The last time we saw Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange, he'd developed a third eye and set off alongside the newly introduced Clea to deal with an Incursion his action had supposedly caused.
Previously, Cumberbatch said he would appear in Avengers: Doomsday, only to backtrack shortly after. The actor later hinted that he'd have a big role in Avengers: Secret Wars, and has now teased his MCU future while doing the rounds to promote The Thing with Feathers.
Talking to Collider, Cumberbatch revealed that he "has more than a sense" of what his Doctor Strange future looks like, and pointed out that we "definitely will" see the former Sorcerer Supreme again.
He elaborated on that during a separate conversation with the Smartless podcast, stating, "There are other huge commitments involving cloaks floating about [next year]." While cameras will roll on Avengers: Doomsday's reshoots in 2026, it's safe to say that Cumberbatch is referring to Avengers: Secret Wars.
As you might expect, he couldn't say any more and probably hasn't seen a script at this early stage, regardless.
Still, despite his previous denials, we've heard that Doctor Strange will be in Avengers: Doomsday (likely setting the stage for him to ally with Doctor Doom in Avengers: Secret Wars). Whether his role in that will be revealed before the movie's release next December is TBD.
Another very different role beckons for Cumberbatch with Guy Ritchie's upcoming comedic thriller, Wife & Dog. Teasing that, he said, "There are definitely elements to his genre, but I don't know. I think he's kind of augmented it with a really new flavor. I don't really want to give much away, but it's quite unique for him. It's quite unique. It's a very soulful piece."
"And yeah, an extraordinary cast that I got to work with, and a very different ask for me to be the kind of geezer Tom Hardy, Jason Statham type role. It was a blast," he continued. "I mean, I love him. He's very uncompromising, very who he is. It's just very straightforward working with him. You know where you are. He’s a lovely fellow. He’s great."
Recently addressing rumours that he's pushing for Skyfall helmer Sam Mendes to direct Doctor Strange 3, Cumberbatch said, "I honestly, it's just not worth the backlash, trouble, and the boring nature of any answer following me around forever." He did say that he loves "the amount of collaborative input I'm allowed to have in that universe" and stressed, "Collaboration is collaboration. You're working with the most amazing people and in the most extraordinary original IPs."
"So yeah, bring it on. I love being part of a creative process," Cumberbatch added, perhaps going some way in confirming those rumours. "So yeah, where I can contribute, I do. And it's exciting to see where he's going to go next."
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.