SUMMARY
Doctor Strange will bring X-Men cameos to Deadpool & Wolverine, according to an MCU theory.
Doctor Strange’s crucial role in the Multiverse Saga could develop in multiple MCU projects.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s latest trailer hinted at Doctor Strange’s involvement.
A new Deadpool & Wolverine theory claims Doctor Strange will be the one responsible for bringing all of the movie’s rumored X-Men cameos. As Marvel Studios’ only 2024 movie, Deadpool & Wolverine has all the spotlights turned to it. The movie has to perform exceptionally well, and judging by Deadpool & Wolverine‘s record-breaking trailers, it seems like the MCU film will meet or perhaps even exceed expectations. Those high expectations have been set up by many factors, with the most important of those being related to Deadpool & Wolverine‘s large ensemble and the film’s sprawling multiversal plot.
There are many characters rumored to appear in the movie, ranging from heroes like James Marsden’s Cyclops and Halle Berry’s Storm to villains like Liev Schreiber’s Sabretooth and Colin Farrel’s Bullseye. With the multiverse story at the center of Deadpool & Wolverine, all of those cameos and more that fans do not even think about could become real. To help make that possible, a new MCU theory has emerged, connecting the events of the upcoming film with a past MCU entry, Doctor Strange, and the announced finale of the Multiverse Saga — 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
Deadpool & Wolverine Theory Makes Doctor Strange Responsible For The X-Men Cameos
Doctor Strange Plays A Key Role In The Multiverse Saga
Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange has reached new heights in the MCU. With the departure of major characters like Iron Man and Captain America, Marvel has been trying to refocus the franchise on a few core characters, and one of the heroes to lead a major Multiverse Saga project was Doctor Strange. 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw Stephen traverse the multiverse, learning of the dangers that lie within other universes. At the end of the film, Clea recruits Strange for a key mission, and a Deadpool & Wolverine theory connects Doctor Strange’s multiverse mission to the X-Men.
Doctor Strange’s latest MCU appearance — well, for the main version of the character — was when he was called upon by Charlize Theron’s Clea to help her deal with an incursion that Strange had accidentally created. According to the Deadpool & Wolverine theory, that very incursion, or perhaps a later one that the duo attempts to stop, would involve none other than the Fox X-Men universe. An incursion is an event where two universes collide, with one or both of them being destroyed. The theory proposes that Doctor Strange and Clea will need help to save the Fox X-Men universe.
Doctor Strange and Clea would then go back into the MCU to find help. Instead of looking for the Avengers, the duo would enlist the help of two Fox X-Men actors in the MCU. After getting pulled by the TVA, Reynolds’ Deadpool and Jackman’s Wolverine would be given the chance to save the X-Men universe alongside Doctor Strange and Clea. While the Void will feature X-Men movie cameos, such as Lady Deathstrike and Pyro, the major rumored character returns for the film would come with the attempt to save the Fox X-Men universe and thus be tied to Doctor Strange.
Benedict Cumberbatch Confirmed An MCU Return In 2024
There Is No Confirmed Doctor Strange Project
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ mid-credits scene teased a continuation of Stephen’s multiversal storyline. Doctor Strange 3 is rumored to be in the works, and given how Ant-Man got a trilogy despite never getting close to the almost $1 billion of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Cumberbatch’s MCU franchise is almost surely to become a trilogy. However, for the time being, there is no announcement regarding when that will happen. That said, speaking at the JW3 Speaker Series, Cumberbatch teased that a Doctor Strange return to the MCU might happen earlier than some think.
While not revealing a project, Cumberbatch teased the filming of new scenes as Doctor Strange in 2024, saying, “There are some Marvel capers in the making next year,” back in 2023. A two-year gap is too short between the release of the second Doctor Strange film and the start of production on the third. That leaves Cumberbatch’s possible return chances to projects like Deadpool & Wolverine, The Fantastic Four, and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which is unlikely to film in 2024. With rumored reshoots to add more characters, Deadpool & Wolverine emerges as a great candidate for Doctor Strange’s return.
Deadpool & Wolverine Teased Doctor Strange’s Inclusion
The Movie’s Trailers Have Broken Records
Deadpool & Wolverine‘s trailers have done a great job of teasing the surprises the movie holds and its multiversal story without spoiling things. Marvel has revealed minor cameos like Toad and Pyro, but all of the major rumored cameos have yet to be shown, hinting at quite a few surprises being in store if even only some of the rumored characters for the multiverse film appear. However, Deadpool & Wolverine‘s latest trailer teased the possible role Doctor Strange could have in the film. A portal similar to Doctor Strange’s appeared, with Deadpool and Wolverine jumping through it.
There are a few theories related to who might be behind the portal, which includes characters like Wong and even Ned Leeds, but perhaps the simplest explanation for the portal is the correct one, and it is Doctor Strange who is responsible for it. With the last time Strange was seen being him going with Clea to stop an incursion and Deadpool & Wolverine being a movie that hedges on its two lead characters coming from different universes — at least in Deadpool’s case — to the MCU, that could lead to an incursion, thus warranting Strange’s appearance.
Doctor Strange’s Multiverse Mission Links To Avengers: Secret Wars
Cumberbatch’s Character Will Be Crucial To The Avengers
Doctor Strange’s second solo film was responsible for setting up many possible threads for the Multiverse Saga, with Multiverse of Madness introducing a key concept to the MCU. Avengers: Secret Wars, if it is based on the 2015 comic book event of the same name as it seems to be, should be all about incursions. Not only did Doctor Strange come face to face with an incursion in another universe, but the character was last seen off to deal with another one alongside Clea.
MCU fans have been complaining about the lack of a clear direction. Doctor Strange’s multiverse mission could help correct that mistake, with the character popping up in a few projects, perhaps Deadpool & Wolverine, The Fantastic Four, and Doctor Strange 3, to stop incursions and recruit heroes to help him do it. That would culminate in Avengers: Secret Wars, with Doctor Strange being the most experienced MCU character in terms of the multiverse. Deadpool & Wolverine could then serve as a major stepping stone for the overall story of the Multiverse Saga and a finale for the Fox X-Men universe.
