Even though we won’t see Benedict Cumberbatch inAvengers: Doomsday, I still think it would be great to see Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom face-off in theMCUPhase 6 crossover movie. We’ve been given several new updates regarding thedevelopment ofAvengers: Doomsdayin recent months, which has made me very excited about the upcoming sequel. I’m most intrigued to see Robert Downey Jr. suit up as Doctor Doom, though I think it’s a shame thatAvengers: Doomsdaywon’t bring Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch back together in the MCU.
So far, a number of notable MCU stars have been confirmed to be returning inAvengers: Doomsday’simpressive cast, but one important actor is missing from the line-up.Marvel Studios can still include missing MCU characters inDoomsday, however, even without the actors' involvement, thanks to the magic of the multiverse. This makes me hopeful thatDoctor Doom will battle one significant MCU heroinDoomsday, and perhaps get an epic power upgrade that will make him incredibly tough for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to beat.
Benedict Cumberbatch Won’t Be In Avengers 5, But Doctor Strange Still Can Be
A Doctor Strange Variant Could Appear In Avengers: Doomsday
Speaking toVarietyin January 2025,Benedict Cumberbatch confirmed that he would not be appearing inAvengers: Doomsday, though he will return as the MCU’s Doctor Strange in a third solo movie andAvengers: Secret Wars. We last saw Doctor Strange at theend of 2022’sDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where he gained a mysterious third eye before being recruited by Charlize Theron’s Clea to help stop an incursion that he had caused. I reckon this storyline will continue inDoctor Strange 3, allowingAvengers: Doomsdayto focus more on Doctor Doom.
Is that a spoiler? F–k it! [Doctor Strange doesn’t align] with this part of the story… [But he is] in a lot [ofAvengers: Secret Wars]. He’s quite central to where things might go. [Marvel] are very open to discussing where we go next: Who do you want to write and direct the next one? What part of the comic lore do you want to explore so that Strange can keep evolving? He’s a very rich character to play. He’s a complex, contradictory, troubled human who’s got these extraordinary abilities, so there’s potent stuff to mess about with.
While Benedict Cumberbatch’s version of Doctor Strange won’t be seen inAvengers: Doomsday, I think there’s a clear way that the Master of the Mystic Arts could still appear in the upcoming Phase 6 movie. Marvel’s exploration of the multiverse has already introduced a number ofDoctor Strange variants, andwhile they’ve currently all been played by Cumberbatch, there are surely variants without Cumberbatch’s face out there somewhere. This makes me think that Doctor Strange could still pop up inAvengers: Doomsday, which may spell good news for Doctor Doom.
Doctor Doom Vs. Doctor Strange In Avengers 5 Would Be Great For RDJ’s New Villain
Doctor Doom Can Prove His Strength By Taking On Doctor Strange
Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom needs to quickly prove that he is a significant threat inAvengers: Doomsday, especially since he is taking over the role of the Multiverse Saga’s primary antagonist late afterKang the Conqueror’s removal. I think the best way for Doctor Doom to prove his strength would be for us to see him easily take down some of the MCU’s most powerful heroes.Instead of killing off MCU mainstays, this can be shown by having Doom defeat variants of iconic Marvel heroes, including a variant of Doctor Strange.
10 Most Likely MCU Heroes We Think Doctor Doom Will Defeat In Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars
It unfortunately seems inevitable that some heroes will lose their lives in the battle against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in the MCU’s Phase 6.
Introducing a variant of Doctor Strange just to have him killed off by Doctor Doom would be a great way for Robert Downey Jr.’s new villain to prove his salt, while also retainingBenedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strangefor future adventures.This could hark back to Kang the Conqueror’s quote about having killed Avengers, namely Thor, in 2023’sAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. I think this would be the best way for Doctor Doom to demonstrate his physical strength immediately, but this could also see the new MCU villain get a brilliant power upgrade that makes him even more unstoppable.
Defeating Doctor Strange Could Give Doom A Huge Power Upgrade
Doctor Doom Could Steal Doctor Strange’s Magic
One element of Doctor Doom that every previous live-action adaptation has ignored is the villain’s aptitude for magic, which is something that Marvel Studios could easily introduce to the character inAvengers: Doomsday. In Marvel Comics,Doctor Doom began gaining knowledge about magicfrom an early age in hopes of using it to save his mother from Mephisto. More recently,during 2024’sBlood Huntevent, Doctor Strange granted his powers to Doctor Doom to make the villain Marvel’s all-new Sorcerer Supreme, which I would love to see unfold inAvengers: Doomsday.
If Doctor Doom kills a variant of Doctor Strange, perhaps one who is his universe’s Sorcerer Supreme, inDoomsday, I could easily see him assuming the title for himself and gainingDoctor Strange’s incredible magical prowess.This would allow Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom to be the most powerful and comic-accurate version of the character ever brought into live-action, and would make him an even more formidable antagonist forDoomsdayandSecret Wars. While I’ll miss Benedict Cumberbatch inAvengers: Doomsday, I’d still love Doctor Strange to appear to make Doom even more powerful.
