For decades, there have been rumors of Tom Cruise playing Tony Stark in an Iron Man project. As far back as the 1990s, the actor had expressed an interest in playing the role, but as we know now, the part would eventually go to Robert Downey Jr. when the first Iron Man was released in 2008. Perhaps seeing Cruise in the Iron Man suit just wasn't meant to be for Marvel fans. At least not until now, if the rumors of his involvement in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are true. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) fractures the multiverse while trying to help out his pal Peter Parker (Tom Holland). We'll be going much further into the multiverse in Into the Multiverse of Madness, as the title suggests, and it has Marvel fans wondering what other big tricks could be up the studio's sleeve. This has fueled speculation that Cruise may appear as a Tony Stark variant. The digital artist @spdrmnkyxxiii on Instagram has now posted some artwork imagining this casting.
Sam Raimi directs Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness using a screenplay by Jade Halley Bartlett and Michael Waldron. The film stars Cumberbatch alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Xochitl Gomez. Set after the events of Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home, the movie picks up with Dr. Strange casting a forbidden spell to open the door to the multiverse and introduces an alternate, much more sinister version of Strange.
Doctor Strange 2 Will Need to Go Big to Match Spider-Man: No Way Home
Rumors have been flying of all kinds of major characters showing up in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There has been speculation that some of the X-Men characters from the previous movies could appear, which might include a showdown between Jean Gray and Scarlet Witch. Because James McAvoy recently had his hair cut close to the scalp, there have also been rumors that he is secretly set to appear in the movie as Professor X as well.
There has also been talk of having the members of the Fantastic Four appearing in the Doctor Strange sequel. Like the X-Men, this is another Marvel group that Kevin Feige has confirmed will be coming to the MCU. While it's still unclear about the X-Men, it's been announced that a Fantastic Four movie will close out the MCU's Phase Four. No casting information has yet been revealed and it remains unclear who will be playing the superhero team. Could they first be introduced in Doctor Strange 2?
We'll all find out soon enough. The sequel is set to be released in movie theaters on May 6, 2022. What's interesting is that while we have many rampant rumors in this case, nothing has yet been confirmed, so it's still anybody's guess as to what kinds of surprises Marvel Studios will have in store for fans with this film.