Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness left theaters long ago, and the sequel is already available for streaming on Disney Plus. But the Doctor Strange 2 leaks haven’t died down, as we finally get to discover what Daniel Craig’s cameo would have looked like.
The actor would have played a superhero in Multiverse of Madness, but Marvel had to ditch the idea as the pandemic reportedly convinced the actor not to go forward with the part. Mind you, some Doctor Strange 2 spoilers will follow below.
The Doctor Strange 2 cameos
The multiverse cameos were one of the most exciting elements of Doctor Strange 2. Before the film’s premiere, we saw a deluge of leaks claiming all sorts of superheroes could appear in the sequel. Not all of them came true, even though Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness delivered quite a few of them.
The leaks continued after the Doctor Strange 2 premiere, with a report saying that Daniel Craig was supposed to play Mister Fantastic. The report said the cameo went to fan-favorite John Krasinski, as the James Bond actor turned down the part after a spike in COVID-19 cases.
But Craig’s Doctor Strange 2 cameo might not have been Mister Fantastic. Instead, the actor would have played Balder the Brave. That’s a superhero we’re yet to meet in the MCU.
Marvel would have probably used Balder in the group of Illuminati heroes that judges Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) on Earth-838.
Most of those superheroes died horrific deaths or sustained significant injuries after Wanda’s (Elizabeth Olsen) carnage in that universe. Come to think of it, not having Balder the Brave in Doctor Strange 2 gives Marvel the opportunity to add the character to a different multiverse project.
Daniel Craig’s Balder the Brave design
Maybe Daniel Craig will get a chance to play the superhero in the future, but we’re just speculating at this point.
What we do have for you is an image that shows the concept art for Daniel Craig’s Balder the Brave cameo. Concept artist Darrell Warner posted on Instagram the following picture, showing the Thor alternative from a different universe.
“Shame this character went no further than this watercolor,” the artist said. “Y’all know the story, and if not, just go and look it up online.”
We’ll also point out that we never met the MCU’s primary version of Balder the Brave. If Earth-616 has a Balder the Brave variant, it hasn’t come up so far.
But there’s plenty of time for this character to show up, considering that the Multiverse Saga is in full swing. There’s a lot that can happen, and we certainly expect more surprises from Marvel beyond Doctor Strange 2, including wild cameos.
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