Marvel Studios reportedly has big plans for Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange ahead of The Multiverse Saga's grand conclusion in Avengers: Secret Wars.

According to trusted insider Alex Perez of The Cosmic Circus, Marvel wants Doctor Strange's overall role in the Multiverse Saga to be about his "struggle with the moralities of what he believes is right and wrong." As shown in What If...? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, "we’ve seen Stephen Strange do something that he believes is right and is ultimately for the greater good, when in reality, it backfires and ends up causing more harm than good," Perez added.

Doctor Strange May Become an Antagonist

Perez also noted that, aside from Earth-616 Strange, all the other Stranges have been painted as antagonists in their respective appearances. "When presented with the fact that in most universes, Strange’s actions often cause more harm than good, Strange-616 will struggle with the sense of whether what he is doing is right, ultimately coming to terms with the decision that perhaps simply removing himself from the situation and letting someone else handle it is the best course of action," the insider explained.

Perez previously reported in March 2023 that Avengers 5 would see a rogue Doctor Strange going up against a heroic Kang the Conqueror. However, with Kang's Marvel Cinematic Universe future unknown following actor Jonathan Majors' removal from the franchise, it remains to be seen if Marvel plans on keeping this plot point in the forthcoming sequel. Regardless, Perez stated that Doctor Strange is slated to "become one of the most important heroes of the Multiverse Saga" over the next "couple of projects."

Doctor Strange 3 Could Adapt a Popular Comic Event

While Marvel Studios has not officially announced Doctor Strange 3, the previous movie — 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — ended with the titular hero heading into the Dark Dimension with Clea (Charlize Theron) to fix an incursion that he caused, teasing another entry in the fan-favorite franchise. In August 2023, Perez mentioned that Marvel wants to adapt elements from the "Time Runs Out" comic event for Doctor Strange 3, with the upcoming movie revealing that the MCU is dying due to multiple incursions. The threequel would also reveal that Clea is part of The Black Priests, a multiversal organization that is headquartered within the space of two dead universes caused by an incursion.

Doctor Strange and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are available to stream on Disney+.

Source: The Cosmic Circus