Doctor Stranger Is Joining The 'Avengers', Kind Of

In the summer of 2016, the original Avengers picked sides and defended the world from evil in Captain America: Civil War. However, alongside the original set of Avengers from the 2012 film was the ever-growing list of new heroes that have been joining S.H.I.E.L.D.'s missions over the years. Following the end of the Captain America versus Iron Man feud, a new kind of hero is headed to theaters next: Doctor Strange. But, when compared to the heroes fans have already seen on the big screen, Strange is a rather strange new addition. So, is Doctor Strange one of The Avengers? He may not become one of the main characters of the team, but this team of superheroes will definitely need his help with what's coming next.

According to Cumberbatch's latest interview with Empire magazine, the actor has confirmed that he will be appearing in the next official group film, 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. However, since there no connections between Doctor Strange's storyline and the bigger picture of the MCU in place as of yet, it's hard to tell where Doctor Strange fits in. As a renowned scientist with a newfound awareness of other dimensions, Dr. Stephen Strange is ready to fight his own inter-dimensional threats. Considering he receives warlock-type powers in the original comics, Strange is a Marvel superhero in his own right. But where does he fit into the team?

As it was noted during the interview, there's been a “logistical challenge of aligning his [Cumberbatch's] schedule with those of Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany.” However, that isn't stopping the actor from wanting to get in on the team action himself. Cumberbatch went on to say that "to get us all together will be quite something," and hinted at his character's connection to the larger scheme of things with, "That’s why this character is being introduced, to open up the next chapter… So watch this space to see how that unfolds."

So, Doctor Strange will fit in there one way or another — even if he can't necessarily fight with them side-by-side.

As fans of the comics already know, Doctor Stranger does have ties to the MCU's highly-anticipated super-villain, Thanos. After briefly introducing Thanos to film audiences throughout multiple Avengers films and Guardians Of The Galaxy, Strange could be connected to the larger story at play here. The story that we haven't gotten to see quite enough of in the midst of all the civil wars and personal struggles the original team of heroes has been dealing with.

On November 4, Marvel is giving us a whole new hero unlike any of the superheroes we've seen in the Avengers thus far — and we'll be seeing loads more of him going forward.

Images: Marvel Entertainment/YouTube