Doctor Strange's current standing as a hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe makes The Avengers' status in Phase 4 all the more mind-boggling.
Doctor Strange's current standing as a hero in the broader MCU makes the status of the Avengers in Phase 4 so much weirder. Benedict Cumberbatch will continue his story as the franchise's primary sorcerer in Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. After the events of the Infinity Saga, Doctor Strange solidified his position as one of the most important players in the universe moving forward - even though he's technically not one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
In 2016, Marvel Studios debuted Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange. Since then, he's only appeared in other character's films, as well as, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. However, he played a significant part in the defeat of Thanos (Josh Brolin). Between this and his unique powers, many presumed that he's one of the best candidates to spearhead the Avengers moving forward. However, this may not be possible because, according to Cumberbatch, Doctor Strange isn't actually an Avenger. Instead, he works separately from them as someone who oversees Earth for interdimensional threats with the Masters of the Mystic Arts.
While this makes sense considering Doctor Strange's original responsibility, it raises questions regarding the status of the Avengers in MCU Phase 4. It's worth noting that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings established that Wong (Benedict Wong) is at least keeping the lines of communication between the sorcerers and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). There was the assumption that they're involved in somehow keeping the Avengers functioning moving forward as everyone tries to get their bearings following the Infinity Saga. If Doctor Strange doesn't have any official ties to the Earth's Mightiest Heroes, then chances are that Wong's meeting wasn't anything proper. Instead, it's a shotgun convention simply because of the Ten Rings' powers.
If the Avengers are non-existent in MCU Phase 4, then the franchise is entering dangerous waters. The lesson from Thanos' win in Avengers: Infinity War is that it doesn't matter how powerful the heroes are separately. If they don't work together, chances are that they're going to lose. This is evidenced by the team's win in Avengers: Endgame. While the franchise is still far off from its next big bad guy considering that it's still in its rebuilding period, they should at least keep the communication lines open regularly just to check if there's some anomaly happening in parts of the Earth or even the universe. That way, they can be more prepared in case a new villain comes around. The fact that no other Avenger was involved in the Maximoff Anomaly on WandaVision nor the big fight at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (not to mention Hawkeye) is an indication that there's really no system in place for the Avengers at this point.
Marvel Studios has yet to announce their plans for Avengers 5. Kevin Feige even said that Avengers: Endgame will be the last of its kind. That being said, chances are this really isn't the case. Earth's Mightiest Heroes will eventually re-assemble down the road, and Doctor Strange will be involved in it. For now, the Avengers' future is up in the air.
