Doctor Strange actor Benedict Cumberbatch may have revealed some details about the Marvel hero's involvement in the upcoming Avengers movie.
During an interview with Netflix, Cumberbatch broke down his artistic approach to some of his most popular on-screen characters. Key among Cumberbatch’s iconic roles were Sherlock Holmes in BBC’s Sherlock, Smaug in The Hobbit, and of course, Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. During his segment on Doctor Strange, Cumberbatch let it slip that his character may be involved in Avengers 5 in some capacity.
"It’s been a pretty lovely relationship with that [Marvel] ever since [being cast],” Cumberbatch said. "I’m very much looking forward to Avengers next year, which is cooking up a storm."
So, there are a couple of things we can potentially glean from this: for one, the previously mentioned possibility of Strange's return, which would be in line with a previous Deadline report that said Avengers 5 could see "more than 60 MCU characters" reprising their roles. Secondly, if the first is correct, that could mean that Avengers 5 is still set to head into production next year, despite some of the behind-the-scenes creative issues.
We should note: it's also possible that Cumberbatch may have misspoke. IGN has reached out to reps for Cumberbatch and Disney for further clarity.
Elsewhere in the Netflix interview, Cumberbatch also recounted how he almost couldn't play Doctor Strange due to a scheduling conflict during his theatrical run in Hamlet. Fortunately, “they” (likely Marvel in this context) “shifted the whole kind of factory line” to fit Cumberbatch’s schedule. Cumberbatch also gave thanks to his superhero role for opening up doors for him to explore other roles that weren't solely for pop culture audiences.
"The joy of playing him is immense, but also, the joy of playing him means I can help and create and platform stories and writing and less commercial fair into being," Cumberbatch said. "So he’s a gift in many many ways in my life as a producer [and] as an actor. I love playing him. He’s great fun."
Cumberbatch was introduced to the MCU in 2016’s Doctor Strange. Since then, Cumberbatch’s Strange has appeared in several other Marvel films, such as Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Going off Cumberbatch’s remarks, he may just be back for the fifth Avengers film too.
Avengers 5 was originally titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. The film has since been referred to as Avengers 5 after Marvel announced it had cut ties with Kang actor Jonathan Majors shortly after he was found guilty of one count of assault and one count of harassment on December 18. Although Marvel has yet to announce Avengers 5’s director, the studio is reportedly eyeing Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy as its top choice. Nevertheless, Avengers 5 is slated to release on May 1, 2026.
For those having trouble keeping track of the upcoming Marvel films, be sure to check out our updated Phase 5 and Phase 6 release date coverage.
Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.
