'Doctor Strange 2' Sends 'Baby-Sitters Club' Star Xochitl Gomez To The 'Multiverse Of Madness'

The Doctor Strange 2 cast is growing. Xochitl Gomez, who recently appeared on Netflix's The Baby-Sitters Club, has joined the Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness cast. Who is she playing? We have no idea! Like the Multiverse of Madness itself, this is a story shrouded in mystery. But it's just another sign that Marvel is soldiering on with their productions even as the pandemic leaves the future of movie theaters – and, by extension, big movies – up in the air.

Deadline broke the news about Xochitl Gomez joining the Doctor Strange 2 cast, adding "Plot details and what character Gomez will be playing are unknown at this time." Which means I don't have a whole lot to tell you here, folks! Here's what we know: Benedict Cumberbatch is back as Doctor Steven Strange, a neurosurgeon turned Sorcerer Supreme. Sam Raimi is directing, which is kind of a big deal – it's his first superhero movie since Spider-Man 3. And speaking of Spider-Man, Cumberbatch is also playing Strange in the Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel, with rumors swirling that he'll be taking over the mentor role for Tom Holland's Peter Parker. Cumberbatch will film his Spider-Man scenes first and then get to work on Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Per Deadline, Doctor Strange is hoping to start production in May 2021.

Original Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson was set to helm the sequel but departed over creative differences. He'll remain an executive producer on the project. Doctor Strange actors Benedict Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor are both expected to return for the film, and Elizabeth Olsen will also appear as Scarlet Witch, with Multiverse of Madness expected to coincide with the Disney+ series WandaVision.

The film's title suggests that the MCU will finally open up the Multiverse, a series of alternate universes that have similar characters in different situations. The Multiverse was teased in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but ended up all being a rouse concocted by the film's villain, Mysterio. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which isn't an MCU film, played around with a Multiverse angle as well.

Having not watched a single second of Netflix's The Baby-Sitters Club, I can't tell you much about Xochitl Gomez. She's 14-years-old, so I can't even really speculate on which character she might be playing in the film. That said, almost immediately after the casting was announced, fans started theorizing Gomez might be playing America Chavez, also known by her moniker Miss America. Feel free to speculate wildly! As of now, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is due to arrive in theaters on March 25, 2022, but these days, movie release dates are not set in stone.