The Perfect New Avengers Leader Is Flipping Iron Man’s Biggest Victory

The Multiverse Saga has featured Doctor Strange becoming a much more prominent hero, perhaps taking over from the Infinity Saga’s Iron Man, but this could spell danger for the new Avengers team and the MCU as a whole. Benedict Cumberbatch debuted as Stephen Strange in 2016’s eponymous Doctor Strange and quickly became a key character in the MCU as he was given a major role in Avengers: Infinity War. In the wake of Avengers: Endgame, Strange has had a major role in introducing the concept of the multiverse to the MCU, which could lead to him becoming an even more prominent hero among Earth’s Mightiest in the MCU’s upcoming projects.

Where Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man seemed to lead the overarching storyline of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Doctor Strange has adopted this role for the Multiverse Saga. He has not only been central to Phase 4’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness but was also featured prominently in Marvel Studios’ animated seriesWhat If…?, which provided an insight into the dangers that Doctor Strange could pose to the MCU. Even though Doctor Strange may be primed to have a key part to play in the rest of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, his reinvention of Iron Man’s Infinity Saga arc could spell tragedy.

Doctor Strange Makes The Most Sense To Lead The New Avengers

Currently, Doctor Strange has been the most consistent hero to appear in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, and as a veteran Avenger with an intimate knowledge of the multiverse after the events of No Way Home and Multiverse of Madness, he seems like a clear candidate to lead the MCU’s New Avengers team. Strange already has experience working with members of the Avengers and is a world-renowned hero who has garnered some respect from the public, perhaps helping to boost the New Avengers’ credibility. This would mirror Iron Man’s journey as the pseudo-leader of the original Avengers, along with Captain America, though Strange is putting a different spin on this story.

Doctor Strange Is Inverting Iron Man’s Character Arc

Since Doctor Strange’s debut in 2016, many similarities have been spotted between the Master of the Mystic Arts and the MCU’s original hero, Iron Man. Both were leaders in their field, and both had quick wit, huge personalities, and massive egos. However, while Tony Stark began as a character consumed by hubris and made many mistakes, he always tried to rectify his missteps for the betterment of the Avengers and humanity as a whole. Stark always learned from his mistakes, which allowed him to eventually become a selfless and effective leader of the Avengers, even culminating in him sacrificing his own life to save the universe in Avengers: Endgame.

This is where Doctor Strange differs drastically. Strange has also made some pretty big mistakes, just like Tony Stark, but while Stark learned from these mistakes and became a stronger leader, Strange has retained his hubris and ego and has remained somewhat self-centered throughout his MCU journey. Strange always tries to be the only hero to save the day, as proven by his actions with the Time Stone in Doctor Strange and his willingness to send the multiversal villains back to their deaths in Multiverse of Madness. He hasn’t learned from these mistakes but instead continues to take big risks that continuously cause problems for the MCU and its heroes.

Why Doctor Strange’s Hubris Is Bad News For The Avengers

The fact that Doctor Strange never seems to learn from his mistakes could pose a huge threat to the future of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, particularly if he is chosen to lead the New Avengers in The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. Strange constantly tries to take matters into his own hands, wanting to be the sole hero to save the day, which often includes him using dangerous and unpredictable magic, such as when he dabbled with the Darkhold in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This was also seen in What If…?, where Strange’s actions to reverse an Absolute Point caused the destruction of an entire reality.

Doctor Strange has most recently been seen heading out to investigate an incursion that he himself apparently caused, meaning his actions may have already put in motion the destruction of one or more universes. It’s very possible that Strange could end up instigating massive problems in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga that could be at the center of storylines for The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars in Phase 6. Whereas Iron Man was able to learn from his mistakes and become a hero capable of saving the universe, Doctor Strange may have become his antithesis, being teased as the supposed hero who will cause the destruction of the universe.