It has been heavily rumored lately that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange will take center stage as a sort of new leader for the Marvel heroes and “anchor” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). With [Spoilers!] Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame and Robert Downy Jr. stepping away from the role, the MCU is lacking a character to be a focal point for the film universe like Tony Stark was. Doctor Strange seems like an obvious choice. The MCU is growing to face greater cosmic, mystic, and dimensional threats, and who better to lead the heroes against these threats than the Master of the Mystic Arts himself? Now the man behind the MCU has commented on Doctor Strange's position in the MCU.

Benedict Cumberbatch was recently honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One of the people in the audience was Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. He also gave a speech for the good Doctor himself, and the speech was captured on video by Variety. In his speech, Feige speaks about how much the Hollywood Walk of Fame means to him, and he continues by saying it is “heartwarming” to see Cumberbatch get this honor. He also praises Cumberbatch's work in Sherlock, Hamlet, and Star Trek, saying:

“There are so many roles you’ve played, Benedict, that have made you worthy of this prestigious honor. You were an amazing Hamlet. You were an incredible Sherlock Holmes. You were the second-best Khan ever, ever. You were brilliant in all the iconic roles, but to us and to millions around the globe, you deserve this honor for being the first, the best, the greatest, and the only Doctor Stephen Strange.”

Feige goes on to comment on Cumberbatch's vision for Doctor Strange and describes the meeting when Marvel pitched the character to Benedict. This is where Feige seemingly confirms Doctor Strange’s future position in the MCU:

“Benedict has turned this character into an icon, appearing in a historic three of the top six films of all time. It’s been quite a journey. I remember our very first meeting was set up as a general, and we wanted to pitch him this great character, and before we could, he said, ‘So tell me about Doctor Strange,’ because you knew. Because somewhere you knew what this could be and you’ve always seen the tremendous potential in this character. Because of that, you’ve become the anchor of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the only actor capable of guiding us through the madness of the Multiverse.”

With this statement, Kevin Feige seems to have outright confirmed that Doctor Strange is now the anchor of the MCU, to the delight of many fans. Doctor Strange is an obvious choice. In the comics, he is the Sorcerer Supreme, and it is likely that he will have that role in the films as well. He is also one of the only heroes to have experience with the Multiverse, which will make him invaluable to any dimensional threats. He will also have the experience that, frankly, none of the other heroes in the MCU have.

Seeing Cumberbatch in the role for several more years to come is a huge plus as well. His take on the character is amazing, and it is one of those superhero castings that will be hard to top in any future efforts to reboot the film. Of course, he will not be the anchor of the MCU forever. However, going into the rest of Phase 4 and into Phase 5 of the MCU, it is safe to say Cumberbatch will be popping up a lot more frequently, and that is something to be excited about. Fans will not have to wait long to see him either because Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premieres on May 6.

Source(s): The Direct

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