We’ve often talked about Doctor Strange’s resurrection in Avengers 4. After all, he’s the mastermind of the only plan that will allow the Avengers to triumph over Thanos. Doctor Strange made sure that Star-Lord woke Thanos up from Mantis’s sleep, he saved Iron Man’s life, and he prolonged the battle on Titan for just long enough so that Ant-Man would be trapped in the Quantum Realm at the time of the snap. Doctor Strange’s death was the only way to win.
The fact that Strange saw a win beyond his death is proof enough his death was not final — that much we learned from the original Doctor Strange film. And now we have one more piece of evidence that says Doctor Strange’s death is only temporary.
It’s all thanks to Doctor Strange and Avengers star Benedict Wong, who just said that filming for the Doctor Strange 2 might start as soon as December. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that a Doctor Strange 2 film is in the making. But if it is, it’s almost certainly going to be set after the events in Avengers 4, and it’ll be included in the fourth phase of the MCU adventures.
So far we know that both Spider-Man: Far From Home and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 are set after the Avengers 4 events, with the former expected to start right in the aftermath of Avengers 4.
Benedict Wong is coy in his fate after #AvengersInfinityWars but said he did film stuff for the sequel. And he hopes to start filming #doctorStrange 2 at the end of the year. #FXV18 @FANEXPOVAN pic.twitter.com/am4AZE6c8P
— Pop Goes The World📺 (@Popgoestheworld) October 13, 2018
Wong did not say what happens to his character, also named Wong, in Avengers 4, but he did talk about Doctor Strange 2 at the Fan Expo Vancouver this weekend, per ComicBookMovie, and hinted that filming for Strange 2 will begin in December.
.@wongrel hints at @DrStrange sequel will begin filming this December.#FXV18 #Marvel
— Nerdy Curious 🧐 (@nerdycurious) October 13, 2018
This seems to indicate that Wong will not die in Avengers 4. Assuming filming does start this December, it’s likely that Doctor Strange 2 will launch in 2020 at the earliest. Marvel does three movies a year, and 2019 is fully booked. We’ve got Captain Marvel, Avengers 4, and Spider-Man 2 launching in March, April/May, and July, respectively.
A few weeks ago, a report from The Mirror said that Benedict Cumberbatch was being offered more than $9.5 million for the sequel. The report noted at the time that filming could start as early as next year, and last for some six months. “Benedict has become a huge player in the Marvel universe,” a source told The Mirror at the time. “But the nature of the shoot for the sequel means we’re looking at 2020 for the next time we see the sleuth in a full series – if it happens at all.”
Wong’s remarks seem to suggest that Cumberbatch’s contract was settled and the project is going forward.
Earlier than that, Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson also teased the sequel on Twitter. His latest Strange tease came on Instagram a few days ago. It reveals nothing about Doctor Strange 2 plans — it’s just hilarious:
