Has there ever been a better time to be a Marvel fan?
In 2021 alone, Marvel Studios has introduced four Disney+ series and two theatrical films to date, with two additional films and series set to premiere before the end of the year.
It's an impressive accomplishment considering the MCU's two biggest stars - Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man and Chris Evans' Captain America - took what may be their final bows in 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
But that's not to say that the studio's current roster of heroes is lacking in star power; and as Marvel Studios' Phase 4 prepares to full-on dive into the multiverse, a doctor may just be what Kevin Feige ordered.
Doctor Strange To Lead the Avengers?
While Cumberbatch is currently promoting his new film The Power of the Dog, his role in the MCU stands apart from the rest since Doctor Strange has ties to most of Marvel's current and upcoming Phase 4 stories.
When asked by Variety if Doctor Stephen Strange is taking over the role of the late Tony Stark as the new leader of the Avengers, Benedict Cumberbatch bluntly replied, "I'd have to think about that one."
It's now known that there were plans for Doctor Strange to appear in WandaVision, and that Michael Giacchino's "Doctor Strange Theme" was included in the finale's credits.
Strange is also set to star in both Spider-Man: No Way Home and then in his own sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, in early 2022.
The multiversal theme present in both of these films was explored this summer in Loki on Disney+, and Miss Minutes' reference to a "multiversal war" and "madness" was more than a wink at the Sorcerer Supreme's upcoming sequel.
Also, in recent weeks, Strange's storyline in What If...? has led some to speculate as to whether this show's events may play out in some form or fashion in live-action.
Did Someone Call a Doctor?
If Doctor Strange is the Master of the Mystic Arts, Benedict Cumberbatch is the master of press junkets and interviews.
His super political, "I'd have to think about that one" is a great answer to such a spoiler-laden question. However, it's worth noting that his response was anything but a denial.
It actually makes perfect sense for Strange to be the new leader of the Avengers. After all, he was already integral to the events of both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame; and honestly, who better to guide Marvel's heroes through the multiverse than he?
If Strange is set to take the lead, perhaps audiences will see the origins of this new role in Spider-Man: No Way Home?
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to debut in theaters on March 25, 2022.
