It shouldn’t take Sherlock to work out that Doctor Strange’s role in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is crucial. Since starring in his first solo fantasy movie in 2016, Benedict Cumberbatch’s mind-bending power as the Sorcerer Supreme has proven itself to be integral to the universe’s past, present and future.
From the moment he gave that signal to Tony Stark in the midst of their final battle with Thanos in Endgame, it became clear that Doctor Strange’s role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was about to get a hell of a lot bigger. Despite losing his Sorcerer Supreme status in the aftermath of the Blip, Strange, albeit unwittingly, set off a chain of events in Spider-Man: No Way Home that may well change the MCU as we know it.
With the MCU shifting from a universe to a multiverse, Strange will undoubtedly play an integral role moving forward, and we suspect that the implications of Doctor Strange 2: Multiverse of Madness will be far from self-contained.
In celebration of Cumberbatch recently receiving a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, paid homage to Doctor Strange’s impact in a speech reported by The Direct.
“Benedict has turned this character into an icon, appearing in a historic three of the top six films of all time,” he said. “It’s been quite a journey. I remember our very first meeting was set up as a general, and we wanted to pitch him this great character, and before we could, he said ‘So tell me about Doctor Strange,’ because you knew. Because somewhere you knew what this could be and you’ve always seen the tremendous potential in this character. Because of that, you’ve become the anchor of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the only actor capable of guiding us through the madness of the Multiverse.”
We’ll find out more about how exactly Cumberbatch will be guiding us through the madness of the multiverse when Doctor Strange 2 comes to theatres on May 6, 2022. In the meantime, you can watch the first Doctor Strange movie and other action movies from the MCU on streaming service Disney Plus.