Avengers: Doomsday will not feature Doctor Strange, according to the actor who plays him Benedict Cumberbatch accidentally revealed that he is not part of the Marvel movie ensemble Marvel has not officially commented on Cumberbatch’s slip-up
Benedict Cumberbatch has accidentally revealed that he will not appear as Doctor Strange in Avengers: Doomsday .
In a speech to Variety, the British star let it slip that he is not involved in the long-awaited Marvel film, which will be released in May 2026. Cumberbatch will therefore not line up with many of Earth’s mightiest heroes in Avengers 5 .
It’s unclear what led to Cumberbatch’s faux pas, but after the Doctor Strange actor surprisingly revealed he’s not part of the film’s ensemble cast, he simply responded by saying: “Is that a spoiler? F*** the!”
Fans of Sorcerer Supreme should not worry about his potential absence from Avengers: Secret Wars which will cover the Marvel Multiverse Saga in May 2027. In fact, Cumberbatch also told Variety that Stephen Strange is “in a lot” of Avengers 6 before adding: “He’s quite central to where things can go. He’s a very rich character to play. He’s a complex, conflicted, troubled human being who has these extraordinary abilities, so there’s potent stuff to mess with .”
Marvel has not officially commented on Cumberbatch, which unexpectedly reveals that Strange will not be a part of Avengers 5 . Nevertheless, I have reached out to my Marvel contacts for a statement on the matter and will report back if I receive a response.
Why isn’t Doctor Strange in Avengers: Doomsday?
Doctor Strange probably won’t be based on Earth when Doctor Doom comes calling in Avengers 5 (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
In addition to Cumberbatch telling Variety that “the character [does] does not match this part of the story [Avengers 5 ]”, we don’t know. But considering how his last solo film— Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – ended, we can speculate on his absence from the Marvel Phase 6 movie. You can read a detailed account of what happened in my Doctor Strange 2 concluding explained piece, or read on for one full albeit abbreviated spoiler-filled explanation below .
Doctor Strange 2’s ending hints at why he won’t be around for doomsday events (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
At the end of Doctor Strange 2 the Master of the Mystic Arts took a trip on the cosmic and multiversal side (again) with the sorceress Clea, briefly portrayed by Charlize Theron. She had tracked him down on Earth to request his help in stopping an Incursion Event he had caused as part of events unfolding in The Multiverse of Madness . Somewhat reluctantly, he agrees to help her, with the pair stepping through a portal that apparently leads to Dormammu’s domain, which we last saw in 2015’s Doctor Strange film.
If Strange and Clea are still trying to shut down the Incursion Event he created, that would explain why he won’t be around to help his fellow Avengers in Marvel’s next team-up movie. In it they will put on weight Doomsday ‘s primary villain, who was revealed to be Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom at San Diego Comic Con 2024.
Still, while Cumberbatch won’t be a part of Doomsday ‘s stacked cast, there are plenty of other big names attached to the project. The Fantastic Four’s Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach were confirmed to appear by Marvel boss Kevin Feige last year. Expect Marvel’s first family to help try and defeat one of their most iconic foes after starring in their first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film, which is titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps and will be in theaters in July.
As for other characters who could appear, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson/Captain America and Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man are among the many A-listers likely to appear. One actor I didn’t expect to see though is Chris Evans, with the Marvel alum reportedly returning for a mysterious role in Avengers: Doomsday . Since the film is set to begin shooting sometime in early 2025, we should prepare for more cast announcements and rumors to pop up online in the coming weeks and months.
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