Is Stephen Strange becoming the MCU’s new Tony Stark?

With the news that Benedict Cumberbatch is joining the cast of Tom Holland’s third Spider-Man film, is Stephen Strange set to become the new Tony Stark? And is that a good idea?

Tony Stark’s Iron Man not only pretty much created the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it today, but the character has also appeared in most of it. Stark not only headlines three films of his own, but he also appears in all four Avengers movies and plays a large role in Spider-Man: Far From Home. 

But in the wake of the character’s death in Avengers Endgame, the question of what the MCU will look like looms large. (Particularly since the coronavirus induced delay of Black Widow means that Phase 4 hasn’t even technically started yet – and many of its films have been pushed back from their initial premiere dates.)

But with the announcement of Benedict Cumberbatch’s involvement in the third Spider-Man film starring Tom Holland, we now have a slightly better idea.

It looks like Stephen Strange is about to become the new Tony Stark.

On some level this makes sense. The title of the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, indicates that the sorcerer supreme will play an instrumental role in whatever the MCU looks like going forward, possibly because he himself will help shape it. It gives youngster Peter Parker a new mentor and lets Samuel L. Jackson off the hook from having to appear in another Spider-Man film.

It’s also an easy way to explain how Jamie Foxx’s Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is somehow going to end up in this new set of Marvel Spider-Man films.

But, if we’re honest, the fact is that the MCU has always sort of imagined Stephen Strange as Tony Stark, just if he had magic. Doctor Strange is basically Iron Man, but with wizards.

This isn’t a bad thing, per see. But it also is what it is.

One of the flaws of the original Doctor Strange is that Strange himself doesn’t have much in the way of an organic character of his own, and many of his key traits – a rich, generally full of himself, playboy -are practically indistinguishable from Stark’s.

One has to assume this is part of the reason the two men disliked each other pretty much instantly. It’s because they’re so alike.

To be fair, though, one also has to wonder whether Strange is the best character to take up the mantle of cross-MCU mentor figure. Thus far, the MCU hasn’t been particularly interested in giving him much depth as a character beyond being kind of a rude jerk and the whole mysterious visions of the future situation in the Infinity War and Endgame films. Perhaps his characterization will of necessity become richer and more layered as a result of these appearances outside of the Strange movies. But he’s hardly the character that most fans are clamoring to learn more about as the film universe moves forward?

What about Captain Marvel? Falcon-as-new-Captain-America? Scott Lang? What’s Bruce Banner up to these days? There were probably better options out there, is all I’m saying.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Spider-Man 3 is due to begin shooting this month, while Doctor Strange 2 will also film at some point in October in London. How Cumberbatch will juggle his feature film duties with his Spider-Man scenes is anyone’s guess. But, he’s a wizard, so hopefully someone will figure it out.

How do you feel about the prospect of more Stephen Strange in the MCU? Let us know in the comments.