How Marvel Foreshadowed Doctor Strange's Arrival In The MCU

1. Project Insight

That mysterious marker on SHIELD's map in Iron Man 2 could definitely be seen as foreshadowing for The Winter Soldier's revelation of Project Insight. After all, it makes sense that Arnim Zola's algorithm would be used by SHIELD to monitor interesting individuals (as well as HYDRA using it to identify possible threats and targets). They had been terrified by Thor's appearance on Earth, after all.

But the Project also has a far more explicit mention of Strange in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Agent Sitwell reveals that Bruce Banner and Stephen Strange are on the list of individuals who could prove to be threats to HYDRA.

The confusion came in when it turned out that Strange was still just a surgeon at this point in the MCU timeline, but the film-makers have since clarified that his brilliance could still have marked him out as a threat to HYDRA. And it could well be that they actually tracked a time travelling future version of Strange elsewhere on the timeline, which drew their attention to him as a threat.

Either way, this was the most explicit nod to Strange becoming a part of the MCU and the thirty -year plan came to full realisation.

What do you want to see from Doctor Strange in Phase 4 of the MCU? Share your thoughts below in the comments thread.