It's been reported that Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange will appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but the actor himself is refusing to talk about it. Asked by Collider if he could ask a Marvel-related question, Cumberbatch had a great response to shut things down.

　　"I mean, we know what a dead end it's gonna be, but yes, of course you can waste your time asking a Marvel question," he said.

　　According to a 2020 story from The Hollywood Reporter, Cumberbatch will reprise his role as Doctor Strange in No Way Home in a "mentor role" similar to Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man in Homecoming and Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury in Far From Home.

　　"The role gives [Spider-Man actor Tom Holland] a chance to play opposite seasoned actors, gives Peter Parker a father figure, and gives the movies extra star power while tying them to the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe," the report said.

　　Spider-Man: No Way Home is also reportedly bringing back Alfred Molina's Doc Octopus and Jamie Foxx's Electro, who do not exist in the same universe. There are also ongoing rumors that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will play their Spider-Man characters again in the film.

　　If Doctor Strange is in No Way Home, it might explain how this may all be possible. The Doctor Strange sequel, Multiverse of Madness, will apparently dive into alternate realities.

　　While Cumberbatch would not be drawn into specifics about any of this, he did speak about what it's been like working with Spider-Man director Sam Raimi on Multiverse of Madness. He said it's been a delight working with Raimi, who took over after original director Scott Derrickson left amid creative differences with Marvel. Cumberbatch also spoke about how he feels more freedom on the Doctor Strange sequel than he did on the first one or the Avengers films.

　　"Sam, amazing. He's so collaborative. God, he comes with the baggage of an icon. He's an incredible force, especially in this genre. But he's so humble, he's so nice, he's so appreciative, you really wanna serve him," Cumberbatch said. "And boy, when he's happy, you know you've done something right. He's so good at getting you there and getting it there. It's been a very, very collaborative process, this one. Our origin stories, I guess, and obviously the beasts that were the Avengers films to be a part of were a thrill, but you're kind of just along for the ride. You do the best with what you've already got given to do. The second time around, there's a bit more of, 'So, what do you want to do, and how do we go about solving this?' So it feels very creative. Scarily so, sometimes."