Benedict Cumberbatch Playing A Different Character In Doctor Strange 2
It looks like Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing a different character in Doctor Strange 2. The Multiverse is a tricky thing after all.
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When Benedict Cumberbatch makes his way back on screen as the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange 2, the landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going to look a whole lot different. And some of it is going to be because of his character’s choices. Well, it’s looking like when we get Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness we could see Cumberbatch playing multiple characters on the big screen and there is evidence we will see him as at least one Doctor Strange variant.
The clue about the updated casting and roles for Benedict Cumberbatch comes from a toy release which, amazingly, is oftentimes a very accurate way to figure out what is coming down the pike in certain movies. Because toy lines are approved and distributed well in advance of movies releases, there can be giveaways about what we can expect for the plot of a flick. This is the case with Doctor Strange 2 with a recent toy release showing us a version of the character called Defender Strange. Check out what was posted to Twitter about Benedict Cumberbatch from @DrStrangeUpdate:
Because we are well into the Multiverse now following the events of Loki and then hammered home in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the addition of a variant named Defender Strange played by Benedict Cumberbatch would make a lot of sense in the context of the current universe. With the movie already touting the Multiverse of Madness, we know the character will be involved in a number of different realities. And Doctor Strange was once a member of the Defenders in the comic books, helping to create that original group. Now, I suppose that Doctor Strange could be forming the Defenders in this new movie within his current timeline, though that feels somewhat unlikely considering that Marvel already had that group over on Netflix starting with Daredevil. With those characters moving in the now-canon timeline, it would be odd if Strange was the new head of the group. It seems much more likely this is Doctor Strange variant.
Doctor Strange 2 is set to expand on the trouble started in Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home. In the former, the characters reset the Sacred Timeline controlled by the TVA and opened up infinite universes. And then in No Way Home, Benedict Cumberbatch meddled with the Multiverse when he tried to help out Peter Parker. Things went a bit off the rails and they had to work to clean things up by the end. It was likely only a bandaid on the Multiverse problem.
In addition to Benedict Cumberbatch, Doctor Strange 2 will also feature Elizabeth Olsen who has now fully become the Scarlett Witch after the events of WandaVision. By all accounts, she and Strange start off at odds before teaming up to solve whatever problems are at hand. The movie will also introduce Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, a powerful character who is able to open up portals in the Multiverse. In all, the movie is set to become another huge addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and by some accounts has a much scarier vibe than other films. It is set to release on May 6, 2022.
