Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was full of different variants of known characters. Peggy Carter as Captain Carter, Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel, and Karl Mordo as Sorcerer Supreme. Of course, there were bound to be a few new Doctor Strange appearances in a movie centered around the multiverse. As it turns out, Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the immensely powerful sorcerer, revealed he helped write a few scenes involving his variants.

During an interview with Prestige Online, Cumberbatch discussed his time with the Doctor Strange sequel and why he felt some scenes needed a darker tone. When asked about playing variants in the movie, he said, “That was the most fun bit, and I couldn’t talk about any of that pre-press, so it’s very nice to be able to speak about it now.” Cumberbatch continues, “I absolutely loved it, and it sounds so egotistical — but there we go, that’s what actors are — but I loved doing the scenes with myself because of the challenge of it,” he explains. “And 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.”

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The final battle between Strange and his variant was incredibly inventive, to say the least. “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.”

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was the first feature film to delve into the differing universes, although Spider-Man: No Way Home introduced audiences to the concept on the big screen. Of course, Loki also played an immense part in displaying the multiverse despite being a Disney+ series. Fans will see much more as the Multiverse Saga of the MCU has just begun.

Benedict Cumberbatch Teases Reemergence of Variants in the Future

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Although Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premiered earlier this summer, that doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of all the sorcerer’s variants. During his Prestige Online interview, Cumberbatch discussed possible directions his character could go and why Strange might need his multiversal companions in the future.

“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,” he explains. “We could have gone even further, and maybe it will go into the future. Who knows what other versions we might need in the multiverse chapter of the MCU? But it was very enjoyable to play all the variants of myself.”

For now, Cumberbatch’s next appearance in the MCU is unknown, although he could certainly show up in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The third Ant-Man will be the proper introduction to Kang The Conquerer (Jonathan Majors) and should have huge implications for the future of the Marvel universe. Wherever Doctor Strange is next, don’t be surprised if a few variants are alongside him.