Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a lot to handle these days, Kevin Feige seems adamant that Doctor Strange will have another standalone.
Does Kevin Feige have the best job in the world, or the worst? He seems to come down on the side of the former in a new interview with CinemaBlend, but like io9 and others, we’re a bit more focused on a particular tidbit he dropped about what sorts of work Benedict Cumberbatch can expect in the future from Marvel. In the interview, Feige said “we will do” a second Doctor Strange standalone movie.
That’s about as explicit as you can get without slapping a release date and an official title on it, honestly.
The question is: do we even need a second Strange film? As Feige himself points out, it’s clear that Stephen Strange will have a lot more work in the greater MCU as a result of Avengers: Infinity War and even his brief appearance in Thor: Ragnarok. Sure, he probably won’t have to make Loki fall for 30 minutes straight again (too soon?), but even though Doctor Strange was a good movie, in this post-Ragnarok and Black Panther world, it’s clear that good just might not cut it anymore.
Here’s the thing, though. I think Marvel will be capable of doing a better Doctor Strange movie the second time around. For the most part, the standalone sequels have a higher quality and understanding of the character. (Black Panther is probably the exception that proves the rule; I do not know how the sequel will be better, but I trust Ryan Coogler.)
But faith in Marvel to do better next time doesn’t manufacture enthusiasm in a second Doctor Strange film, not necessarily. With movies like Captain Marvel on the way, it’s hard for improvement to surpass something new and different.
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There are demands for sequels, though, if the interview itself is any indication. It’s just a question of which sequels deserve priority over others.