'Doctor Strange 2' Rumored for 2020 Release in Place of 'The Eternals'

Though unofficial, it's been long thought that Black Widow and The Eternals would be the two [...]

Though unofficial, it's been long thought that Black Widow and The Eternals would be the two properties that fill the release dates Marvel Studios currently has locked down for 2020. One interesting new report suggests, however, that Doctor Strange 2 could sneak into the November 6, 2020 date, which most analysts were suggested would go to the Chloe Zhao-directed Eternals.

Mentioned in a CinemaCon report from Deadline, the trade reports that when it comes to the two 2020 release dates, "rumors have been that it's Black Widow standalone movie and Doctor Strange 2." This would be some of the earliest reporting of the Doctor Strange 2 release date, and it's completely possible — especially after considering Benedict Wong was previously under the assumption the production began filming this year.

It should be noted that the Deadline reports directly contradict the thoughts of other trade publications who previously reported the Benedict Cumberbatch-starring follow-up would film in 2020 for release in 2021. Since Marvel Studios has already begun casting major roles in The Eternals — with Hollywood A-lister Angelina Jolie reportedly set to join the production in a lead role — it's unlikely they'd postpone that movie much longer.

The production house is currently sitting on three release dates in 2021, including February 12th, May 7th, and November 5th.

Horror maestro Scott Derrickson is reportedly set to return to the director's chair for Doctor Strange 2 and while it's far too early to know what the film's plot will look like, Derrickson himself has previously hinted that he wants to involve long-time Strange nemesis Nightmare in the film in some shape, way, or form.

"Possibly Nightmare, but he's a tricky villain to get right," Derrickson wrote. "And you can't tell the story of Doctor Strange w/out eventually dealing w/Clea."

"Kevin [Feige] made a very cogent case," he continued. "The trouble with starting with Nightmare is getting across the idea of the Dream Dimension as another dimension. The movie was challenging enough. It's already an exposition-heavy movie... Dormammu made the most sense. And he is the most present villain in the comics."

Captain Marvel is in theaters now. Other upcoming Marvel Studios films include Avengers: Endgame on April 26th and Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5th.

What two movies do you think will fill the Marvel Studios date next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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