The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always treating fans to new content, either in theaters or streaming with a Disney+ subscription. There are countless questions about the upcoming Marvel movies, particularly the next big crossover events like Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Luckily, Benedict Cumberbatch confirmed his MCU return, and revealed which Avengers movies to expect Doctor Strange.
Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that entire phases of the shared universe come to a head with the Avengers flicks. The Russo Brothers will one again be back to direct the next two, but those movies are shrouded in mystery. But during a conversation with Variety, Cumberbatch revealed that he'll be absent from Doomsday due to "the character not aligning with this part of the story." But fear now, he assured fans that Strange is " “in a lot” of its sequel Secret Wars.
In the same interview, Cumberbatch confirmed that plans for his signature Marvel character changed as a result of Jonathan Majors' firing as Kang. Doomsday was originally meant to be titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and that scrapped project would have brought Doctor Strange into the fold. Alas, he'll be noticeably absent before returning to the shared universe in Secret Wars.
Even though some fans might be bummed to be missing Strange in the next Avengers movie, I'm just relieved that he let slip some details about The Russo Brothers' pair of blockbusters. Marvel security is notoriously tight, and Kevin Feige and company have been keeping their cards close to the chest.
Fans have been wondering what's going to come next for Benedict Cumberbatch's title character ever since Doctor Strange 2's credits sequence seemingly opened new doors for the hero. In the film's final moments were were introduced to Charlize Theron's Clea, who seemingly ripped a hole in the multiverse right in front of him. But both of these magical characters have been missing ever since, and there's been no indication as to if/when a third Strange film will happen.
Fans might be bummed that Strange won't be in Doomsday, but The Russo Brothers split up the MCU's massive cast of heroes in their last two Avengers flicks as well. For example, Hawkeye and Ant-Man were noticeably missing from Infinity War. They both got meaty roles in Endgame, but the filmmakers aren't throwing every single named character into both of their upcoming blockbusters. Considering just how successful the Russos' tenure in the MCU has been, I definitely trust them to handle this correctly.
Some answers will come for fans when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1st, 2026, followed by Secret Wars on May 7, 2027. For now, check out the 2025 movie release dates.
