Benedict Cumberbatch has stirred up fresh Marvel speculation after suggesting Doctor Strange will sit out Avengers: Doomsday—while still being a major presence in the film that follows, Avengers: Secret Wars.
In an interview cited by Entertainment Weekly, the actor said he wouldn’t appear in Doomsday, but promised he’ll be “in a lot” of Secret Wars, adding that Strange is “quite central” to where the story is heading.
It’s the kind of comment that instantly sets off alarms in the Marvel fandom—especially because Doctor Strange has become one of the MCU’s most important multiverse players. Cumberbatch’s Sorcerer Supreme was pivotal in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and his most recent solo outing further positioned him at the center of the franchise’s reality-bending stakes.
Still, the situation quickly got more complicated. Days later, Cumberbatch appeared to walk the claim back. In a follow-up reported by Entertainment Weekly, he said he “got that wrong” when asked about whether he was in the next Avengers film—then pointedly joked that people shouldn’t take his words too literally, a nod to Marvel’s famously strict secrecy culture and the long history of actors dodging spoilers.
So what’s actually true? Publicly, Marvel hasn’t confirmed Doctor Strange’s exact level of involvement in either film. And that’s precisely the point: Marvel productions operate under heavy nondisclosure rules, and performers often speak in careful half-answers—or use misdirection—when asked directly about casting or plot.
What is clear is the runway Marvel is building toward. Marvel Studios lists Avengers: Doomsday for Dec. 18, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on Dec. 17, 2027. The Russo brothers are set to direct both movies, and Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU not as Iron Man, but as Doctor Doom—a major shift that’s expected to redefine the stakes of the next Avengers era.
Cumberbatch’s “big role” tease also aligns with what many fans already suspect about Secret Wars as a concept. In the comics frequently referenced in coverage, Doctor Strange can occupy a crucial position in the larger multiverse chess game—exactly the kind of role that would make him feel “central” even if he’s less present in the preceding chapter.
For now, the most accurate read is this: Cumberbatch has strongly hinted Doctor Strange is important to Secret Wars, while his Doomsday status remains murky—thanks in part to Cumberbatch’s own back-and-forth comments and Marvel’s tight-lipped approach to spoilers.
