While one massive MCU star (Robert Downey Jr.) will be making an epic return in Avengers: Doomsday, one of his longtime co-stars who was previously set to be a main character in the upcoming sequel will no longer be included.
As of writing, the full cast for Doomsday has not been revealed. However, fans know that Robert Downey Jr. will be heavily involved.
At this point in the MCU, it is hard to include Downey Jr. without also featuring Chris Evans, as the two somewhat became two sides of the same coin. Luckily, Evans was confirmed to be returning as well, making many question which other main Avengers will (or won't be) cast in the film.
Benedict Cumberbatch Confirms Absence From Avengers: Doomsday
In an interview with Variety, Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch dropped one of the biggest bombshells of news about Avengers: Doomsday after the announcement confirming Robert Downey Jr.'s return as Doctor Doom.
According to the MCU star, he will not be reprising his role as Doctor Strange in the upcoming Avengers flick. This will surprise many fans since he was previously thought to be one of, if not the main leader of the team of superheroes.
Things simply changed after Jonathan Majors was removed from Avengers 5 and the movie received a major overhaul, with the title being changed from The Kang Dynasty to Doomsday, as noted by Cumberbatch.
Specifically, the MCU star stated that Doctor Strange will not be in Doomsday due to "the character not aligning with this part of the story."
After revealing what he did, Cumberbatch didn't seem bothered by any repercussions he may face, saying, "Is that a spoiler? F**k it."
However, fans shouldn't be worried about Cumberbatch's future as Doctor Strange, as he also added that he (along with countless other huge MCU actors) will be appearing in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars "a lot."
What Will Doctor Strange's MCU Future Look Like?
Many Doctor Strange fans may be a little worried about the future of the character in the MCU now that he will not be in Avengers: Doomsday. Following Avengers: Endgame, it seemed as though Strange was primed to be the Avengers’ outright leader since both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers were gone.
That assumption only grew stronger when Strange was featured heavily in Spider-Man: No Way Home and then protected the Multiverse in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
So, hearing that Cumberbatch won't even be cast in Avengers: Doomsday likely makes some take a step back and question what Strange's new future will look like. However, luckily, Cumberbatch already reassured everyone that he is not going anywhere.
Although he will be absent from the upcoming Avengers flick, Cumberbatch already confirmed that he has been in deep discussion with Marvel Studios about Doctor Strange 3. He even revealed that he is being allowed some creative freedom and which choices they are allowing him to make regarding the threequel.
Also important to remember is that he did confirm he would play a major role in Secret Wars, which is good news for multiple reasons. Of course, it means that Cumberbatch will continue to be one of the MCU's main characters at least for the near future.
However, it also indicates that the Russos already have a full plan mapped out for Secret Wars, meaning that a lot of careful planning is likely going into the future of the MCU.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released in theaters on May 1, 2026.
