Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic-Con 2019 presentation featured an MCU Phase 4 schedule that confirmed the release dates for WandaVision and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Per new teases from that SDCC presentation, the Disney+ show and the movie sequel will be linked, and it all begins with the release dates for both of these projects.
WandaVision, which sees Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprising their roles as Scarlet Witch and Vision, was confirmed for a spring 2021 release on Disney+. Doctor Strange 2, scheduled for May 21, 2021, will pick up with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) after the events of Avengers: Endgame. At first glance, one might think there's nothing special about their release dates; one's a TV show and one's a movie. But Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige confirmed during Marvel's SDCC presentation that Scarlet Witch would appear in Doctor Strange 2. This means we have to reconsider just how closely these two titles will be premiering, and see if they are going to influence one another.
The confirmed inclusion of Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange 2 makes the release date of WandaVision of particular interest. WandaVision's spring 2021 release date is timed to immediately precede Doctor Strange 2. If Scarlet Witch is due to show up, then it's possible this TV show and sequel are two parts of the same story. If not directly linked, we should at least expect the events of WandaVision to influence Doctor Strange 2. We still don't know the plot of WandaVision, making the Doctor Strange 2 connection all the more noteworthy in regards to the ways it could tie into the show. Viewers should be prepared for the 6-episode season of WandaVision season 1 to dedicate some screentime (if not the entire thing) to laying the groundwork for Doctor Strange 2, especially where Scarlet Witch is concerned.
It makes sense that WandaVision and Doctor Strange 2, in particular, would be linked together. Scarlet Witch's powers of chaotic hex magic could be of particularly good use to Doctor Strange on his multiverse travels. Doctor Strange, in turn, might be able to help Scarlet Witch hone her powers — something she's needed since her introduction in Avengers: Age of Ultron. But with the plots for both titles yet to be revealed, it remains unclear how these two will influence once another outside of the one clue we have: the release dates.
Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Doctor Strange are going into uncharted territory in a Phase 4, post-Endgame world, and connecting their stories is an exciting way to expand the mystical, magical side of the MCU. For now, we'll have to wait and see exactly how Wanda and Doctor Strange end up becoming allies in their future mission.
