Now that the first trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home has been unleashed, we’ve finally gotten a glimpse into what Tom Holland has been calling the “most ambitious standalone superhero film ever made.” Given that the Spider-Man sequel includes appearances from Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus and Jamie Foxx’s Electro, not to mention frequent rumblings that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfrield will reprise their Spidey roles as well, it’s easy to see why Holland would make that claim. However, while speaking on the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Benedict Cumberbatch responded to Holland’s statement, saying that No Way Home will only be the most ambitious standalone superhero film ever made… “until Doctor Strange 2 comes out.“
Given that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness deals with…well, the multiverse, I would imagine that the Doctor Strange sequel will be leaping headfirst through the door that Spider-Man: No Way Home will undoubtedly open. Both films also happen to feature Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange, so no matter which film takes home the “Most Ambitious” award at the end of the day, Cumberbatch wins.
Spider-Man: No Way Home will find Peter Parker (Tom Holland) turning to Doctor Strange for help when he’s unmasked and is no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super hero. After some magical meddling, the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man. As for Doctor Strange 2, we don’t know all that much about the sequel just yet, only that it will also star Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch. Now that she’s more fully embraced her powers following the events of WandaVision, she will likely be a force to be reckoned with.
Spider-Man: No Way Home will hit theaters on December 17, 2021, followed by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on March 25, 2022.