If you were wondering where Doctor Strange 2 is, Kevin Feige almost has an answer for you. The powerhouse producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe recently spoke to Collider about the way future plans are shaping up for the mega-franchise as its ten-year anniversary rapidly approaches, and it seems that – as far as the public is concerned – Doctor Strange 2 is a little way down Marvel’s list of priorities.
When asked when fans could expect to see it, Feige emphasized the need for patience, as the slate is currently brimming with projects.
“Certainly, we would love to tell more about the Strange story [in a sequel]. But it won’t be for a while. Our focus is on the next six movies. Finishing the first three phases, getting Untitled Avengers out into the world on May 19th before publicly focusing on anything else.”
The way in which the MCU is dealing with the character of Doctor Strange is somewhat unusual, within the context of the wider franchise. He made his big screen debut in 2016, and it was well-received – albeit with some controversy surrounding the casting choice for the character of The Ancient One. But, a sequel was not immediately scheduled – which breaks from the tradition of every other character that has had a Marvel movie of their own. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Ant-Man, the Guardians Of The Galaxy team, Spider-Man – they’ve all starred in a blockbuster film, and been handed a release date for a follow-up movie before the first outing had even ended its theatrical run. In this respect, Doctor Strange is certainly an anomaly.
It’s not that he’s simply disappearing from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, either. On the contrary, he has significant involvement in both Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War. This means that the contribution of Doctor Strange to the MCU, for the time being, is more akin to that of The Incredible Hulk than any of his fellow movie headliners. The difference is, licensing issues prevent The Hulk from doing more – but that’s not the case for Doctor Strange.
So, why the delay in delivering a sequel? It’s always possible that scheduling the talent prevents Marvel from setting out its Doctor Strange 2 plans until after the end of Phase Three. After all, Benedict Cumberbatch has a healthy slate of projects taking him through 2018 and beyond, and we know that all involved are keen for director Scott Derrickson to return to helm the sequel. The filmmaker is committed to the television adaptation of Snowpiercer at the moment, but having him take the reins of the Strange story once more will certainly make it worth such a lengthy wait.