Benedict Cumberbatch's New Comments Leave The Door Open For Avengers: Doomsday Return

According to Benedict Cumberbatch, an appearance for his Doctor Strange in Avengers: Doomsday cannot be left off the table. Doomsday could potentially be the MCU's biggest movie to date, as fans hope it will live up to and surpass its four predecessors from the Infinity Saga. While the cast list is still fluid during filming for this MCU epic, MCU veterans and newcomers have been sly about teasing their inclusion in the story.

Benedict Cumberbatch avoided confirming or denying his potential role as Doctor Strange in Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday. Strange's place in Doomsday felt like a given for a long time, considering his expertise with the multiverse and his place as one of the most powerful characters in the MCU. However, after not being part of the initial cast announcement for the fifth Avengers film, questions have come up about what Marvel plans to do with him.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight while promoting The Roses, Cumberbatch was asked point-blank if he would return to the MCU to play Strange again in Avengers: Doomsday. The MCU veteran played coy with his response, only repeating, "I wonder..." four times.

Cumberbatch has gone back and forth about his place in Doomsday's cast over the last year. After shocking fans by saying he would not be in the movie in January 2025, Cumberbatch changed his tune weeks later, saying he was lined up for a role in the 2026 sequel.

Currently in the middle of filming, Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday is the first of two Avengers movies in Phase 6, which will close out the Multiverse Saga. Starring over two dozen actors from the MCU and past Marvel movies, multiple generations of heroes will join forces to stop Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom from tearing down multiversal barriers and destroying multiple universes. Avengers: Doomsday is due to hit theaters on December 18, 2026.

Benedict Cumberbatch's Expected Role in Avengers: Doomsday

Considering Strange's expertise with the multiverse and magic, fans expect Benedict Cumberbatch to have a fairly substantial role in the next two Avengers movies. As of writing, he is one of only a few MCU characters aware of multiple universes and one of the few to interact with variants of characters from different worlds.

Strange is closely tied to America Chavez, the only character who can easily travel across the multiverse. America star Xochitl Gomez teased her comeback to the Avengers saga, similar to Cumberbatch's, which would give the team plenty of firepower for their upcoming multiversal battle.

With filming said to continue through the end of 2026, Marvel likely will not release much more in terms of announcements or cast confirmations until the end of this year or the beginning of 2026.