Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch revealed why he was excluded from the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement event. In late March, Marvel Studios caused a collective meltdown among the MCU fandom, as it launched a livestream online and revealed the next Avengers movie cast one name at a time. As exciting as confirmed names like Patrick Stewart, Florence Pugh, and Channing Tatum were, there were notable exceptions, including Cumberbatch's iconic spelling-slinger.
Since then, Cumberbatch has continued to tease his potential return as the Sorcerer Supreme; however, nothing official has been made public confirming his appearance in the new Avengers sequel. In a recent interview, the Doctor Strange star commented on his potential Doomsday return once again, revealing why the character was excluded from the movie's initial wave of casting news.
Speaking with Omelete (via Avengers Updates on X), when asked about why Doctor Strange's name was missing from the March 2025 Doomsday cast announcement, Cumberbatch said, "Maybe they just didn’t have enough chairs:"
"Who knows? Maybe they just didn’t have enough chairs."
Over 60 names have now been attached to Avengers: Doomsday, yet Doctor Strange is still not one of them. This comes despite rumors that the character could play a key role in the movie's epic Multiversal battle, which is set to include the MCU's prime universe of heroes, the newly introduced Fantastic Four, and the classic Fox-era X-Men.
Avengers: Doomsday comes to theaters on December 18, 2026. The new MCU adventure from Endgame directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo will pit Earth's Mightiest Heroes against the terrifying Doctor Doom (played by Robert Downey Jr.) in an epic fight for the Marvel Multiverse. Downey leads the film as its titular reality-bending villain, with names like Anthony Mackie, Chris Hemsworth, Sebastian Stan, and Lewis Pullman rounding out its expansive cast.
Will Doctor Strange Be in Avengers: Doomsday?
Benedict Cumberbatch's return as Doctor Strange has long been a hot topic of conversation among the MCU fanbase.
The end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness teased a future for the character with the newly introduced Clea (played by Charlize Theron), traversing the Multiverse and stopping various inter-dimensional threats.
One would assume someone like Doctor Doom, wanting to conquer all reality, would fall into that bucket, making Strange's return in Doomsday feel like a natural fit.
At this point, few characters in the MCU have interacted with the Multiverse in any meaningful way, and Doctor Strange is one of them. Because of this, Strange's inclusion in Doomsday is highly likely, as he brings knowledge of dimensional travel that could prove valuable to the movie's titular team of heroes.
There have been rumors about a potential second cast announcement for the new MCU team-up. If Strange were to be in the new movie, then Marvel Studios would announce it there.
