Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has already grossed upwards of $500 million at the worldwide box office, and after a big cliffhanger ending, fans are already anxious for Doctor Strange 3.
In that movie, it would be no bad thing to put a tighter focus on the former Sorcerer Supreme, but that's not to say the events of the threequel couldn't have significant ramifications for the wider MCU. It's looking like Secret Wars may be on the horizon, and we expect Strange to be a major part of that event.
For now, though, we have some ideas about the friends and foes we'd like to see in Doctor Strange 3. We're obviously not suggesting that everyone here shows up, but each of these characters has potential, and we think there's a lot Marvel Studios could do with them. Crucially, they would all be new additions to the MCU, expanding this world in new and exciting ways in Phase 5 and beyond.
To take a closer look at who we want to see in the eventual threequel, hit the "Next" button below!
8. Eternity
Many fans theorised that the Scarlet Witch's descent into madness would be what tears the Multiverse asunder, and while that's true to some extent, it sounds like Doctor Strange is who we need to keep an eye on moving forward (especially now he's found a new ally in Clea).
Down the line, Strange could need some help from a higher power and that's where Eternity comes in. The literal embodiment of the universe is someone the hero crossed paths with many times during his early adventures, and this omnipotent entity might end up being who he needs to help save when reality starts to collapse in on itself.
It's an abstract idea, but one Marvel Studios has definitely earned at this point. Like The Living Tribunal, for example, this is a character Strange could get well acquainted with in Doctor Strange 3.
7. Umar
Charlize Theron will play Clea in the MCU, and we're guessing it won't be long before the rest of her family comes into play. Umar is Clea's mother and Dormammu's sister.
She's damn near as deadly as her brother, and would definitely be a formidable foe for Strange in a threequel.
While she's often served as an ally to Dormammu, she's frequently tried to take the Dark Dimension for herself and his defeat could have left the door open to her wreaking havoc on the Multiverse. Exploring Umar's relationship with her daughter has a lot of potential too, and we wouldn't be remotely surprised if Strange and Clea find themselves clashing with Umar in that twisted realm.
6. Shuma-Gorath
In the comics, Shuma-Gorath is a Lord of Chaos and the Master of the extra-dimensional Gods known in the Marvel Universe as the Old Ones. The ruler of literally hundreds of dimensions, it would have made sense for him to appear in a movie about the Multiverse.
It didn't happen, and we remain unsure whether Gargantos was meant to be Shuma or just a similar stand-in setting the stage for his future appearance. Unlike Dormammu, the former Sorcerer Supreme has never been able to permanently defeat this terrifying-looking monster.
Given What If...? has teased a mysterious and powerful tentacled villain with ties to various realities, it's possible Shuma will be part of that animated series, but we'd love to see him in live-action. Gargantos could be explained away as being one of his many minions.
5. Sara Wolfe
While Sara Wolfe's name may not be instantly familiar, she's a character who could bring a lot to Doctor Strange 3 even if it would be in a relatively minor role.
In the comics, Sara was first introduced back in 1979 as a love interest to Wong. She started off as Strange's personal secretary before developing an interest in his loyal friend, and this could be a nice way to continue fleshing Wong out in the MCU. After all, he's now Sorcerer Supreme and clearly a character who will become a major player in this world moving forward based on recent cameos.
Sara should be more than just a love interest, but we're sure Marvel Studios can flesh her out a little.
4. Silver Surfer
In the comics, Doctor Strange is a member of The Defenders alongside heroes like The Hulk, Namor the Submariner, and the Silver Surfer. Galactus and his herald coming to the MCU in the not too distant future feels like a given, but why not introduce the latter here?
It's hard to say how the Surfer would fit into what looks to be an exploration of the Dark Dimension, but if Strange is going on another journey through the Multiverse, that could quite easily lead to a brief meeting between the two heroes and our first glimpse at the World-Eater, setting the stage for both characters to return somewhere down the line.
This is definitely a long shot, but there are ways this could be made to work. If it establishes a relationship between Strange and the Surfer ahead of an eventual team-up, even better.
3. Dormammu
Yes, we know what you're thinking: Dormammu isn't a new character! That's true, but he was wasted in that first movie and deserves to be more than a floating CG head voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch.
Our hope is that was just a proxy or perhaps a Variant, because a comic-accurate take on this villain would be badass. Give him a costume and flaming head, and have him pursue Strange and Clea through the Dark Dimension. That, right there, has all the makings of a damn fine movie.
Simply put, Dormammu is too good a character to leave fall by the wayside as a one-and-done threat. Nightmare is an exciting possibility too, of course, so perhaps they could be combined in some way?
2. Satana
Fans are anxious to see Mephisto in the MCU, so why not set the stage for that by once again making Satana the daughter of the devil (that was retconned by Marvel and she was never related specifically to Mephisto, but Kevin Feige has been known to play around with characters to make them fit into a specific story).
In terms of her history with Strange, Satana once gave her life to save the Sorcerer Supreme and has been known to be both a hero and villain over the years.
That skimpy costume would definitely have to go, but if the future of this shared world truly is supernatural, having Satana appear only for it to finally be revealed that Mephisto is the one who has been manipulating the Scarlet Witch from behind the scenes would be a welcome reveal.
1. Brother Voodoo
His brother Daniel died in a deleted scene from 2016's Doctor Strange, so Jericho now coming to the MCU wouldn't be a massive shocker. Strange could do with a new ally, and who better to help him save the Multiverse than this powerful user of Voodoo magic?
It's worth noting that during the AXIS storyline, Brother Voodoo (and the spirit of his dead brother) were the only ones capable of stopping a rampaging Scarlet Witch, so this guy is a heavy-hitter and someone who could prove a key ally to Wong if he needs help reeling Strange back in.
As well as bringing some diversity to the MCU, we'd also get a truly great new character.