Benedict Cumberbatch recently disclosed key details about Avengers: Secret Wars and Doomsday, including insights into Marvel's upcoming X-Men era. Marvel and Kevin Feige likely welcomed the strategic reveal.

The key question remains:

Conspiracy Theory?

Unlikely.

Marvel may have encouraged Cumberbatch to share spoilers to shift focus from negative buzz, such as issues surrounding Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and Captain America: Brave New World.

Cumberbatch confirmed details about Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, noting major storyline changes following Jonathan Majors’ exit. Avengers 5, originally Kang Dynasty, has shifted to Doomsday, with Robert Downey Jr. returning.

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Fans hoped for a Doctor Doom and Doctor Strange team-up inspired by Triumph and Torment, but Downey’s post-Secret Wars absence suggests a different direction.

Doctor Strange Absent from Doomsday

Strange may only appear in a post-credits scene setting up Secret Wars. Cumberbatch explained his character’s absence from Doomsday stems from a misalignment with the revised storyline, originally planned to feature him prominently in Kang Dynasty.

In the initial Avengers 5 plan, Shang-Chi was a central figure alongside Kang the Conqueror and the Council of Kangs. The film has since been restructured to focus on Victor Von Doom, played by Downey.

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This shift supports theories about Shang-Chi’s Ten Rings of Power, with their origins possibly tied to Kang’s technology, as hinted in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Spider-Man, Not Iron Man

Avengers: Doomsday centers on the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom, building directly from their upcoming film. A post-credits scene, similar to Thor: Ragnarok, will likely set up Doomsday. Kevin Feige’s emphasis on “anchor beings” in Deadpool and Wolverine suggests Spider-Man, not Iron Man, may be the MCU’s anchor.

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With Strange’s reduced role, a Spider-Man versus Doctor Doom confrontation could highlight their magic and technology clash. Both versions of Avengers 5 likely adapt the Time Runs Out storyline, culminating in a multiverse collapse and Secret Wars’ Battleworld.

Secret Wars

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Secret Wars will be a multiverse epic featuring legacy actors, akin to an expanded Deadpool and Wolverine. It will include returning X-Men, Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and others, forming a multiverse Avengers team for a soft MCU reboot.

Shang-Chi’s role in Doomsday has been diminished, with his sequel delayed. Cumberbatch’s candid spoilers revealed Doctor Strange’s survival into Battleworld, alongside a cast of legacy characters.

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In Secret Wars, most MCU characters face an Infinity War-style demise as the multiverse collapses, paving the way for a new cast.

The Future of MCU and Strange

Cumberbatch hinted at Doctor Strange’s pivotal role in the MCU’s X-Men era post-Secret Wars, potentially tying into X-Men-based stories, as seen in X-Men ’97.

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He suggested Doctor Strange 3 may shift to focus on X-Men-related magic characters, possibly releasing after Secret Wars. The film could explore a Defenders or Midnight Suns storyline, featuring characters like Moon Knight or Ghost Rider.

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Originally, Doctor Strange 3 was set to lead into Kang Dynasty, addressing multiverse incursions. Now, its plot remains undefined, opening possibilities for new narratives.

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The spoilers have sparked excitement for the MCU’s evolving future.