Avengers: Doomsday has seemingly cut a major villain and ally to Doctor Doom. Recent rumors on the lead-up to Avengers: Doomsday claimed that Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom will arrive with a magical second-in-command as he endeavors to "save" the Multiverse his way. This wizard is rumored to be masked through most of Doomsday and may even be Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange in disguise, going by the codename "Boris." And yet, the only official sign of allies for Doctor Doom thus far is a trio of Latverian witches in colorful attire.
Well, there may finally be an explanation for Boris' omission after concept artist Jorge Molinam unveiled the first look at Doctor Doom's second-in-command through art created for Magic: The Gathering. The art depicts Doom standing tall alongside his mysterious masked ally and three Latverian witches, reigniting speculation about whether Doctor Strange is actually under that mask. However, if Molinam is to be believed, that speculation may be for nothing, as he claims that Doom's deputy has been cut from Avengers: Doomsday altogether.
Responding to questions of the mystery man's identity, Molinam stated they were "removed from the film," and he doesn't even remember the character's name:
Q: "Hey Jorge....Who's the 4th guy back there !"
Molinam: "Don’t remember the [character's] name, but was removed from the film."
The concept artist shared multiple versions of this design, which seems to be set in front of Doctor Doom's Latverian throne in Doomstadt Tower. Interestingly, only one earlier version of the design featured Doom's second-in-command at all, while the others left his space empty and just kept Victor and his witches.
Of course, Molinam's comments shouldn't be taken at face value; he may be lying to cover up an accidental reveal of one of Doomsday's top-secret villains, or Marvel Studios may have legitimately led the concept artist and others to believe that the character was removed as a means of keeping the secrets.
There is more than rumors to back up that Doctor Strange would have been Doctor Doom's deputy, as the magical Avenger allied himself closely with the Fantastic Four villain in 2015's Secret Wars storyline, which the MCU is now adapting. After working together in the Time Runs Out prequel storyline to investigate the Incursions, Strange became Doom's sheriff and number two on Battleworld.
Cumberbatch has gone back and forth as to whether he will appear in Doomsday, initially telling Variety last January that he would be absent due to his character "not aligning with this part of the story." That said, he offered some hope for Strange fans, claiming that he is "in a lot" of Secret Wars and is even "quite central to where things might go" as the Multiverse Saga wraps up.
Just one week later, the Sherlock star backtracked by telling Business Insider that he "got that wrong" and that he is "in the next one." But the actor continued to play coy by telling the outlet, "Don't ever believe anything I say."
And yet, despite confirming his involvement in Doomsday, Cumberbatch was absent from the movie's March 2025 cast announcement. The actor joked later in the year that "maybe they just didn’t have enough chairs" to include the superhero sorcerer, but there may have been something greater at play.
Assuming that the rumors and theories were right, and Strange would have been Doom's second-in-command, perhaps Marvel Studios was simply undecided on whether to include him in Doomsday or save him in Secret Wars. That would explain the coming and going of Cumberbatch's comments, as well as the existence of concept art for Boris before his apparent removal from Doomsday.
Has Avengers: Doomsday Actually Cut Doctor Strange's Rumored Role?
While Marvel Studios may be going to great lengths to cover up Doctor Doom's second-in-command's inclusion in Avengers: Doomsday, it's tough to see why they would bother when there is already a mask to hide their identity. Then again, the studio could be responding to rumors about Doctor Strange's secret role by trying to convince fans that the character has been cut anyway.
Strangely, despite Jorge Molinam claiming that Doctor Doom's closest ally had been cut from Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Studios has continued to tease the character. Robert Downey Jr. even wore an Easter egg-filled mechanics outfit in a promo for Avengers: Endgame Encore that directly referenced the rumored "Boris" character, adding a truckload of fuel to the theories about Doctor Strange's role.
Perhaps Marvel Studios is holding off on introducing Doctor Doom's masked deputy until Avengers: Secret Wars, where he will be the sheriff of Battleworld. That would explain why Benedict Cumberbatch confirmed he would be "in a lot" of Secret Wars, as the character is vital to the storyline in Marvel Comics, and it's tough to see who else could fill that all-important role in the narrative.
If Boris has been cut from Doomsday, that may be for the best; the movie is already jam-packed with characters and plotlines, and explaining why a major superhero is working with the villain may be one thing too many. Besides, Doomsday is already hiding three of Doom's magical allies behind masks through the Latverian witches, and adding one more could get messy.
