In the mid-credits scene of Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange, audiences learned that it wouldn't be long before the titular magician crossed paths with an Avenger. The sequence revealed Chris Hemsworth's Thor arriving at the Sanctum Sanctorum and asking for the good doctor's help on his latest adventure. Because of this, we had a feeling Doctor Strange would be appearing in director Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok, but now it looks like we have confirmation.
The official Disney fan club D23 has posted an article regarding various Disney-related things to look forward to in 2017, and it's in a paragraph about upcoming movies and within their description of the God of Thunder's next big screen adventure that Benedict Cumberbatch's role in Thor: Ragnarok is directly mentioned. It's not exactly coming from Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, but he article reads,
If you need even more intergalactic, world-saving action, Thor: Ragnarok in November brings together Thor, the Hulk, and Doctor Strange to face off against intergalactic baddies both familiar and new.
Thinking about the Doctor Strange mid-credits sequence, it would have been legitimately weird if the future Sorcerer Supreme didn't appear in Thor: Ragnarok... but because he is, let's recap what we know. Apparently with Tom Hiddleston's Loki in tow (he's never shown), Thor goes to the Sanctum Sanctorum in New York to request assistance from Doctor Strange. Following the events of Thor: The Dark World, Anthony Hopkins' Odin has gone missing, and the God of Thunder has dragged his adopted brother to Earth in order to try and find their father. Doctor Strange asks if finding Odin would mean removing Loki from Earth, and when the response is affirmative, he agrees to help.
It always felt like this mid-credits scene was similar to the one from Ant-Man - which was basically an edited clip from Captain America: Civil War - which makes us wonder if we may be able to expect at least three Doctor Strange scenes in Thor: Ragnarok. Basically, what we've seen may be sandwiched between A) Thor and Loki meeting Doctor Strange in New York, and B) Doctor Strange using his abilities to help the brothers get a read on Odin's location within the vast multiverse.
Of course, that's just the bare minimum. If we're super lucky, it would be pretty amazing if Doctor Strange actually does have a somewhat substantial supporting role in the movie. It's fairly unlikely, given that Thor: Ragnarok will not only include most of the Thor regulars, but also Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/The Hulk, but we can still cross our fingers. Perhaps he can make some kind of special appearance in the third act and provide some more crucial assistance.
It will probably be quite a while before we get any answers regarding the size of Doctor Strange's part in Thor: Ragnarok - as while there are three Marvel Cinematic Universe movies coming out in 2017, the third Thor film is the last of them. Taika Waititi's blockbuster will be arriving in theaters on November 3rd. Be sure to stay tuned for more updates, and hit the comments section below to tell us what you want to see the Master of Mysticism do in Ragnarok!
