A standalone Doctor Strange 3 releasing before Avengers: Secret Wars now seems out of reach. While Marvel Studios has yet to officially confirm a third solo outing for the Sorcerer Supreme, the overwhelming box office success of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and its cliffhanger post-credits scene left fans anticipating a follow-up. Expectations for a new adventure were high, but the odds of a third Doctor Strange film dwindle every day.
It's official: Avengers: Secret Wars is Marvel Studios' only film on the 2027 calendar. This news erases the chance of a Doctor Strange 3 release before what's being called a "reset" to the MCU after Avengers 6.
On Marvel's official slate, only Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars are confirmed to hit theaters over the next few years. However, projects like the X-Men reboot, Shang-Chi 2, Black Panther 3, and rounding out the Doctor Strange trilogy have been widely rumored to be greenlit.
Star Benedict Cumberbatch previously confirmed that he and Marvel Studios have been discussing a possible Doctor Strange 3, noting that the character remains central to the MCU's future. He revealed that Marvel has asked for his input on potential writers, directors, and storylines, calling Strange a "rich" and "complex" character with plenty of room to evolve.
Even though Doctor Strange 3 will almost certainly come after Avengers: Secret Wars, Cumberbatch is still expected to play a role in the MCU's next two massive team-ups.
Fans were surprised when Cumberbatch’s name was missing from Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal in March 2025, especially as over 60 actors were confirmed during the livestream event. Cumberbatch later poked fun at his absence, joking that "maybe they just didn’t have enough chairs," but the truth is that his involvement has yet to be made official. Despite that, it feels almost inevitable that Strange will appear in Doomsday and Secret Wars.
The ending of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness set him on a path with Clea (Charlize Theron) to confront multiversal threats, incursions, and more, precisely the kind of danger Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) will also be fighting in Doomsday.
Strange is one of the few MCU characters who has actively navigated the Multiverse, and his knowledge would be invaluable if he joined the Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, and OG X-Men in the fight.
Rumors suggest Marvel may be saving his name for a second wave of cast announcements, confirming what fans already suspect: Doctor Strange is far too essential to be left out of the Multiverse Saga's endgame.
Will Doctor Strange 3 Ever Happen?
Doctor Strange 3 still feels like a no-brainer for Marvel Studios, even as it reduces its output in the coming years. Both Doctor Strange films were box office successes, earning a combined $1.6 billion worldwide.
Fans are also accustomed to waiting; there was a six-year gap between the 2016 origin film and its sequel, during which Strange appeared in Infinity War, Endgame, and No Way Home. That same approach could happen again, with Strange showing up in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars before another solo film materializes.
The directing question remains open as well. Sam Raimi stepped in for Scott Derrickson on Multiverse of Madness, which received mixed fan reactions despite Raimi's legacy with the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy.
Perhaps the bigger mystery is what story Doctor Strange 3 would tell. Strange’s third eye and his multiversal journey with Clea are expected to be addressed in the Avengers films, leaving his next solo outing up in the air.
By the time 2028 or beyond rolls around, the MCU will likely be transitioning into its X-Men era, meaning Strange's next chapter could unfold in an entirely new Marvel landscape.
