The Marvel Cinematic Universe is cruising toward its big Multiverse Saga finale with Avengers: Doomsday being released next year and Avengers: Secret Wars following that. There are a lot of questions about what’s going to happen after that, but a new rumor claims that one of those projects will be Doctor Strange 3.
A report from Nexus Point News claims Doctor Strange 3 is in early development at Marvel Studios, with plans to start production sometime after Secret Wars. While this is only a rumor and should be taken with as many magically produced grains of salt as you have to muster, the rumor does have some interesting elements, especially as in regards to the director Benedict Cumberbatch is allegedly interested in.
Benedict Cumberbatch Reportedly Wants An Oscar-Winning Filmmaker For Doctor Strange 3
According to the rumor, Doctor Strange himself, Benedict Cumberbatch, is interested in bringing Sam Mendes on board to helm the third installment of the franchise. It would be an interesting choice to say the least. Mendes has never done a big blockbuster comic book movie, but who wouldn’t want to see his take on it?
Mendes would be a great choice, and I’d love to see it happen if this is at all true. As he’s proven, Mendes can certainly jump into an existing franchise and make magic. To that point, he directed Skyfall, one of the best James Bond movies ever. The director — who won an Academy Award for American Beauty — also got a real creative flair that would be fitting for a Doctor Strange movie, as he showed off in his “one take” movie, 1917.
The biggest hurdle to getting Mendes for Doctor Strange 3 would be the schedule. Mendes is currently involved in his massive four-film Beatles biopic project, which is expected to start shooting soon, and won’t be hitting theaters until 2028. So Mendes is going to be pretty busy and, if Strange 3 is planned to be an early Phase 7 (my god, are we really talking about Phase 7) project, the British director may simply not be available in the right window.
If Sam Mendes were to actually be hired, he would also be something of a break from tradition, as the two previous directors for Doctor Strange movies, Scott Derrickson and Sam Raimi, have been known for their horror movie skills. Horror is one genre Mendes has never really dealt with. This could indicate a planned change in tone for the franchise.
The Future Of Doctor Strange In The MCU Is Murky
Of course, another big question is in what state the MCU will find Doctor Strange after the Multiverse Saga ends. At this point, we don’t even know if or when we’ll see Cumberbatch’s character in the Avengers projects. Initially, the actor was implying he wouldn’t be in Doomsday. Then he was saying he would be, but his name was not among those revealed in the big Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement.
The other key elements of this rumor that are important, assuming any of it is actually true, are to indicate there will even be a Doctor Strange 3, and that Cumberbatch plans to continue with the character. There are expectations that many Marvel roles will be recast following Avengers: Secret Wars, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens moving forward.
In the meantime, stream the first two films in the Doctor Strange franchise, along with other MCU films, using a Disney+ subscription.