Doctor Strange 2: Before new Benedict Cumberbatch film, delve into MCU with these key works to stay updated

This 2016 film introduces us to Stephen Strange and traces how the skilled, yet vain, neurosurgeon went on to become the all-powerful sorcerer. After a car accident leaves his hands impaired to such an extent that he can no longer perform surgeries, Strange goes above and beyond to find remedies to regain full use of his hands as before. His search leads him to Kathmandu and leads him to a line of sorcerers who teach him their ways that unlock the hidden world of magic.

The first MCU movie to bring together the stalwart superheroes that Marvel fans came to know and love, this 2018 film brings together the Avengers for their greatest threat yet - Thanos. The supervillain is on a mission to gather the powerful Infinity Stones, each of which offers different kinds of unbridled power to its wielders. Thanos seeks to collect all six of the stones for what he sees as a righteous purpose - wipe out half the population of the Earth so that the ‘dying’ planet can start anew.

The film that has earned the crown of the highest-grossing film of all time, Avengers: Endgame took up things from where Infinity War left off. The superhero team was unable to prevent Thanos’ plans, leading to half of Earth’s population ceasing to exist, including some beloved members of our team of heroes. After Scott Lang aka Antman pops up from the Quantum Realm, five years later, the Avengers realise the possibility of time travel. Using their newfound knowledge, they assemble yet again to reverse the destruction that Thanos has caused and bring back all the people who were lost.

Taking place after the events of Endgame, WansaVision sees Wanda Maximoff and Vision live a life of domestic bliss in a small suburban neighbourhood. But something dark and gloomy lurks beneath the surface of their picture-perfect, sitcom-like life, which seems to go away as quickly as it comes when Wanda notices something is off. The limited series, centred on the Scarlet witch, explores the character in a way hitherto unseen in the film, where she plays a supporting role. The series had initially even planned for a cameo from Strange but was ultimately cut. Even though Strange does not appear on the show, it is an important case to watch the series since Wanda will have a pivotal role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.