Doctor Strange confirmed for Thor: Ragnarok

January 2nd 2017, 11:14am

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

***MINOR SPOILERS FOR DOCTOR STRANGE BELOW**

With the MCU being as stuffed with classic characters as it is now it’ll be nigh impossible for us to get a standalone feature without some kind of appearance from another hero. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING will have a healthy amount of Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in there, and THOR: RAGNAROK will feature not only the hammer-swinging fiend (Chris Hemsworth), but Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) as well. But that’s not all for the latter flick, as sources have confirmed a third hero’s appearance, and you could say it’s a rather strange choice. I'll accept your high-five in a moment.

The Disney fan service, D23, has posted a piece advertising some of the big-name projects coming out from the studio this year, including GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2 and STAR WARS EPISODE VIII, and in the process confirmed that none other than the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), will be joining the fight in THOR 3:

If you need even more intergalactic, world-saving action, Thor: Ragnarok in November brings together Thor, the Hulk, and Doctor Strange to face off against intergalactic baddies both familiar and new.

This may not come as a huge shock for anyone that stayed behind for the after credits scene in DOCTOR STRANGE, which featured the charming hero having a lovely sit-down with Thor, in the end offering his help in the God of Thunder’s journey. Before STRANGE came out there was a hint this would happen in an image from the THOR 3 set, but it’s always good to get these things officially confirmed. Even after the credits scene no one really knew how big Strange’s role would be if he did show up, but this plot synopsis hints the character will probably have a bigger role in the movie than we thought, if only to help Thor get where he needs to go, and then show up during the climax in a get-away car.

I mean, at this point in the MCU the odds of two heroes having as little as an awkward stop-and-chat at a grocery store are pretty high, so the presence of more than one hero in each film is practically guaranteed from this point out. But that's the world these characters live in now, so as long as the movies do a service to the character whose name is on the title card it makes sense to have a few others pop-in. Plus who's gonna crack jokes in this movie if not for Strange? Hulk? That guy wouldn't know timing if it bit his large green ass.

THOR: RAGNAROK is set for November 3 with Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hiddleston, Jeff Goldblum Jaimie Alexander and Tessa Thompson.