Benedict Cumberbatch has given a minor but disappointing update on Doctor Strange 3. Following the Multiverse of Madness post-credits scene, Marvel hasn’t provided any clarity on Strange’s future in the MCU. But, Cumberbatch has talked about what’s next for the Master of the Mystic Arts in Doctor Strange 3 and Avengers 5.
Benedict Cumberbatch not sure if Doctor Strange 3 arrives before Avengers 5
Cumberbatch recently spoke about the “big Marvel machinery” and its process to produce new projects, while also providing an ambiguous update on Doctor Strange’s future.
While promoting his upcoming Netflix series Eric, The Imitation Game star featured in The Playlist’s interview for its Bingeworthy TV podcast. When asked if Doctor Strange 3 would arrive before or after Avengers 5, Cumberbatch simply said, “Who knows!” as he wasn’t sure of anything.
While it is presumed that Doctor Strange will be a part of the next Avengers outing, the actor wasn’t aware of any intricate details about that either. He said:
“We will see. We will find out. I’m not sure where he’s been and what he’s been up to and who with, but yeah, I know as little as you.”
The MCU is currently focused on its next five projects, which are Deadpool & Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four, and Blade. Beyond that, only the two Avengers projects have confirmed release dates, with Part 5 scheduled to arrive on May 1, 2026. Whether Doctor Strange 3 gets slotted in before that in the February 2026 window remains to be seen.
Will Doctor Strange return in Avengers 5?
Towards the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Charlize Theron’s Clea seemingly took Strange into the Dark Dimension to rectify an incursion.
It led people to assume that Doctor Strange 3 would be set in Dormammu’s world, following which Strange could simply walk back to Earth-616 where Avengers 5 will presumably be set. But, none of these assumptions have been officially confirmed yet.
The following three events are possible at the moment of writing:
1 – Doctor Strange 3 arrives before Avengers 5 and leads Strange into the latter.
2 – Doctor Strange 3 takes place after Avengers 5, where Strange entirely skips the crossover event and teams up with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes directly in Avengers: Secret Wars.
3 – Doctor Strange joins the new Avengers from the Dark Dimension during Avengers 5. But, his adventures with Clea are showcased in Doctor Strange 3, which arrives after Avengers 5 but still acts as a prequel to it (similar to how Marvel handled Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers: Infinity War’s timelines).
Doctor Strange 3 currently has no confirmed team of creatives attached to it, and his future in the MCU is a blur.