The next phase of the MCU will be kickstarted not with a movie, but with the shows being developed for Disney+, particularly WandaVision, featuring Wanda Maximoff and the android Vision. According to Charles Murphy, of the news source Murphy's Multiverse, a major way that the show will lead to the next slate of MCU films is an appearance by Doctor Strange in the final episodes of WandaVision. It has been rumored that Benedict Cumberbatch will be on set for the final week of principal photography for the show.
The rumor confirms what was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con, that WandaVision will be leading directly into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. From what we know so far, based on the comics from which the Disney+ show is inspired, the series starts with Wanda and Vision living in apparent marital bliss within a standard sitcom format. But over time, the show will evolve into something much more sinister as it is revealed that the whole thing is an illusion Wanda created to cope with the loss of Vision in Avengers: Infinity War.
There was also a Marvel comic panel revealed during the trailer for the Disney+ shows, which shows Doctor Strange holding up Wanda's twin babies. In the comics, Strange helped Wanda deliver her children, who's arrival impacted the entire Marvel universe for years to come. It is possibly something similarly momentous will happen in WandaVision, with the Sorcerer Supreme being called in to help near the end of the series, resulting in a cliffhanger that gets resolved in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is already confirmed to feature Wanda in a significant role.
It makes sense for Dr. Strange and Wanda to cross paths going forward since they are both heroes whose powers are derived from mystical sources. Wanda is still young and unaware of the true nature of her powers, so Dr. Strange could be of great help to her in understanding and managing the full scope of the magic that courses through her veins. WandaVision will be the first MCU story arc where Wanda will be the main character instead of a supporting Avenger, and Kevin Fiege has promised the series will answer many questions that fans have about Wanda Maximoff, including how she came to be known as the Scarlet Witch.
Meanwhile, Strange has his own busy days ahead. His second standalone movie will introduce the concept of the multiverse to the MCU. This means the film will feature multiple Earths, each different from the others, with bizarre and perhaps horrifying variations of existing MCU characters populating these different Earths.
All in all, it looks like the MCU is in for strange days ahead, with a greater influence of magic on events going forward, the reveal of the existence of the multiverse, and the introduction of new heroes to the franchise like the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Ghost Rider, and Daredevil. For fans who were worried the series had already peaked with the Infinity War saga, relax. They're just getting started. ComicBook.com.