Doctor Strange 2: Every Future Marvel Movie It Could Set Up

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could set up several upcoming Marvel movies due to its focus on the Multiverse and the characters involved. The sequel to the 2016 film is potentially the biggest movie in Phase 4, so it certainly feels like a good place for Marvel Studios to lay the groundwork for more MCU characters.

Following supporting roles in the battle against Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sorcerer Supreme will be back in action in Doctor Strange 2, a film that will team him up with a member of the Avengers. Alongside Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Strange will be involved in a story that will presumably reach across multiple dimensions and worlds in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Also taking part in the story is Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who was last seen descending down a villainous path in Doctor Strange’s post-credits scene.

Marvel’s original plan was for Doctor Strange 2 to be the fourth movie on its Phase 4 slate, after Black Widow, Eternals, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. However, the production delays related to the coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench into those plans. Since Doctor Strange 2 has been pushed back from May 2021 to March 2022, it’ll now be releasing after Spider-Man 3 and Thor: Love and Thunder. Though Doctor Strange 2 is now positioned near the end of Phase 4, the film could be poised to shape the next batch of Marvel movies in Phase 5.

Black Panther 2

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige previously confirmed that Doctor Strange 2 includes an unexpected guest character Marvel has always wanted to use. A Marvel Comics superhero who fits that criteria is Namor the Sub-Mariner, who is arguably the most important Marvel character who has never appeared on the big screen. With Namor being the king of an undersea civilization rather than a character with mystical powers, he doesn’t have an obvious connection to Strange, but the two are longtime allies and co-founding members of the Defenders in the comics. In fact, Strange is one of the few superheroes on the surface who Namor - a man known for not getting along with humans - counts as a friend.

Namor himself doesn’t possess magical abilities, but Atlantis is the home to many magical artifacts, one of which being the infamous Serpent Crown. One of these magical items could draw the attention of Strange or Mordo, who may have to seek out Namor to acquire the magical means needed to accomplish their goal. A scene with Strange and Namor in Atlantis could introduce an important corner of Marvel Universe into the MCU. Perhaps the main point of having Strange meet Namor in the movie would be to set the stage for a future team-up with a comic accurate Defenders group, but it could also lead into Black Panther 2 as well. Namor is heavily rumored to the movie’s main villain. Plus, a relationship between Atlantis and Wakanda was teased in Avengers: Endgame. It’s possible that if Marvel does indeed to make Namor Black Panther 2’s villain, audiences will already know the Avenging Son by this point.

Blade

Blade was confirmed to be in development at SDCC 2019. In the comics, Blade is a half-human, half-vampire warrior who has pledged his life to hunting down Dracula and his underlings. Before diving into the world of vampires all at once, Marvel may build up to its Blade movie by teasing their existence in a prior installment. There’s of course no movie better suited to bringing these supernatural creatures into the MCU than Doctor Strange 2. The introduction of vampires in the MCU is a risky move that Marvel must handle with care.

One reason why it may be easier to make this work in Doctor Strange 2 than the others is related to the fact that the movie is already sure to incorporate all sorts of fantastic elements and concepts. Vampires could fit right in with the rest of it. The setup could be as simple as Doctor Strange dropping a line that implies Dracula is real, or it could be something more meaningful, like a brief appearance from an actual vampire. In the comics, Strange is far from oblivious to the threat they pose, and the same could be true for the MCU version of the character.

X-Men

In the comics, the Earth is protected by multiple teams of superheroes who the public are fully aware of, such as the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. In the MCU, on the other hand, only the Avengers are around. There are no X-Men – yet. Because of rights issues, the MCU hasn’t been able to leave much room for mutants. After ten years of having to find ways to give character super powers – other than having them simply be born with them – it could seem odd for Marvel to suddenly reveal that mutants have existed in secret all this time.

It’s been speculated that Marvel will circumvent this problem by introducing a timeline where mutants do exist in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Another way Marvel can help set up the X-Men in Doctor Strange 2 is by retconning Scarlet Witch into a mutant. One mutant in particular whose magical abilities would tie her nicely to the world of Strange is Magik, a key member of the New Mutants and the X-Men.

Fantastic Four

Namor isn’t the only candidate for Doctor Strange 2’s mystery character, however. A second choice is the Fantastic Four’s archenemy, Doctor Doom. In Marvel Comics, the Latverian dictator has a reputation for being obsessed with both science and magic. Doom’s interest in magic and ambitions have caused him to set his sights on Scarlet Witch on more than occasion. Knowing that her reality-warping powers would be a great asset to his plans, Doom has targeted her in the past.

Given his comic history, it’s easy to imagine the MCU’s Doom pulling some strings to get his hands on Wanda and her powers in Doctor Strange 2, whether it be in the film’s main storyline or in a post-credits scene. Doom could even be behind the events that play out in the movie, similar to how Thanos was behind the Chitauri invasion. As one of Marvel’s greatest villains, Doom is guaranteed to have a major presence in the MCU once he’s introduced. His role, whatever it may be, is unlikely to be limited to the MCU’s Fantastic Four franchise.

More: Multiverse Of Madness Can Make Doctor Strange The Most Powerful Avenger