Marvel Studios has already confirmed several major details about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The film’s first trailer confirmed that it would feature a Sinister Strange variant of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), while its second teaser confirmed a rumored cameo appearance from Professor X (Patrick Stewart). In recent weeks, several Multiverse of Madness teasers have even confirmed that Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell) will appear in the Doctor Strange sequel.
The fact that Marvel has been so willing to confirm the involvement of such major characters has made fans even more excited for the film. If the studio is willing to confirm Professor X and Captain Carter’s cameos ahead of the movie’s release, that must mean there are even bigger surprises that Marvel hasn’t revealed yet, right?
Well, thanks to some new leaked footage, we now know that the answer to that question is a resounding yes.
Major Doctor Strange 2 spoilers ahead.
The Leak — For months, Marvel Cinematic Universe fans have theorized that John Krasinski will appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as Reed Richards a.k.a. Mister Fantastic. Those theories were seemingly backed up when a growing number of rumors and leaks began to spread saying Krasinski would indeed appear.
Now it looks like those leaks have been confirmed.
This past weekend, a piece of alleged footage from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness leaked online showing Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) facing down Krasinski as Reed Richards. The footage shows Krasinski’s Reed in his iconic blue, white, and black Fantastic Four suit, just in case there was any doubt about who he was playing. In the same clip, Reed can be seen standing alongside Black Bolt (Anson Mount) and Captain Carter.
A Fantastic Cameo — While we can’t confirm that this footage is real, it certainly looks like it is, and Marvel and Disney have been busy pulling posts with the footage from social media. So there’s reason to believe it may actually be a leaked clip from Multiverse of Madness.
Like Krasinski, both Mount and Atwell have been rumored to have roles in Multiverse of Madness for months now. Captain Carter and Black Bolt’s appearances in the leaked clip, therefore, lines up with what several early leaks have claimed about Multiverse of Madness’ plot. The trio’s inclusion in the clip also confirms three of the rumored members of the MCU’s Illuminati.
The fact that the clip shows Mister Fantastic, Black Bolt, and Captain Carter all facing off against Wanda Maximoff also seems to confirm one of the biggest rumors surrounding Multiverse of Madness: That Wanda will single-handedly annihilate every member of the film’s Illuminati. That may be disappointing to fans, but it wouldn’t be surprising given how powerful Wanda is becoming.
Plus, their demise in Multiverse of Madness wouldn’t erase the chances of Krasinski, Atwell, or Mount reprising their roles in a future MCU movie or TV show. In the multiverse, anything is possible.
The Inverse Analysis — Assuming this Multiverse of Madness footage is real, that means John Krasinski’s long-rumored live-action appearance as Mister Fantastic is about to become a reality. However, it remains to be seen whether Krasinki’s cameo in this year’s Doctor Strange sequel is a tease of his future as the character in the MCU, or simply a fun cameo.
A movie centered on the Fantastic Four is currently in development, so it’s possible Krasinski’s appearance may be Marvel’s way of announcing the actor’s involvement in that project. Either way, with Multiverse of Madness’ theatrical release just a few days away, fans won’t have to wait much longer to find out the truth about Krasinski’s future in the MCU.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on Friday, May 6.
