With the multiversal antics of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” behind us, the trend will continue in May. The next movie to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Sam Raimi will direct the film, Benedict Cumberbatch will return as the title character and Benedict Wong will reprise his role as Wong. Elizabeth Olsen and Chiwetel Ejiofor will return as Wanda Maximoff and Karl Mordo, respectively, and Xochitl Gomez will make her MCU debut as America Chavez, codenamed Ms. America.
With the confirmed cast already full of super-people, fans aren’t ruling out the idea that we’re going to see more characters from Marvel Comics’ past. Rumors have gone around. Lots of them. Let’s take a look at all the characters rumored to appear in the new Dr. Strange movie and why.
Defender Strange
The trailer for the upcoming Dr. Strange film teases Cumberbatch playing two versions of the titular character: the Strange we all know and love, and Strange Supreme from the Disney+ show “What If…?” But a recent leak has sparked the idea that Cumberbatch will play a third Stephen Strange in the film, known as Defender Strange. Defender Strange’s role in the film is unknown. Then again, it’s also unknown whether or not he actually exists.
Captain Carter
Speaking of “What If…?”, it’s been speculated that fan-favorite Captain Peggy Carter will make her live-action debut. Actor Hayley Atwell is no stranger to Peggy Carter, playing her in the Captain America movies, starring in her own show “Agent Carter” and voicing Captain Carter in “What If…?” It’s not far-fetched to guess she’ll suit up for this film, but then again, nothing has directly proven her involvement.
Multiple Legacy Characters
Marvel movies not set in the MCU are known as “Legacy” movies, and it seems some may appear in “Multiverse of Madness.” Among the rumored returnees are Nicolas Cage from the 2007 and 2011 “Ghost Rider” movies, Ben Affleck reprising his role from 2003’s “Daredevil” and Tobey Maguire returning as Peter Parker/Spider-Man.
However, like Captain Carter, these are unconfirmed rumors. The only reason Maguire is rumored for a return is because Sam Raimi, who directed Maguire’s “Spider-Man” movies in the early 2000s, is directing Dr. Strange. Beyond that? There’s no confirmation that either Maguire or Cage are returning.
Affleck’s return is a slightly different story. An article by PlayWire reported that Marvel apparently asked Affleck to come back, but he declined. However, the “source” could only speculate on why Affleck said no, so for all we know, this could be a complete lie.
Professor X (Patrick Stewart AND James McAvoy) and Ultron
Moving on to a theory with a legit possibility, concept art from “Multiverse of Madness” was supposedly leaked. The image showed Dr. Strange taken to none other than Professor X (of X-Men fame). Strange is being escorted by Ultron bots.
The art leak has sparked rumors that not only will James Spader return to the role of Ultron after appearing in 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” but Professor X will also join the MCU. Which actor, though? Sir Patrick Stewart, or James McAvoy? Rumor has it, the answer is both! We’ll see how real that is when the movie releases. Speaking of X-Men…
Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine
This one has sent fans spinning. Earlier this week, a fan asked Hugh Jackman if he was suiting up in Dr. Strange. Jackman didn’t outright say yes, but confirmed that he is, in fact, the man who plays Wolverine.
Since then, fans have been arguing whether or not this means we can expect a return from Jackman in his iconic role. Could Jackman be hinting at a return to the claws, or was this all one big miscommunication?
John Krasinski as Mr. Fantastic
With another Marvel movie coming, so have the rumors that John Krasinski, most known for “The Office” and “A Quiet Place,” will join the MCU as Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic. This has been a fan-cast that has been swirling around the internet for nearly a decade now, so if anything, this is less of a rumor and more wishful thinking.
It’s also worth noting that Jon Watts, director of all of Tom Holland’s “Spider-Man” movies, is working on a Fantastic 4 reboot set in the MCU. It wouldn’t make sense to have Mr. Fantastic join the fun before the rest of Marvel’s first family do.
Tom Cruise as…Tony Stark???
Another fan-cast, fans have always considered Tom Cruise to be a suitable understudy for Tony Stark/Iron Man, a role made iconic by Robert Downey Jr. It’s worth noting that Cruise was Marvel’s original pick for the role of Stark, but instead went with Downey Jr. Could Cruise be joining the MCU to show us what could have been?
Scheduling wise, it’s unlikely. Cruise has spent the last few years working on “Top Gun: Maverick” and the new “Mission: Impossible.” It’d be a miracle if he had time to join the MCU at this point in time.
Chris Evans’ Human Torch
Our final rumored character, it appears Chris Evans may return to the MCU. While he’s most known for playing Captain America, Evans might be trading the shield for spandex to reprise an older superhero role of his: Johnny Storm, a.k.a. The Human Torch. Evans played Storm in 2005’s “Fantastic 4” movie and its 2007 sequel “Rise of the Silver Surfer.” Will this version return? It’s definitely more up in the air (pun intended) than the other rumors.
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” will be released in theaters on May 6, 2022.
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