Marvel Studios stole the show during San Diego Comic-Con weekend. Their Hall H panel revealed everything coming in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There were plenty of major announcements, with one of them being that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is coming in 2021. This will be the direct sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange.

The title of this film opens up a lot of doors. The idea of a multiverse means we could see characters who haven’t been around for a while or ones who are alive in a different universe. It was confirmed that the Scarlet Witch will be part of the movie, which will mark her first true interaction with Doctor Strange. But who else is returning? We’ve picked out five MCU characters we want back and five who should stay away.

Don’t Want: Tony Stark

One of the coolest things we got to see in Avengers: Infinity War was the uneasy partnership between Stephen Strange and Tony Stark. The two actors who both played Sherlock Holmes in the past played incredibly well off each other. It helped that Strange and Stark have similar personalities, giving us a battle of two major egos.

While we theoretically would love to see more of them interacting, we don’t want Tony Stark in this movie. His death in Avengers: Endgame was perfectly done and having him appear, even as a version from another universe, would lessen that impact. In two years, it’ll still be too soon to see Downey Jr. again.

Want: Loki

Loki’s death in Avengers: Infinity War was a permanent one. However, during all of the time travel in Avengers: Endgame, Loki from 2012 got his hands on the Tessaract and transported himself to safety. We know that’s the Loki we’ll see when his Disney + series begins. But he would also be a welcome addition to this film.

For one thing, Loki seems like he’ll be using the Tessaract for all sorts of travel purposes through space, time, and universes. That makes him an ideal choice for an appearance here. Plus, he’s already had a short interaction with Doctor Strange during Thor: Ragnarok. Even if it’s just a cameo where Strange makes him fall for 30 minutes again, count us in.

Don’t Want: Spider-Man

It’s kind of crazy to say we don’t want to see Spider-Man in any capacity. Tom Holland is perfect as Peter Parker and he’s wonderful in every scene he’s in. That was especially true when he shared some awesome moments with Doctor Strange during  Avengers: Infinity War.

Though we’re not completely against the idea of them teaming up again, it would be nice if Spider-Man was kept off on his own for a bit. For all of Spider-Man: Far From Home, he was focused on just being a normal teenager. Keeping him away from the world ending problems of these crossover movies would be nice for now.

Want: The Ancient One

In Doctor Strange, it is The Ancient One who helps teach him about the mystic arts. She guides him to take his place as the Sorcerer Supreme. There were questions about her centered around her use of power from the Dark Dimension to stay alive for so long. But by the time she dies, we empathize with her.

The Ancient One’s surprise appearance in Avengers: Endgame was one of the highlights of the “time heist.” Another scene like that would be great. The multiverse is a way to get around her death and have her appear, helping Doctor Strange with whatever problem he’s facing.

Don’t Want: Guardians Of The Galaxy

Along with Iron Man and Spider-Man, Doctor Strange teams up with several members of the Guardians of the Galaxy to fight Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. His familiarity with Star-Lord, Mantis, Drax, and even Thor, who was last seen with the Guardians, makes them a group he may work with in the future.

Similar to Spider-Man, this is a combination that is entertaining, but not one needed for this movie. It was announced that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be the first “scary” MCU film. That is a vibe that just doesn’t mesh well with who the Guardians are.

Want: Karl Mordo

 

Also known to many fans as Baron, Karl Mordo was a big player in 2016’s Doctor Strange. Played by Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mordo assisted in getting Strange to unlock his mystic capabilities. Though a friend for most of the movie, he got upset with the Ancient One’s use of power from the Dark Dimension and left their side.

The next and last time we saw Mordo was in the post-credits scene of Doctor Strange. He said he was out to rid the world of sorcerers. That sets him up as a perfect villain for the next installment, even if the rumor is that another comic book foe, Nightmare, will be the antagonist. Mordo has a built-in story and makes more sense as the bad guy.

Don’t Want: Kaecilius

Speaking of villains, we’ve reached the one from the first installment. Kaecilius was a former student of the Ancient One who turned and began doing the bidding of Dormammu. When Dormammu was bested by Doctor Strange, Kaecilius was sent to the Dark Dimension for all eternity.

Without knowing everything that the idea of a multiverse will give us, there’s a chance it could take Doctor Strange to the Dark Dimension. If it does or even if Kaecilius could appear through another method, it’s not something this movie needs. The focus should be on new antagonists.

Want: Vision

Every death in Avengers: Infinity War that wasn’t connected to Thanos’ snap turned out to be permanent. That meant Loki, Vision, and Gamora stayed dead. However, time travel antics gave us loopholes to bring back different versions of Loki and Gamora. Poor Vision was left as the odd man out.

Comic-Con made it official that Vision would somehow be returning as part of Wandavision, a series airing on Disney +. They also revealed that the events of Wandavision would lead directly into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. With Scarlet Witch confirmed, it would be cool to see Vision in a film again. We can’t wait to see how the show impacts the movie and having Vision involved would be a great move.

Don’t Want: Christine

Rachel McAdams is a great actress who usually improves anything she’s involved in. Unfortunately, her role as Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange left a lot to be desired. Nothing against McAdams, but the character was just something of a love interest who only came in to help at one part of the movie.

Originally, the idea of expanding on this relationship or possibly turning Christine into the Night Nurse from the comics sounded good for the sequel. But knowing that it involves the multiverse clues us in that there will be a lot going on. That means there probably won’t be any room for a subplot surrounding her.

Want: Hulk

The other character that Doctor Strange interacted with during Avengers: Infinity War was Bruce Banner. There, Banner couldn’t unleash the Hulk and was a non-factor in their battle with the Black Order. During the five years that Strange was blipped, Banner managed to get himself together and perfectly blend his brain with the Hulk’s brawn to create Professor Hulk.

This new version of Hulk would make for an ideal pairing with Doctor Strange. With their big brains, they could work together as unstoppable team or trade verbal barbs like Strange did with Tony Stark. We’ve also learned that Hulk is a character who excels in a team setting over a solo film. He could do for this movie what he did for Thor: Ragnarok.