Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness released this Friday. The Marvel film, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen, was much-awaited not just because of its scale but also because of the hype around it. Since it deals with concept of multiverse, there were rumours of many starry cameos in the film. Till the end, Marvel Studios remained tight-lipped about which of those rumours were true and which weren’t. That is something moviegoers discovered only when they watched it in theatres. Also read: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review: Sam Raimi perfectly blends horror, adventure in a visual spectacle
Big spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ahead!
Like Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange 2 also deals with the concept of variants and multiverse and hence, there were chances of several actors making cameos either as variants of existing characters or returning to play fan favourite roles from other franchises. Many of these rumours were incorrect but some were accurate. For instance, while Tom Cruise wasn’t present as Superior Iron Man, Hayley Atwell did reprise her role as Captain Carter from the animated show What If…?
The cameos take place in the film when Strange (Benedict) and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) travel from the MCU’s Earth to another Universe, designated Earth-838. There, the two are captured by the secret society of superheroes named the Illuminati. The presence of Illuminati was mentioned in the teasers and TV spots of the film before release but its full composition was revealed only after release. A look at all the surprise cameos in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier
Patrick Stewart had already been seen reprising his iconic role in the trailer, and the actor had spoken about it in public too. But what took fans by surprise was the look his character had in Doctor Strange 2, complete with the floating yellow wheelchair. The yellow chair is not just comic book-accurate but was also seen in various X-Men animated shows. Prior to this, in all X-Men live-action films that featured Patrick, Professor X used a black metal chair.
Lashana Lynch as Captain Marvel
The MCU’s Captain Marvel is Brie Larson, who plays Carol Denvers. But on Earth-838, it is Carol’s best friend Maria Rambeau, who moonlights as the powerful superhero. Lashana played Maria in the 2017 film Captain Marvel as well as in the show WandaVision (through archive audio and photographs).
Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter
Marvel’s animated series What If…? was considered by many as a set up for the Multiverse of Madness. The show told stories of parallel universes where things were slightly different from ours. One such story was of a universe where Peggy Carter took the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers and became Captain Carter, the first Avenger. Hayley played Peggy in the MCU and also voiced the role in What If…? She has now brought it to MCU canon in Doctor Strange 2 as the second member of the Illuminati. As an icing on the cake, she even said Captain America’s iconic line, “I can do this all day.”
Anson Mount as Black Bolt
In Marvel’s TV series Inhumans, actor Anson Mount played the relatively less-popular superhero Black Bolt. The series ran for only one season in 2017. Anson reprised the role in the Multiverse of Madness, and like Professor X, he appeared in a more comic book-accurate avatar. Unlike the show, his costume in the film was exactly like it had been in the comics, complete with a tuning fo.
John Krasinski as Mr Fantastic
The most surprising cameo of the film was perhaps one of the most-talked-about as well. It had been reported for almost a year that John Krasinski of The Office and A Quiet Place-fame was to be MCU’s Mr Fantastic. Yet, when he did appear in the role in the Multiverse of Madness, fans were surprised. However, it remains unclear whether John is taking over the role for a prolonged period in the MCU or if it is just a one-time cameo.
Directed by Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is part of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4 and released in theatres on May 6, 2022.
