Benedict Cumberbatch Jokes About Not Getting a Chair During AVENGERS DOOMSDAY Cast Reveal

Marvel Studios made Avengers: Doomsday feel like a true event when they unveiled the film’s massive cast through a viral livestream. One by one, director’s chairs with actors’ names appeared on screen, confirming the return of heroes like Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, members of the Fantastic Four, and even some surprise faces from Fox’s original X-Men films.

But as the chairs kept rolling out, fans couldn’t help but notice one big absence: Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange.

Well, It turns out the Sorcerer Supreme is still in the game, and Cumberbatch just couldn’t resist teasing fans about it.

“I don’t know, maybe they didn’t have enough chairs,” Cumberbatch joked to Brazilian outlet Omelete when asked why he wasn’t included in Marvel’s viral cast reveal, even humming the Doctor Strange theme for extra flair.

When pressed about whether Kevin Feige was deliberately hiding Strange’s role in Doomsday, the actor didn’t hold back. “That’s exactly it,” he said, before adding, “Call him!”

While Marvel hasn’t officially confirmed anything, Cumberbatch’s comments are about as close to a straight answer as we’re going to get. Rumors point to a major arc for Strange in Avengers: Doomsday, with reports suggesting he could team up with Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom to stop the threat of multiversal Incursions.

Considering Strange has been at the center of the MCU’s multiverse storyline since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the idea makes perfect sense.

Multiverse of Madness introduced the concept of Incursions, catastrophic events where two universes collide and one, or both, cease to exist. Strange even encountered a doomed reality destroyed by one of his own variants who triggered an Incursion.

By the end of the film, in a mid-credits stinger, he’s confronted by Clea (played by Charlize Theron) who warns him, “You caused an Incursion, and we’re gonna fix it.” Without hesitation, Strange follows her into the Dark Dimension, setting the stage for his continued role as the MCU’s multiversal watchdog.

Alongside Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who’s already confirmed for the film, Strange is one of the few MCU characters with direct ties to the Incursion threat. Fans who noticed his missing chair during the cast reveal may have been worried for a moment, but Cumberbatch’s cheeky confirmation should put those concerns to rest.

Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters on December 18, 2026, and it looks like Doctor Strange will once again be right in the middle of the chaos.