A beardless Benedict Cumberbatch has been spotted near the set of upcoming Marvel sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness leading many to wonder what in the MCU is going on. The footage shows the actor near the movie's Somerset filming location, and whilst Cumberbatch has recently been seen sporting the iconic goatee for the role, it seems that the facial hair will disappear for currently unknown reasons during the course of the movie.

While specific plot details are largely unknown, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will evidently introduce audiences to a previously unexplored side of the MCU, the multiverse. The movie will see Benedict Cumberbatch once again reprise the role of the Sorcerer Supreme, with Chiwetel Ejiofor also set to return as friend-turned-enemy, Karl Mordo. Scott Derrickson, who directed the first Doctor Strange, was initially slated to direct the multiverse-exploring follow-up, but after Derrickson stepped down, Sony's Spider-Man director Sam Raimi was brought in, bringing with him Spider-Man collaborator Danny Elfman to compose the movie's score.

Despite filming having almost wrapped on the project, there have been almost no set images or leaks so far, with Benedict Cumberbatch even going to great lengths in interviews to hide his look for Doctor Strange 2. Well, you cannot hide forever, and now that he has been spotted without the beard, let the speculation begin. Some have theorized that the clean-shaven look is necessary for the actor to be de-aged for a flashback sequence, with others simply likening his new look to one of his earlier roles, that of super sleuth Sherlock.

Of course, it could be that the goatee becomes another victim of the multiverse madness, with Doctor Strange forced to sacrifice his beloved whiskers for the good of humanity in the same way he sort-of-but-not-really sacrificed Tony Stark. Only time will tell...

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently revealed that filming was nearly over on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness while discussing the scope and scale of ongoing small screen, Disney+ projects such as The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and WandaVision. "The idea was to go back and forth -- that we weren't creating two classes of storylines or two classes of productions," he said of the approach to both big and small screen ventures simultaneously.

"And I think now that people have seen WandaVision and four out of the six [episodes] of Falcon and Winter Soldier and the trailer for Loki, they're seeing that these are A-class productions -- just as big and just as important as the movies. I'm here in London on the set of Doctor Strange 2 for our final week and Lizzie is here, having worked non-stop, from wrapping WandaVision to stepping right into Doctor Strange 2."

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Xochitl Gomez, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is scheduled to be released in the United States on March 25, 2022, as part of Phase Four of the MCU. This comes to us courtesy of Twitter user @dailyDSITMOM.