Avengers 5's First Confirmed Hero Is A Major Hint At The Real Story (& Marvel's Kang Solution) (2024)

Benedict Cumberbatch seemingly confirms that Doctor Strange will appear in the MCU's Avengers 5, and he may have a bigger role in the movie than originally planned. Unlike the Infinity Saga's road to Avengers: Infinity War, the Multiverse Saga hasn't provided clear set-ups ahead of Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars. But with just under two years until Avengers 5's 2026 release, the first news and updates about the MCU's next crossover movie are bound to arrive — sometimes from the mouth of the actors themselves.

Speaking to Netflix in "Benedict Cumberbatch Looks Back At His Most Iconic Roles", Benedict Cumberbatch expresses his enthusiasm for Avengers 5, seemingly confirming his involvement in the next biggest movie of the MCU's current slate. Cumberbatch says, "I'm very much looking forward to Avengers next year, which is cooking up a storm." With a May 2026 release date, Avengers 5 is likely to go into production in early to mid 2025. And while information about Avengers 5's plot is still scarce, Doctor Strange's return after his 2022 solo sequel points to the film's possible plot.

Doctor Strange In Avengers 5 Is Not a Shock

Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange Will Likely Be One Of Avengers 5's Main Characters

It's no wonder that Doctor Strange is Avengers 5's first confirmed hero, as he is the closest the MCU has to a protagonist during the Multiverse Saga. Doctor Strange was one of the most powerful and influential heroes in Avengers: Infinity War and he shaped the events of Avengers: Endgame. Strange then saved the Earth and possibly the whole multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. As protector of all reality, it's Doctor Strange's duty to be the first Avenger in action as soon as the next Thanos-level threat arrives.

Doctor Strange also possesses a web of connections that can bring the Avengers back after Iron Man's death and Steve Rogers' retirement, albeit unofficially. Strange may be the one to contact Spider-Man, Thor, America Chavez, Sam Wilson, Smart Hulk, and Rhodey Rhodes. Meanwhile, Strange's closest ally Wong will likely be the one who contacts heroes such as She-Hulk, Shang-Chi, and Daredevil. Doctor Strange's powerful magical abilities, wisdom, and experience as an Avenger will likely make him one of Avengers 5's protagonists.

Avengers 5 Has To Deal With Doctor Strange's Clea Cliffhanger

Multiverse Of Madness' Post-Credits Tease Will Have To Be Paid Off In Avengers 5 Instead Of Doctor Strange 3

Doctor Strange's battle against the Scarlet Witch ended with him growing a third eye due to his use of forbidden magic. Strange barely had any time to recover before the Dark Dimension sorceress, Clea, came to him with a new mission during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' post-credits scene, where she informed Strange of an approaching incursion. For a while, it seemed like Doctor Strange's sequel tease would be paid off in an eventual Doctor Strange 3, but now that Avengers 5 is Doctor Strange's next confirmed appearance, Strange's multiversal adventure with Clea will have to be acknowledged sooner.

Large chunks of Doctor Strange's MCU story have been left off-screen before, mostly for runtime reasons. Strange's improvement as a sorcerer in the Dark Dimension throughout countless years was summarized in a montage sequence in 2016's Doctor Strange, and his subsequent adventures were glossed over between his Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War appearances. While Avengers 5 is expected to divide its runtime equitably, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' post-credits scene needs to be properly integrated into its plot. Otherwise, the tease would join a growing list of overlooked MCU post-credits scenes that never went anywhere.

Avengers 5 Could Be About Incursions More Than Anyone Thought

Incursions Could Replace Kang The Conqueror As Avengers 5's Main Antagonistic Force

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' post-credits scene provides the ideal starting point to kick off Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars' multiversal storyline. Doctor Strange's venture into the Dark Dimension with Clea could go many ways, each of which could delineate the main conflict of the Avengers' next battles. Strange could learn exactly how the MCU's dangerous incursions work and what the Avengers need to do to prevent them, or it all could go wrong for Strange and Clea, inspiring Strange to assemble a new team of Avengers to stop an impending incursion.

Either way, the threat of multiversal incursions is interesting enough to inform Avengers 5's plot without the need of Kang the Conqueror's recasting or replacement. In fact, a straightforward story that follows Doctor Strange leading the Avengers on a mission to stop an incursion can help audiences leave Kang in the past and prepare for a new villain in Avengers: Secret Wars. After all, it's still early enough to move on from Kang the Conqueror's tepid introduction in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Source: Netflix

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty

Director

Destin Daniel Cretton

Writers

Michael Waldron

Release Date

May 1, 2026

Franchise(s)

The Avengers