration, highlighting Doctor Strange's complex and contradictory nature: "He’s a very rich character to play. He’s a complex, contradictory, troubled human who’s got these extraordinary abilities, so there’s potent stuff to mess about with." He further indicated Marvel is open to collaborative discussions on the direction of future projects, including writer and director choices and storylines drawn from the comics.

Regarding Strange's absence from Avengers: Doomsday, Cumberbatch explained it's due to a narrative incompatibility: "the character not aligning with this part of the story." This upcoming film, directed by the Russo Brothers, will star Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom and reportedly Chris Evans, continuing the multiverse storyline and potentially featuring Hayley Atwell's Agent Carter.

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The MCU's Phase 6 begins with The Fantastic Four: First Steps this July. Avengers: Doomsday is slated for release on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.