Benedict Cumberbatch rewrote some of Doctor Strange's variant scenes in . The Sam Raimi-directed film continued the sorcerer's story in the post-Infinity Saga MCU. In the film, Doctor Strange he met a young hero, America Chavez, and went up against Wanda Maximoff, who .
After subtly setting up the multiverse for a while with projects like , and , really delved deeper into the concept. That included further utilizing the concept of variants as first established in with the introduction of various versions of the God of Mischief from other realities. Seeing Doctor Strange meet and even fight variants of himself was one of the most interesting aspects of the blockbuster.
Meanwhile, Scarlet Witch also got to interact with a variant of her as she attempted to find a universe where she can permanently be with her and .
In a new interview with , Cumberbatch recalls how the Sacred Timeline's Doctor Strange's fight with Sinister Strange evolved with his help. Apparently, he took it upon himself to rewrite it, and luckily, both Raimi and ' writer, Michael Waldron were supportive of his input. Read Cumberbatch's full quote below:
I got to write some of those scenes … I suggested that it needed to get darker at a point. There was a slightly more saccharine version at one stage and I’m really happy with the way it evolved.
Sam Raimi was so game for it and Michael Waldron really supported me to write it as well. We turned what was a very small combat between the two into a sort of very bizarre and inventive battle in that moment. I really loved it. It was how the original was pitched to me a long while back when Scott Derrickson was still working with us: Strange would meet versions of himself. It was something I wanted to lean into. We could have gone even further, and maybe it will go into the future.
was one of the most hotly-anticipated projects in Phase 4. Between Raimi's Marvel return and its exploration of the multiverse, fans understandably had high expectations. Unfortunately,, with many not appreciating how Wanda was handled in the film. But, one would be hard-pressed to find anyone who didn't like Stephen Strange's fight with Sinister Strange. The sequence was supposed to be short, luckily through Cumberbatch's involvement, it became longer. While Scarlet Witch is deemed to be the villain of the narrative, the battle between the sorcerer and his misguided variant was arguably the best one-on-one fight in the movie.
Although Doctor Strange is expected to be a major player in the MCU's Multiverse Saga, it's still yet to be revealed when and where he will pop up again in the MCU. ended with him meeting Clea, played by Charlize Theron as they go on a multiversal mission. The scene clearly sets up what's next for the sorcerer, but Marvel Studios haven't confirmed when the inevitable film will be released. But when it finally happens, hopefully, it's able to further play with the idea of variants.
