One thing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe that you really have to admire is the way they have been able to connect vastly different properties into one cohesive franchise — just like in the comics. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the Guardians of the Galaxy all live within the same universe, allowing for all sorts of crazy juxtapositions to occur. Now, with Doctor Strange, the world of magic enters the scene alongside aliens, technology, and monsters — leading to even more possibilities. But just how does Doctor Strange connect to the Avengers?
Like Marvel's other big risk-taking movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange's connection to the Avengers is pretty tenuous at the start. In Guardians, no earthly heroes are even mentioned, and the movie's only connection to Iron Man and company is through Thanos and the Infinity Stones. In Doctor Strange, the Avengers at least get name-dropped, but just about everything else that goes on seems to exist in a world entirely separate from the rest of the MCU, just like in Guardians. The reason for this is because Doctor Strange himself deals with metaphysical threats — mystical beings who seek to alter reality itself, not just invade Earth. The Avengers aren't even capable of fighting these types of battles, so how are these two franchises ever going to mesh?
One word: Thanos. Infinity War is coming, and with it, the Mad Titan will pose a threat to the physical universe as well as the very fabric of reality. When in possession of the Infinity Stones, the alien will have the power of a god, and it's going to be up to the combined might of Doctor Strange and the Avengers to stop Thanos. That's my theory, anyway. Marvel hasn't yet revealed just what role Doctor Strange will play in Infinity War , but they have announced that he will be in the film. And based on what happens in Doctor Strange, there's a pretty clear route for him joining the fray.
Strange's most powerful artifact, the Eye of Agamotto, is revealed to be an Infinity Stone in the movie. Since it's known that Thanos needs to possess all six of the stones to become all-powerful in Infinity War, that means at some point he's going to need to obtain the Eye of Agamotto from Doctor Strange. Doing so is certainly going to weaken the Sorcerer Supreme, and will likely leave him calling on the Avengers for help in getting it back.
In the long run, Doctor Strange will likely play a role in the movies similar to what he does in the comics. He'll be a lone wolf working on the fringes of the Marvel Universe most of the time, but when massive threats (like Thanos) rear their ugly head, he'll emerge and join up with the rest of the heroes you know and love.
Images: Walt Disney Pictures; Giphy
