Benedict Cumberbatch backtracks on previous Marvel comments, says he's actually in Avengers: Doomsday after all: "Don't ever believe anything I say"

Looks like Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch has got his timelines and multiverses mixed up. Turns out the Sorcerer Supreme will be in Avengers: Doomsday after all, despite the actor recently claiming the contrary...

"Is that a spoiler? F**k it," he joked during a candid chat with Variety, before adding that his absence would be due to the fact that his slin gring-sporting superhero is "not aligning with this part of the story."

Now, though, Cumberbatch has seemingly backtracked on his comments, telling Business Insider: "I got that wrong, I am in the next one." 

"Don't ever believe anything I say," he smirked, when the publication brought up the fact that Marvel stars often lie to keep franchise secrets, like when Andrew Garfield stated multiple times that he wasn't involved in Spider-Man: No Way Home...

Last time we saw Strange onscreen, he'd successfully stopped a Darkhold-corrupted Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch from stealing America Chavez's universe-hopping powers and uniting with an alternate reality's version of her sons, Billy and Tommy. The movie kind of left his story on a cliffhanger, with Charlize Theron's Clea popping up and insisting Strange help her repair the multiverse-related "incursions" his actions have created.

Given that its release is over a year away, little is known about Avengers: Doomsday so far, but it has been revealed that it'll see the next line-up of Earth's Mightiest Heroes band together to take on Fantastic Four villain Victor von Doom (played by Iron Man's Robert Downey Jr.). 

It is currently scheduled to land in cinemas on May 1, 2026. While we wait, check out our breakdown of all of the upcoming Marvel movies or our how to watch the Marvel movies in order guide.