Although his first solo movie was a pretty generic origin story, Doctor Strange’s debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was saved by trippy visual effects and a typically charming performance by Benedict Cumberbatch. The character was made far more interesting in the following two Avengers movies, in which the extent of his magical powers were shown off and he made the ultimate sacrifice to allow the events of Endgame to come to pass.
Now, Stephen Strange’s future in the MCU looks pretty bright. So, here are 10 Things We Hope To See By The End Of Doctor Strange’s MCU Arc.
Becoming the Sorcerer Supreme
Although he’s often referred to as “the Sorcerer Supreme,” because that’s the title he holds in the comics, the MCU’s Stephen Strange actually has yet to become the Sorcerer Supreme. Currently, he’s on par with the other Masters of the Mystic Arts, like Wong.
At some point in Strange’s character arc, possibly in the final chapter of his solo trilogy, he should be appointed “Sorcerer Supreme.” He broke his oath and gave up the Eye of Agamotto in Avengers: Infinity War, so that will undoubtedly present a roadblock in his quest to take on the top responsibility of a conjurer.
A more developed and personal villain
Neither Dormammu nor Kaecilius, the two primary antagonists in 2016’s Doctor Strange, felt like very well-developed villains. They were just generic bad guys with generic evil plans. Stephen Strange needs a villain who will present a real threat to him, both physically and psychologically, who is also not so different from him.
Strange’s conversations and battles with Thanos were spectacular. The Mad Titan was both an intellectual and existential match for Strange. But he wasn’t specifically a Doctor Strange villain; he had a compelling rapport with basically every Avenger. Strange needs a memorable villain who is uniquely tied to him, like Killmonger was tied to T’Challa and Ego was tied to Peter Quill.
More scenes with Thor
Doctor Strange’s cameo appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, helping the God of Thunder track down his father on Earth, was a welcome surprise. Although it distracted from the film at hand and reminded audiences that they were watching a piece in a larger puzzle, it did establish an interesting back-and-forth between the two characters.
Thor’s godly mystique doesn’t have any effect on Strange, who will gladly distract him with a beer while he does him a favor to get him off-world. Meanwhile, Strange’s magical abilities impress Thor, because after 1,500 years of fighting his way through the cosmic landscape, Thor is just happy to see anything that genuinely surprises him.
Falling out with Wong
Doctor Strange and his fellow Master of the Mystic Arts, Wong, are one of the strongest duos in the MCU. Benedicts Wong and Cumberbatch share great chemistry, and their interactions in the MCU are always fun (“Is that everyone?” “What, you wanted more?”). But they can’t just remain close friends for their entire MCU arcs, because that wouldn’t be interesting. Drama needs conflict.
Strange and Wong should have a falling-out at some stage. They’ll eventually come back together and make up, but putting a strain on their friendship would make for an interesting development in the future of Strange’s on-screen adventures.
A stronger relationship with Christine Palmer
The relationship between Tony Stark and Pepper Potts certainly wasn’t perfect. Tony often expected too much of Pepper and he was too self-centered to make his sweeping declarations of love really mean anything. But their relationship developed in interesting ways. They broke up and got back together a couple of times as Tony reconciled his paranoia and his life as Iron Man, and by Avengers: Endgame, the payoff of their relationship felt earned.
Stephen Strange and Christine Palmer had a pretty undercooked relationship in Doctor Strange, but the fact that they were together and Strange’s arrogance drove Christine away is a good jumping-off point for some personal growth.
The birth of Stephen Strange, Jr.
In the comics, Stephen Strange took on a pupil named Clea, the daughter of Umar and niece of Dormammu (the villain from the first Doctor Strange movie), and ended up falling in love with her and having a son named Stephen Strange, Jr.
Now, while the Clea storyline might not fit into the MCU – it seems like he’ll be taking on Scarlet Witch as a pupil instead, and Christine Palmer is his established love interest in the movies – the storyline of Strange having a son would be an interesting concept to explore on the back end of his character arc.
Consequences for giving up the Eye of Agamotto
Doctor Strange was sworn to protect the Eye of Agamotto – a.k.a. the Time Stone – at any cost. But then, after seeing 14 million versions of the future and just one in which the Avengers won, he gave it up to protect Tony Stark’s life.
In Avengers: Endgame, when the Hulk approached the Ancient One for the Time Stone, she only agreed to give it up when she learned that Strange handed it over to Thanos. Finding out that he willingly gave it up, she realized how dire the situation was. But he still broke his oath, and he’ll probably face some consequences for that.
Battling Nightmare
Nightmare is one of the most interesting villains in Doctor Strange lore and could create some breathtaking visuals if he appeared on the big screen. He exists in a separate dimension, haunting people’s dreams. It’s a fascinating concept, the idea that people’s nightmares take place in an entirely different dimension.
Director Scott Derrickson was hoping to use Nightmare as the villain in the first Doctor Strange movie, but there wasn’t enough room to fit him into the story. So, some fans are speculating that he’ll appear in the sequel. If he doesn’t, then he should at least crop up in a later movie.
Confronting an extradimensional version of himself
Starting in his next solo movie, Stephen Strange will be exploring the multiverse, busting it wide open and exploring all kinds of alternate dimensions. With this in mind, it would be great to see him confront an evil version of himself from another dimension at some point.
In this parallel timeline, maybe the car accident drove Strange to a dark place, or his arrogance got the better of him when he gained magical powers and, instead of sacrificing himself countless times to save Earth from the wrath of Dormammu, he emerged as the sole survivor of a worldwide apocalypse. There are any number of ways to do this.
Leading the Avengers with Black Panther and Captain Marvel
With Iron Man and Captain America out of the picture, and Thor taking a backseat in the MCU’s future, the Avengers will need a new trio of leaders, both as dramatic anchors for the big team-up movies and as literal leaders to galvanize the troops. And the MCU already has the perfect trio lined up: Captain Marvel, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange.
As a born leader with a military background, Captain Marvel can fill Steve Rogers’ shoes. As a monarch trying to redeem his father’s mistakes, Black Panther can replace Thor. And as a seemingly self-obsessed playboy who ultimately puts the greater good above his own life, Doctor Strange can be the next Iron Man.
