'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness': Is Benedict Cumberbatch MCU Phase 4's leader?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe came to a monumental turning point with the release of ‘Avengers: Endgame’. The movie marked the beginning of Phase 4 where MCU will continue the story of the grand universe again with some old and new heroes.
The early days of the Marvel franchise saw Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man leading the way. Iron Man is referred not only as the most popular hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also as the leader of the Avengers. He was a genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist who used his brains to lead the Avengers into battle. It all changed in the MCU when the devastating events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ saw the loss of Black Widow, Steve Rogers, and Iron Man. However, his noble sacrifice means someone new needs to take charge. Could Doctor Strange be the leader of MCU Phase 4?
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Tony Stark aka Iron Man was the hero who launched the MCU and very much shaped the cinematic universe. He has long been the face of the MCU, until his sacrifice to defeat Thanos. Of course, that leads to the question of who will lead the MCU in 'Endgame's' wake. Doctor Strange played by Benedict Cumberbatch is a very powerful earthbound hero who deals directly with the biggest threats in the universe. Strange was also the man behind the plan to destroy Thanos. Therefore he acquires both the intelligence and the dark arts which makes him even more powerful than Iron Man.
‘In Spider-Man: No Way Home’, Peter Parker reached out to Doctor Strange after his secret identity as Spider-Man was revealed by Mysterio. Luckily, Doctor Strange was eager to help him and guide him. Even though there was a lapse in judgment, we saw a new side of Doctor Strange who was willing to bend rules and go against expectations for the sake of the greater good similar to Captain America and Iron Man. By the end of the movie, when Peter finally agreed to wipe out his identity to keep the multiverse from being torn apart, Doctor Strange became quite emotional, knowing that he would no longer have any recollection of their time together. This indicates that in the short time that they've known each other, he'd become genuinely concerned about Spider-Man, just like Tony Stark before him — yet another reason why the sorcerer could work as the caring and strong leader of the Avengers.
The tremendous potential of the character could mean that Benedict Cumberbatch would be the perfect candidate for the leader of MCU Phase 4. It is possible that in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’, the sorcerer will rise to lead the MCU franchise.
'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' will premiere on May 6 in theaters