Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of the most anticipated Marvel films yet to be released. After the events of Loki, in which the multiverse was blown open leading to chaos and the prospect of the evil Kang the Conqueror’s arrival, the next Doctor Strange outing promises to be a true game-changer for the Marvel universe.
Set to be full of cameos and surprise appearances, fans are speculating who could appear in the sequel. With many familiar names and characters discussed, here are some out of the box, but plausible, characters that could appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Dougray Scott’s Wolverine
Once upon a time, Fox cast Scottish actor Dougray Scott to play Wolverine in the first X-Men film. Scott was working on Mission Impossible II at the time, and delays in production on the Tom Cruise-led film caused him to be unable to do X-Men. The role of Wolverine was then given to Hugh Jackman, a relatively unknown actor at the time, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Jackman went on to become one of the most famous performers of his generation, with his portrayal of Wolverine going down as one of the most iconic superhero performances ever. Although he retired the role in 2017, fans have speculated that Jackman could return in Multiverse of Madness. However, the film also has the potential to show what-if versions of previous Marvel films, given the vastness of the multiverse. It’s entirely plausible, then, for Dougray Scott to finally get a chance to play the character he nearly was.
Channing Tatum’s Gambit
Sticking with a what-if theme, Channing Tatum’s Gambit is another appearance that could come to fruition in Multiverse of Madness. Fox famously wanted to make a Gambit film for years, and signed Channing Tatum to the project. Unfortunately for Tatum, who was passionate about the role and fought to get the project off the ground, Gambit went through a developmental hell of sorts.
Several directors were assigned to the film, including Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman, and Gore Verbinski, but all dropped out as the project lost momentum in its early stages. It was officially canceled in 2020 after Disney bought Fox, ending years of speculation about Tatum in the role. However, fans could get to see him play Gambit after all, and Multiverse of Madness seems to be the perfect platform for such an appearance.
Ben Affleck’s Daredevil
Marvel fans are fresh off Charlie Cox reprising his role as Daredevil in December's Spider-Man: No Way Home. After playing the character for three seasons of television on Netflix, Cox’s cameo in No Way Home was confirmation that he would be the MCU’s Daredevil going forward.
As the ending of the Homecoming Trilogy highlighted with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, there’s still room for other actors to come in and play different versions of the same characters. This gives Ben Affleck a potential opportunity to play Daredevil once again, and arguably redeem himself after playing the role in a movie that received mixed or downright negative reviews upon release. Now that Affleck is officially out as Batman, a cameo in a Marvel film seems even more likely.
Jennifer Garner’s Elektra
Jennifer Garner first played the character of Elektra in Ben Affleck’s Daredevil film before reprising her role in a critically and commercially unsuccessful solo venture. Garner has never returned to superhero movies since, unlike her ex-husband Affleck, but is well within the realm of possibility to appear in the next Doctor Strange outing. Fans weren’t too happy with the Elektra solo film, but Marvel has proven in recent years to be interested in redeeming audiences’ opinions on past Marvel projects. For example, Thor: The Dark World, often in the conversation of worst MCU films, was revisited in Avengers: Endgame as the God of Thunder returned to the time and location of his second solo movie. It’s something they could have easily avoided if they wanted to, but Marvel Studios embraced the connection to a lesser liked film with open arms, and they could do it again with Elektra.
Jessica Alba’s Invisible Woman
Jessica Alba played Sue Storm, or the Invisible Woman, in two Fantastic Four films in the 2000s. One of her costars was Chris Evans, who played the Human Torch before his more famous superhero role as Captain America in the MCU. Evans might have set the precedent for former Fantastic Four actors to play a role in the MCU, and perhaps Alba is the next to join him, except this time as the same character. Her Fantastic Four films were met with relatively positive reception, perhaps making a return for Alba more likely.
2015’s Fantastic Four Cast
Josh Frank’s Fantastic Four was met with almost universally negative reaction from cast and critics. Fox’s attempt to reboot the franchise with a new, younger team went way off course, becoming a financial disaster to top it all off. While some fans still talk about the 2000s era Fantastic Four films fondly, it doesn’t seem as if Trank’s attempt has many defenders. Given that, bringing the cast of this reboot back in Multiverse of Madness could make up for their first outings as these characters and give them and the film a redemption of sorts. If Marvel managed to change public perceptions about this Fantastic Four film, it would be a remarkable achievement.
Wesley Snipes’ Blade
Wesley Snipes played Blade in a trilogy of films in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Snipes has since became synonymous with the role, and is arguably still the face of Blade after all these years. The Blade trilogy still has a following, as does the character more broadly. Oscar winner Mahershala Ali is confirmed to be the MCU’s Blade, and had a vocal cameo in a post credits scene of 2021’s Eternals. As previously mentioned, the multiverse provides the opportunity to have the same character be played by different actors, so Snipes could certainly return to the role.
Edward Norton’s Hulk
The Incredible Hulk was the second MCU film after Iron Man. Unlike its predecessor, this Hulk solo project wasn’t a financial success. The film underperformed at the box office and, despite relatively positive reviews from critics, left star Edward Norton creatively unsatisfied. Norton wanted a darker, more serious take on the character, similar to Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, but the producers pushed back against this idea.
Creative friction led to Mark Ruffalo playing the Hulk ever since, with Norton removed from The Avengers following more disputes with the studio. Since then, The Incredible Hulk has arguably become the forgotten about MCU movie. In a universe full of references and interconnectivity, The Incredible Hulk wasn’t mentioned nearly as much as the rest. William Hurt, who appeared in the 2008 film, came back in Captain America: Civil War, making the first overt connection in years. Abomination also went on to appear in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and is confirmed to be in the upcoming Disney+ series She-Hulk, with original actor Tim Roth returning.
If both William Hurt and Tim Roth are back in the MCU after all these years, who’s to say that Edward Norton won’t join them? If past disagreements are now water under the bridge, it’s certainly possible.
Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson/Deadpool (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)
Before Ryan Reynolds made the character of Deadpool a pop culture phenomenon in 2016, he played him in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. After the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Fox’s decision to go backwards and tell origin stories for some of their most famous heroes made sense, as did starting out with Wolverine. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t a hit with critics or fans, and was criticized for not being accurate enough to the source material.
A big part of that argument was the portrayal of Wade Wilson/Deadpool, who was made to be a speechless, shirtless assassin with a brand new, never before seen design by the film’s end. It was a far cry from Deadpool in the comics, and has since become the brunt of jokes by Reynolds himself. It would certainly bring some laughter to Multiverse of Madness if Reynolds were to appear, perhaps especially if he was the X-Men Origins version of Deadpool.
