The plots of Avengers movies have usually felt pretty straightfoward prior to them coming out. 2012's The Avengers was about the heroes coming together for the first time to defeat Loki. In Age of Ultron, they needed to stop the eponymous AI after Tony Stark lost control of it. Infinity War was about Earth's Mightiest Heroes trying to prevent Thanos from acquiring the Infinity Stones, and Endgame centered around them reversing the Titan's universe-wide massacre. Doomsday, on the other hand, has been quite a bit trickier to figure out. We know Doctor Doom will be the main antagonist, and the movie has been rumored to focus on parental dynamics.
Aside from that, there's little else we understand about Marvel's upcoming epic. Going by the various rumors swirling around online, however, it seems like it will have one of the most intricate (in a good way) stories in the MCU, which makes its main plot points even more difficult to figure out. Now, a new rumor may suggest an interesting development for the upcoming blockbuster and its sequel Secret Wars—one many may not have seen coming: There could be a traitor among Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Scooper Alex Perez from The Cosmic Circus recently stated that Steve Rogers would not be the Captain America of Doomsday.
A fan replied to his post, wondering if Doom would turn Rogers into Hydra Captain America. The scooper replied cryptically, "Wrong traitor," seemingly hinting at there being a traitor among the Avengers:
Now, le's keep in mind that, first of all, Perez's answer was quite vague, and we are interpreting it. Secondly, even if it's accurately interpreted, this is, at the end of the day, a rumor. Having said that, assuming his comment is being read correctly, if the Avengers will indeed be betrayed by one of their own in their upcoming film, we know who it could be: Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange.
Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars are adaptations of Marvel Comics' 2015 company-wide event Secret Wars. In it, Doctor Doom took the powers of the Beyonders and created a new universe shaped in his image. He also made it so that Sue Storm and her children, Franklin and Valeria, were actually his family instead of Reed Richards'. The complex villain wasn't alone in this ambitious new chapter, however, as he had a major hero by his side: Doctor Stephen Strange.
Unlike heroes who were victims of Doom's reality-altering efforts, Strange was well aware of how the universe was before Victor took over. The Sorcerer Surpreme agreed to help Doom in his new role as God Emperor, serving as his advisor and ultimately becoming the closest thing to a friend Doom had. Although he eventually helped the heroes defeat Doom, he still played a major role in his initial conquest. Given that backstory, should Doomsday or Secret Wars feature a traitorous Avenger, it would most likely be Stephen.
There have been conflicting reports about Cumberbatch's return as the character for the next Avengers film. In January 2025, the actor appeared to confirm he would be in the movie, despite previously saying he wouldn't be. Then, he played coy about his return speaking with Entertainment Tonight in August. However, with Doomsday and Secret Wars being such monumental releases for Marvel Studios, it's difficult to imagine that Cumberbatch, being one of the most prominent characters in the MCU at the moment, will not have some sort of role in the upcoming two-parter's first installment.
Avengers: Doomsday will relaese in theaters on December 18, 2026.
What do you make of this rumor? If true, who do you think the traitor could be? Let's speculate in the comments!