Benedict Cumberbatch Says Doctor Strange Will NOT Appear in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Leading up to the release of Avengers: Doosmday, it has been widely assumed that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange would lead the new-look Avengers into multiversal battle.

As an Avengers veteran and one of the few characters who seemingly has a grasp on the multiverses, Strange’s inclusion in the next cfilm seemed like a given.

Source: Marvel Studios

As it turns out, however, everyone was wrong.

Cumberbatch Says Doctor Strange Is Not in ‘Doomsday’

In a new interview with Variety, Cumberbatch revealed that Dr. Strange will not appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

According to Cumberbatch Marvel’s plans for Doctor Strange changed when Jonathan Majors was fired after being convicted of domestic assault. Subsequently, Marvel decided to pivot away from its Kang storyline and introduce Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.

Photo: BBC

Cumberbatch says that the decision to omit Strange from Doomsday has to do with “the character not aligning with this part of the story.”

‘Secret Wars’

Lest fans worry that they have seen the last of the former Sorcerer Supreme, the actor stated that he has no plans on hanging  up his cloak anytime soon.

Source: Marvel Studios

“It’s the modern myths of our times,” Cumberbatch says. “Yes, it’s huge and unwieldy, but Marvel is so committed to getting it right. Even when we make one of these Avengers films and it gets exponentially huger, we’re still just kids playing in the sand pit. We’re still just making shit up and having fun with it.”

Cumberbatch  went on to explain that Strange will have a major role in Avengers: Secret Wars.

“He’s quite central to where things might go,” he teased.

Source: Marvel Studios

As Marvel fans attempt to piece together which heroes will make up the next iteration of the Avengers, they can scratch Doctor Strange off the list. At least, for now.