The Watcher’s MCU Future After What If: Will He Be In Doctor Strange 2?

Jeffrey Wright’s The Watcher could play a major role in the MCU’s future after Marvel’s What If…? Could he return in Doctor Strange 2?

The Watcher plays a massive role in Marvel’s What If…?, and here’s what we know about his Marvel Cinematic Universe future and a possible return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The animated Disney+ series told a multiverse-focused story that followed variants of recognizable MCU characters. However, Marvel’s What If…? also was the debut of Jeffrey Wright as the voice of The Watcher, the powerful figure that oversees the entire multiverse but vowed never to interfere.

As the events of Marvel’s What If…? progressed, The Watcher went from a true background character and narrator to making decisions he felt were in the best interest of protecting the multiverse. That included gathering the Guardians of the Multiverse in What If‘s finale to stop Ultron’s enhanced form backed by the power of the Infinity Stones. The Watcher proved his might over the last few episodes, and the show certainly leaves viewers in a position of wanting to see more of him. This could come to fruition as the MCU leans more into multiverse stories in Phase 4 and beyond.

Related: The Watcher’s Rule Break Can Fix Major What If…? Problems In Season 2

When it comes to The Watcher’s MCU future, it is confirmed that he’ll return in Marvel’s What If…? season 2. Marvel Studios began working on the second season of the Disney+ show even before the first episode premiered. What If season 2 is already slated to focus on mostly new characters and MCU events. The premise of the show guarantees that The Watcher will be back for whatever comes next. Now that he’s already interfered once to save the multiverse, The Watcher could take on an even bigger role in What If season 2.

Marvel has yet to confirm that any of the variants featured in Marvel’s What If…? will return in a live-action Phase 4 movie or show, but there is a growing hope amongst viewers that The Watcher will. The decision to cast Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher gave the MCU an actor more than capable of portraying the powerful character in live-action. It is possible that Wright will appear as The Watcher in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness even. The Watcher formed a partnership with Doctor Strange Supreme during What If, so him contacting the MCU’s main version of Doctor Strange as the multiverse unravels would make sense. There have already been teases that Wright appearing as a live-action The Watcher is part of Kevin Feige’s plan too.

Beyond an appearance in Doctor Strange 2, The Watcher could also pop up in any number of MCU properties moving forward. Anything involving the multiverse is on the table. That means Jeffrey Wright could play The Watcher in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Loki season 2, or Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Even if Wright fails to appear in any confirmed upcoming MCU movies or shows, that could be so Marvel saves his live-action debut for something even bigger. Movie adaptions of Secret Wars or Original Sin could involve The Watcher. It’s difficult to imagine Marvel Studios not using The Watcher in live-action at some point, so Marvel’s What If…? should be just the beginning of his MCU story.

More: What If…? Season 1 Ending: MCU Multiverse Future & Season 2 Setup

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