Benedict Cumberbatch has revealed that he is worried about whether the upcoming sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will hold up to its predecessor. Cumberbatch has starred as Doctor Stephen Strange across the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since his first appearance as the titular character in Scott Derickson's 2016 movie Doctor Strange, which grossed around $678 million at the box office. Doctor Strange has gone on to become an integral part of the Marvel films, with his mastery of the mystic arts establishing him as one of the more powerful heroes within the comic-book universe.

Cumberbatch is set to appear in the highly anticipated Spider-Man threequel, Spider-Man: No Way Home, which will seemingly see Strange accidentally open up the multiverse after Peter Parker asks him to make the world forget that he is Spider-Man. How the events of this film will unravel remains to be seen, of course, but Strange will return next year in the long-awaited sequel to his stand-alone film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is has been given the title of the MCU's first-ever horror movie. While the sequel is shrouded in mystery, fans now know that Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) will appear alongside Strange, after the final moments of Wandavision appeared to show her harnessing her chaos magic.

Related: What Mobius & Sylvie In Doctor Strange 2 Mean For Multiverse of Madness

Now, Cumberbatch has shared that he is worried Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness won't share the same "riotous success" as the first Doctor Strange film. Speaking to Esquire, the actor shared that he has "second album fear" for the sequel and commented on the enormous success of Doctor Strange. He then went on to acknowledge how Strange has become such a "much-loved" character within the MCU. Check out Cumberbatch's full quote below.

"I’ve got the Second Album Fear with this one, like anyone should, because the first one was such a riotous success and he’s become a much-loved character."

Close-up of Doctor Strange using magic

Cumberbatch also comments on how Marvel are "very good at exceeding expectations" but that this is considerably harder when expectations are already high. The add to the hype that surrounds this movie, the director of Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man trilogy, Sam Raimi, will helm the Doctor Strange sequel. This certainly raises the bar of expectations, as the original Spidey films are held in incredibly high regard by many. With rumors also swirling that Maguire himself could appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home alongside Cumberbatch, it's clear to see the web of expectations that surrounds these future Marvel releases.

Intense fan speculation certainly comes with the territory when you consider the scale of the audiences that the Marvel films have amassed over the past 13 years. Couple that with the scope of the storytelling within the comic-book stories that MCU films originate from, and it becomes easy to see how a film simply cannot please every single person. Cumberbatch's concerns are entirely understandable, and while the Marvel universe rarely suffers from sequel-itis, audiences will have to wait until mid-next year to find out just what Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has in store.

Next: New Powers Doctor Strange Could Have In Multiverse of Madness

Source: Esquire

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