The head writer behind Marvel's acclaimed Disney+ series WandaVision, Jac Schaeffer has revealed some details regarding plans for an alternate ending featuring Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange. Rather than the ending which (SPOILERS) showed Wanda in isolation as she tries to get to grips with her powers, WandaVision would instead have concluded with The Scarlet Witch and new pal Doctor Strange riding off into the sunset.

"The plan when I came on board was that there would, at the end of the series, be a handoff and that Dr. Strange's participation would amount to essentially a short cameo. So early outlines had varying versions of the two of them [Wanda and Doctor Strange] kind of riding off into the sunset together. And it didn't feel quite right."

It's no secret that there had been a plan in place for the Sorcerer Supreme to make an appearance in the show, but ultimately Jac Schaeffer felt that this would have distracted from Wanda's central journey, as well as throwing up some confusion as to where Strange had been while The Scarlet Witch held a town hostage.

"We wanted to fulfil Wanda's agency and autonomy within this particular story. So, it did feel a little tacked on. Another problem was, if Dr. Strange shows up at just the end, where was he this whole time? I did love writing variations of Dr. Strange, variations on those final beats. It was a pleasure to write for him. There were versions where she was flying past the city limits and then encountered Dr. Strange, that kind of thing."

These sentiments echo those of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, who also felt that having Doctor Strange suddenly arrive and save the day would have done a disservice to Wanda's arc throughout the show. "Some people might say, 'Oh, it would've been so cool to see Doctor Strange. But it would have taken away from Wanda," Feige said previously. "We didn't want the end of the show to be commoditized to go to the next movie - here's the white guy, 'Let me show you how power works."

Despite not featuring in the Disney+ series, Doctor Strange will soon cross paths with Wanda in upcoming sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While specific plot details are largely unknown, Doctor Strange 2 will quite clearly introduce audiences to a previously unexplored side of the MCU, the multiverse. No doubt Wanda's realization that her powers are indeed magic based, and her emergence as The Scarlet Witch, will force Strange to get involved.

Elizabeth has also recently teased the emergence of a new power for Wanda saying, "She has a few fun powers. You know, telekinesis, she can travel between universes..." Considering that Doctor Strange is tasked with protecting the universe, it's unlikely he would be able to just let this stand should Wanda start exploring the multiverse haphazardly.

So, were you disappointed that Cumberbatch did not appear in WandaVision, or do you agree that it would have taken away from Wanda's central character arc? Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness scheduled to be released in the United States on March 25, 2022, as part of Phase Four of the MCU. This comes to us from Rolling Stone.