Benedict Cumberbatch Reveals All: Marvel Future Spoiled

Benedict Cumberbatch recently spilled the beans on the upcoming Marvel projects, Avengers: Secret Wars and Avengers: Doomsday, along with a sneak peek into the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and its X-Men era. Fans and Marvel executives, including Kevin Feige, were taken aback by the detailed revelations.

Conspiracy Theory? Doctor Strange's Absence from Doomsday

Is there a conspiracy at play with Doctor Strange missing from Avengers: Doomsday? It's doubtful. Marvel likely orchestrated this reveal as a strategic move to shift focus from other controversial topics, such as the recent Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively news or the negative buzz around Captain America: Brave New World. Cumberbatch confirmed numerous details about Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, including the significant shift in storyline following Jonathan Majors' departure. Avengers 5, originally titled Kang Dynasty, has now been rebranded as Doomsday and will see the return of Robert Downey Jr.

While fans were hoping for a Doctor Doom and Doctor Strange team-up reminiscent of the comic "Triumph and Torment," it seems that Robert Downey Jr.'s involvement will lead to a different narrative path post-Secret Wars.

Doctor Strange's Role in Doomsday

Doctor Strange's absence from Doomsday is set to be explained through a post-credits scene that teases Avengers: Secret Wars. Cumberbatch explained that Strange's character didn't fit the new direction of the story, which was initially planned to center around Kang the Conqueror and the Council of Kangs. The revised plot now focuses on introducing Victor Von Doom and bringing back Robert Downey Jr.

The original Kang Dynasty storyline included Shang-Chi as a key character, tying into theories about the Ten Rings of Power from his movie. The rings' connection to Kang's time ship in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania fueled speculation about Kang's involvement in their creation.

Spider-Man, Not Iron Man

Avengers: Doomsday will pivot towards the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom, leading directly into the film from the upcoming Fantastic Four movie. A post-credits scene, similar to Thor: Ragnarok's setup for Infinity War, will transition into Doomsday. Kevin Feige's concept of "anchor beings" introduced in Deadpool and Wolverine suggests that the MCU's anchor is still alive, hinting that Spider-Man might be the new anchor, not Iron Man.

The plot of both Kang Dynasty and Doomsday versions of Avengers 5 seems to draw from the "Time Runs Out" storyline, culminating in the multiverse collapsing into Battleworld for Secret Wars. Robert Downey Jr. will take on a role inspired by Doctor Doom's storyline, attempting to save the multiverse while becoming its primary antagonist, God Emperor Doom.

Secret Wars

Secret Wars is set to be a multiverse epic featuring a team of legacy actors, essentially a multiverse Avengers team. This movie will serve as a soft reboot for the MCU, and Cumberbatch's revelations offer a deep dive into the film's plot. Shang-Chi's role has been downgraded in the Doomsday version, with his sequel delayed in favor of other projects like the new Spider-Man film.

In Secret Wars, Doctor Strange was meant to be among the survivors of the multiverse's destruction, reaching Battleworld. The movie would feature a drastically different cast, combining surviving MCU characters with legacy actors from pre-MCU Marvel films, similar to a larger-scale Deadpool and Wolverine, potentially bringing back X-Men, Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and classic Fantastic Four actors.

The Future of MCU and Doctor Strange

Post-Secret Wars, Marvel is set for a soft reboot, with Cumberbatch hinting at Doctor Strange's crucial role in the upcoming X-Men era. This could involve Strange in X-Men-centric narratives, as hinted by his appearance in X-Men '97.

Cumberbatch's enthusiasm suggests he views Doctor Strange as the new linchpin of the MCU. Moving into Phase 7, Doctor Strange is expected to be pivotal in overarching storylines, possibly leading into Avengers vs. X-Men.

Doctor Strange 3, initially slated before Kang Dynasty, might now be released post-Secret Wars, necessitating a complete overhaul of its plot. The focus could shift to X-Men-related magic characters, though no script exists yet. There's potential for a classic Defenders storyline or a Midnight Suns team-up, featuring characters like Moon Knight and possibly an MCU version of Ghost Rider.