With the culmination of Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a lot has changed for earth's mightiest heroes. The two men who were largely seen as the leaders, Iron Man and Captain America, are both gone, so just what is the state of the Avengers, and who is in charge? We certainly don't know these answers, and if Benedict Cumberbatch knows, he's not telling.
Doctor Strange would certainly be a solid candidate for the leader of the Avengers. He's a guy who, thanks to his abilities in the mystic arts, knows a great deal about this universe, and all the other potential universes. The Sorcerer Supreme certainly seems qualified to make big decisions. Recently Variety asked Benedict Cumberbatch if his character was filling the void at the head of the Avengers, but he only teased an answer, saying...
I'd have to think about that one.
It's certainly not too crazy an idea. We already know that Doctor Strange is going to be an important part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, at least in the short term. The character will have a significant role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, before going to lead his own sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That movie itself is expected to be a big entry, as it will deal with larger story elements that have already been set up in Loki and teased in the new Spider-Man movie.
And depending on how Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ends, we could be seeing even more of Benedict Cumberbatch's character going forward. If he's the one that is leading the charge against whatever threat the multiverse poses, he could become the de facto leader of the Avengers, even if the title is not official.
And if there's somebody else already leading the Avengers, we certainly don't know it. We've only seen the smallest part of what the Avengers are up to in Phase 4. We've either seen characters dealing with their own issues or we see them so briefly that there's no way to discern how the previous events have impacted the team.
We don't even know if there is an Avengers to lead. It's possible that the team has all gone their separate ways right now. Of course, that could end up explaining just how the new leader, whoever it ends up being, gets the job. It could be that somebody, like a Doctor Strange, will need to build a new Avengers team to face whatever new evil is on the horizon.
We know we will see the Avengers again, but Marvel Studios does not appear to be in a hurry to make that happen. Knowing that, the fact is that quite a lot will likely happen between now and when the team becomes important again. Who the leader is now, if there is one, is likely unimportant, as a great deal could still change before the Avengers assemble once again.
