When Doctor Strange joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe nine years ago, he quickly became one of its most powerful heroes. However, early on, Marvel Studios was hesitant to introduce magic. After establishing a world grounded in science with Iron Man, they worried that magic wouldn’t fit. Even with Thor, Asgardian magic was presented as incredibly advanced technology, a clever way to maintain the scientific feel of the universe.
Though it premiered in Los Angeles on October 20, 2016, Doctor Strange officially hit U.S. theaters on November 4th and marked a significant evolution for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel once again put effort into making the magical abilities of Stephen Strange seem grounded in science, connecting his powers to ideas from quantum mechanics and the possibility of multiple universes. The film was a financial success, earning $677.8 million worldwide and opening up new possibilities for the MCU’s future. However, despite its impact, the character of Doctor Strange himself hasn’t been utilized to his full potential.
Doctor Strange Played A Key Role In The Infinity Saga… But There Were Already Ominous Signs
Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange quickly became an important member of the Avengers team. His first film showed audiences the vast, cosmic scope of his stories and introduced him as the guardian of the Time Stone, a powerful artifact Thanos desperately wanted. This made Strange a crucial figure in Avengers: Infinity War, and fans especially enjoyed seeing Cumberbatch interact with Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.).
Doctor Strange was significantly absent from much of Avengers: Endgame because his character was dusted by Thanos’ snap. However, his earlier sacrifice – giving Thanos the Time Stone after seeing a single path to victory in 14 million possibilities – remained crucial. When Strange returned, he was kept on the sidelines during the main battle, cleverly tasked with containing magical floodwaters. This prevented him from overpowering Thanos’ army on his own. It became clear that Marvel Studios wasn’t entirely sure how to best utilize the powerful Sorcerer Supreme.
Doctor Strange Was Set Up To Be Just As Important In The Multiverse Saga
From the beginning, the director of Doctor Strange, Scott Derrickson, and his co-writer, C. Robert Cargill, envisioned a sequel and discussed it as early as 2016. However, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness wasn’t officially announced until July 2019, suggesting Marvel had difficulty integrating it into their plans for the Infinity Saga. Six months after that, Derrickson left the project due to disagreements with Marvel over its creative direction. Most sources indicate that Derrickson wanted to explore more intense horror elements than Marvel was willing to allow.
Directed by Sam Raimi, the 2022 film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was intended to make Doctor Strange a central figure in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, building on his significant appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie introduced key concepts about the MCU multiverse, including how entire realities could be erased through events called “incursions.” The film’s ending showed Doctor Strange beginning a new adventure with Clea, a powerful sorceress who is a major love interest for Strange in the comics.
And then, surprisingly, there was… silence.
Doctor Strange Still Isn’t Confirmed For Avengers: Doomsday
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Stephen Strange, with the last appearance being in 2022. Benedict Cumberbatch has mentioned Marvel is considering a third Doctor Strange movie, stating in January 2025 that they’re open to ideas about the story, director, and which comic book elements to use to further develop the character. While this is encouraging, it suggests there isn’t a clear plan in place yet. Even more worrying is the current uncertainty about whether Strange will appear in Avengers: Doomsday.
Given Doctor Strange’s actions at the end of Multiverse of Madness, many expected him to play a significant role in the upcoming Avengers films, Doomsday and Secret Wars. These movies are intended to wrap up the Multiverse Saga, featuring colliding universes – a result of the very incursions hinted at in Doctor Strange’s story. However, when Marvel announced the main cast for Doomsday, Doctor Strange wasn’t included, and Benedict Cumberbatch hasn’t said anything about continuing his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Currently, the biggest expectation for Doctor Strange is his role in Avengers: Secret Wars. Everything suggests the movie will draw heavily from the 2015 Secret Wars comic book storyline, which depicted a catastrophic collapse of the multiverse. In the comics, Doctor Doom used immense power to salvage fragments of the multiverse by merging them into a single realm called “Battleworld.” Doctor Strange acted as Doom’s reluctant advisor, helping to maintain order because even this imperfect world was preferable to complete destruction.
With Robert Downey Jr. coming back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom, it seems likely Marvel will closely follow the major plot points of the Secret Wars storyline. If so, Doctor Strange will probably play a much bigger role in that event than he did in Doomsday. However, even if that happens, it’s still disappointing. It suggests that Doctor Strange’s long-awaited adventures with Clea will mostly happen behind the scenes, which is a missed opportunity – especially considering how talented Charlize Theron is in the role.
Why Has Marvel Struggled So Much With Doctor Strange?
Okay, let’s talk Doctor Strange. Honestly, looking back, I think the character’s become too powerful for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’ve seen limits with heroes like Thor and Captain Marvel, but Strange always seems to have another trick up his sleeve, another spell to get him out of trouble. Even villains like Baron Mordo, played brilliantly by Chiwetel Ejiofor, never quite feel like a genuine threat because, well, Strange is the Sorcerer Supreme – he’s just naturally more powerful and knowledgeable. It makes it too easy for him to swoop in and save the day, and that’s a problem. To keep things interesting, the writers are practically forced to sideline him sometimes.
I’ve noticed Doctor Strange isn’t the issue these days – it’s more about the direction Marvel’s been taking things. They’ve grown so fast, bringing in tons of new heroes and stories across movies and shows, but haven’t really given many of them the development they deserve. Take Shang-Chi, played by Simu Liu – he was great in his first appearance, but we won’t see him again until the next Avengers movie. And Mahershala Ali was cast as the new Blade way back in 2019, yet Marvel still hasn’t quite figured out where his story fits into everything. It feels like they’re struggling to connect all these pieces.
Despite the initial success of Doctor Strange, Marvel Studios has struggled to find a clear path for the character. With so many interconnected storylines and characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s been difficult for any one hero to receive the focused development they deserve, and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange is a prime example of this.
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2025-11-04 16:11