Doctor Strange Is Finally Back, But What Does That Mean for Marvel’s Best Sorcerer Supreme in Decades?

In Marvel, magic is a powerful, unlimited force of energy that can rewrite the rules of reality. A powerful enough sorcerer can do practically anything, from turning back time to resurrecting the dead. This infinite strength has produced countless threats and monsters that seek nothing but destruction, or people who have unknowingly unleashed far more than they bargained for, but thankfully, there’s always been someone around to defend the Earth against these challenges. The Sorcerer Supreme is the world’s greatest magic user, chosen to protect the world from every magical threat the multiverse has to offer. For decades, that title belonged to Doctor Strange, but now, it’s Wanda Maximoff’s.

In the wake of Doctor Doom’s hostile takeover of the Sorcerer Supreme title, Stephen Strange was locked within the halls of Asgard as Loki’s spell cut it off from Midgard. When Doom fell and left the world in chaos, the Scarlet Witch stepped up to the plate, protecting the world in her own unique way. However, as of Doctor Strange (2025) #10, the good doctor has finally returned to Earth. The question is, of course, if this marks the final days of Wanda holding onto the title. If it does, Marvel is making an absolutely massive mistake.

A Doctor’s Precision in a New Role

Doctor Strange may have been trapped in Asgard without access to the role he knew, but he was never one to lie around and wait. He worked with the people of the Nine Realms to become their new head of magic, taking the role of the Sorcerer Supreme of Asgard. Of course, this new role inevitably brought him into conflict with dangerous, powerful enemies. The most dangerous of whom was the elder entity known as Atho-Tet, who needed a constant energy to feed on, and when it ran out, it sought to bring the universe to ruin with the unstoppable physical form of its avatar, Downfall.

In the end, Doctor Strange, of course, found a way to stop both villains, which he accomplished by cutting Downfall off from Atho-Tet. He bombarded the old god with an insane amount of negative emotions, causing the being to recoil, which let him permanently change Atho-Tet’s diet to feast on an infinite source of energy. He also harnessed Atho-Tet’s excess energy to tear open a portal back to Earth, which allowed Angela and him to finally return to the home they left behind. However, interestingly enough, Strange retained his role as the Sorcerer Supreme of Asgard. He called out his intent to continue serving the Ten Realms by reuniting them first and foremost.

Two Sorcerers Supreme in Two Different Realms

Based on Stephen’s decision to remain Sorcerer Supreme of Asgard, I don’t imagine that he’ll retake his old job in the near future. Of course, he may attempt it, but Wanda isn’t going to want to give up her new position without a fight, and she’s already proven to be a good fit for the job. In fact, she’s the most interesting Sorcerer Supreme in decades. Wanda brings a unique perspective to the role, embracing Chaos Magic and the philosophy that magic shouldn’t be protected, but instead used to protect and improve everyone’s lives. She’s trying to revolutionize how the world sees magic and, in turn, is revolutionizing her character.

Wanda’s life has always been tumultuous, often thrusting her into change after change with little stability or chance for her to adjust. It’s broken her more than once. Still, her journey over the last few years has been about building the life she wants as the woman she wants to be, and that involves being the Sorcerer Supreme and helping the world do the same. She’s legitimately trying to embrace change for the better, while Doctor Strange is usually all about maintaining the status quo. Returning the title to Stephen would undo all the progress Wanda has made in evolving it, and completely destroy her narrative thus far.

Doctor Strange could very well reclaim the title at some point, and Wanda’s solo Sorcerer Supreme title is coming to an end later this month, but that doesn’t mean it should happen now. Marvel has seriously pushed Wanda’s new position, and it makes sense both practically and for her character to let her explore the job for at least a little longer. If anything, this could lead to the two battling for sorcerer supremacy, but with Stephen specifically working as Asgard’s sorcerer right now, Marvel really should let Wanda protect the Earth for the time being.

What do you think Marvel is planning with returning Doctor Strange home? Let us know in the comments below!

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