Things aren’t going to be easy for Doctor Strange; he’s going to have to stop Kaecilius and his zealots once his solo movie opens next week. Did I mention that Strange has the honor of following up one of the biggest Marvel movies to date in Captain America: Civil War? Oh… and his work is just getting started.
There are swirling rumors of Stephen Strange appearing in other MCU films. Then, of course, there’s that whole Infinity War thing on the horizon. So, once the next Avengers movie rolls around, you’re probably going to wonder which side Strange will be on. Could he be Team Cap? Perhaps Team Iron Man suits him better. Well, as Benedict Cumberbatch told Yahoo, the answer really isn’t that simple.
“I think [Doctor Strange] has to be Team Doctor Strange. His job title is defender of the fabric of reality. I mean, he fights other dimensional threats that are beyond the perceptions of that very potent squabble [between Cap and Iron Man], and I’d like to think he’s going to help them both, rather than take sides.”
Let’s be honest here. He calls the issues central to Civil War as a “potent squabble”, but what he really means is petty. That’s because Strange might be the character to realize a bigger threat is coming to Earth in the form of Thanos. And once again, it’ll be The Master of the Mysic Arts who’s right in the thick of things.
“Doctor Strange is there to provide the opening of a new chapter. It’s literally going to open up the dimensions, so just when that frame got a little crowded, it’s got a whole lot bigger.”
So, from the perspective of Cumberbatch, it’s Strange who will be central to the events in Infinity War. While Captain America, Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers will be responsible for being in the front lines, it might actually be the magic possessed by Strange that gets the ball rolling. So, in the end, it’s seems Strange will convince Steve Rogers and Tony Stark to put aside their “potent squabble” for the greater good. This could mean that instead of the Illuminati theory circling The Avengers, it might just be one man who causes all the chaos (and this time it’s not Stark’s fault).
So, while Doctor Strange will join the Avengers eventually, he may never actually belong to the group. The wisdom he possesses and knowledge of other worlds set him apart from the rest of Earth’s mightiest heroes. According to director Scott Derrickson, it’s what makes Strange unique within the confines of the MCU.
“It’s part of what I liked about him in the comics. Part of what makes Doctor Strange Doctor Strange is that he stands in a lonely position. He is the gatekeeper between our world and other dimensions, so he doesn’t really stand on anyone’s side other than the side of protecting our world from the malevolent threats that only he protects the world from.”
We’ll get to see some of those malevolent threats next week, once Doctor Strange finally hits theaters. As for how the character grows by the time Infinity War rolls around? Well… let Cumberbatch explain.
“The character list gets a little heavier [from ‘Doctor Strange’ to ‘Infinity War’] and you’re working with some legends of the screen let alone iconic characters. So that’ll be a lot of fun.”
