Doctor Strange actor Benedict Cumberbatch isn't entirely sure if Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is "his" movie.
Cumberbatch, who is billed to headline the upcoming sequel to 2016's Doctor Strange, recently appeared as a guest star on an episode of Marc Maron's WTF Podcast. While discussing the actor's ongoing projects, the two briefly chatted about The Multiverse of Madness, which is currently undergoing reshoots until the end of 2021. After discussing Cumberbatch's history in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Maron asked the actor, "So [Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness] is your movie?" Cumberbatch initially replied, "Yeah," before elaborating, "Well...yeah that's part of the problem. There's a lot of stuff going on in it."
"It's like, do I have a character arc in this? Is it working?" Cumberbatch said before walking back the sentiment. "No, there's great stuff for me to do. It's very busy. It's called The Multiverse of Madness, and it's bonkers."
While the story of The Multiverse of Madness is still mostly a mystery, the released synopsis places the film after the events of Avengers: Endgame and describes how an "old friend turned enemy" will foil Strange's research into the Time Stone, causing him to unleash a great evil onto the multiverse. In addition to following up on the first Doctor Strange film, The Multiverse of Madness is expected to follow up on the multiversal storylines set up in the Disney+ shows WandaVision and Loki and the upcoming Spider-Man threequel, No Way Home.
In addition to Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange, The Multiverse of Madness is expected to include a myriad of MCU characters. Returning Doctor Strange characters include Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer and Benedict Wong as Wong. The sequel will also include Elizabeth Olson's Wanda Maximoff following her transformation into the Scarlet Witch, and Xochitl Gomez will make her MCU debut as America Chavez, a fan-favorite multiversal superhero from the Marvel comics.
Earlier this Fall, Marvel announced Doctor Strange would undergo reshoots until the end of 2021. While one source described the reshoots as "significant," other sources have since downplayed their scale, including Cumberbatch. The star attributed the Multiverse of Madness reshoots to logistical problems and delays due in part to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, saying, "We're working incredibly hard to make a schedule work to realize the full potential of the film -- bits that we want to do better but also bits that were just impossible to do on the day."
Directed by Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is still set for release on May 6, 2022. Before that film releases, Doctor Strange will appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which releases Dec. 17.
Source: WTF Podcast