Benedict Cumberbatch to return as Doctor Strange in Spider-Man 3 - What does this mean?

With the untitled third Tom Holland Spider-Man film set to begin filming soon we are starting to get more news in terms of casting, first the news of Jamie Foxx returning as Electro and now the news that Benedict Cumberbatch will be in the film as Doctor Strange and will be a mentor to Peter Parker. Now what does this and the Electro news tell us about the plot of the film, if anything at all. 

The film will focus on the Multiverse

Ever since the Jamie Foxx news came out it has been rumoured that he will be playing the same character from Amazing Spider-Man 2 and now due to this news I believe he will be. Strange is heavily linked to the multiverse and his addition to the cast makes me believe that somehow Electro and possibly other characters have appeared from other dimensions. It was teased in Far From Home but it would be interesting to see a Spider-Man film delve into this, especially after the praise that Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse received when it came out. 

Will we see Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield 

Now the obvious question would be whether we will see any other Spider-Men, mainly Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. With Electro appearing here, I think there is a chance Garfield appears even in a small role, the same with Maguire. Sam Reimi who directed the original Spider-Man trilogy is directing the Doctor Strange sequel so could we see Maguire arrive here setting up an appearance in that film and heck will we see any other characters from the other franchises appear. 

How will this affect the ending of Far From Home 

The post credit scene of Far From Home was fantastic, revealing Spider-Man's secret identity and marking him as a murderer was a great idea and exciting and the question now is how will this news affect that plotline. I really hope it doesn't ignore it and it now adds more questions then answers in terms of the storytelling. 

This continues Marvel Studios Spider-Man Strategy 

The deal between Marvel Studios and Sony for Spider-Man is clearly a bit complicated but the strategy between the two companies has been very clear and that is Spider-Man must have a big MCU character as an ally in his solo films. Tony Stark and Nick Fury were in the previous films and now Strange and it does a good job of adding a new feel with Spider-Man and I mean the characters did meet in Infinity War so at least they have some history. 

This has to be the last mentor for Peter Parker

I understand that part of Peter Parkers character is that he looks for a father figure type mentor but after this film that just has to end. First it was Tony Stark then Quentin Beck now Stephen Strange, sooner rather then later Spider-Man has to grow on his own and become his own character. 

This film could introduce Miles Morales

A few months ago I said I wanted to see a live action Miles Morales and now I think this is a chance to do that. If the film explores the multiverse, then potentially we could see a version of Spider-Man that is Miles from another dimension, seeing how these two younger versions of the characters operate allows for some great future stories.

Could we see a Multiverse Sinister Six set up 

For years we have known that Sony really want to do The Sinister Six and hopefully Marvel Studios will get the chance to do this after this film. If this film deals with the Multiverse the possibly we could see the team created and maybe seeing characters from different universes come together. I mean the combinations are endless and are really exciting for Spider-Man fans in the future. 

Overall

Overall, this is really interesting news and hopefully Spider-Man and Doctor Strange can continue their fun dynamic from Avengers Infinity War and provide a fascinating dynamic.