Is Doctor Strange in Spider-Man film? Set photo leaks closely guarded Marvel secret
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' is perhaps Marvel's biggest release since 'Avengers: Endgame'. The excitement around the film is at an all-time high, given that August 1 was Spider-Man day, but there was no sign of the much-awaited trailer. While Marvel fans eagerly await some official news, they've had to quench their thirst with leaks of toys and images from the film. On August 1, another image leaked, this time from the set of the film indicating that one particular rumor could be true.
As one of the biggest film franchises in the world, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has continued to roll on, delivering hit after hit. In July, the first season of 'Loki' concluded indicating that season 2 would be on its way. Meanwhile, fans also have the 'Eternals' to look forward to, making their big-screen debut this year. Fans will also be treated to Marvel's first Asian superhero 'Shang-Chi', which could feature the Abomination battle Wong.
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Speaking of Wong, there have been persistent rumors since 2020 that Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange would return to the MCU in 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'. It's been around for a very long time, and Kevin Fiege even hinted at it during the Phase 4 announcement. However, neither Sony nor Marvel have explicitly said Doctor Strange would appear in the film, leaving it as a big question mark, until now.
Is Doctor Strange in 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'?
Before we reveal to you the actual leak, let's first take a trip down memory lane. In early October 2020, The Hollywood Reporter was one of the first to report that Cumberbatch would star in the film. Since then, we've seen numerous rumors and hints about the film, indicating that it would indeed feature the Sorcerer Supreme. During his Phase 4 presentation in December 2020, Feige said, "not only will 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' connect directly to the events of 'WandaVision', but it will also connect to the events of our new Spider-Man film." From that line, it's clear the Sorcerer Supreme will be linked in some way to 'No Way Home'.
But will he actually feature in the film? We can confirm that is most likely the case, not just based on a large number of toy leaks, but a new set photo leak. Uploaded on Twitter by @3CFilm, the photo shows Spider-Man interacting with the Doctor at none other than the New York Sanctum. Thanks to the presence of a blue screen and camera rigs, we can confirm that this is certainly a leaked set photo. "#HappySpiderManDay get hyped for #SpiderManNoWayHome with a new set photo!" the account tweeted.
#HappySpiderManDay 🕷🕸 get hyped for #SpiderManNoWayHome with a new set photo! More Details HERE: https://t.co/sze4vEUg3g pic.twitter.com/D73OkvCL0H
— Cris Parker (@3CFilm) August 1, 2021
The photo itself was first uploaded by the person on his YouTube video, published on August 1. The person didn't reveal how he got the photo but did provide some context for it. In the video, 3CFilms explained how the scene could play out. As most fans believe, Peter Parker will turn to Doctor Strange for help after his secret identity is outed (the post-credits scene in 'Spider-Man: Far From Home'). How that will go is anyone's guess, but 3CFilms believes Doctor Strange "is not going to be very nice" to Spidey.
As for the truck in the background, it's not just a random one. In the comics, F.E.A.S.T is a charity run by the villain Mister Negative. Once he is outed, the charity is taken over by May Parker. We already saw May doing charity work in 'Spider-Man: Far From Home', but the organization was never named. Perhaps she now runs F.E.A.S.T? The MCU is known for laying easter eggs years in the making, so it's worth keeping note of the truck, it could become a huge plot point in future films.
The set photo is our first biggest confirmation that the multiverse will indeed play out in 'No Way Home', which could explain the rumored presence of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx, and others. Hopefully, we will get more answers with the trailer, which you can expect anytime soon. 'No Way Home' is set to release on December 16, 2021, in theatres.
