Rumors of exciting cameos in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness swirled for years before it was released. That was before the pandemic forced Marvel to delay all of its upcoming movies and TV shows. The title alone hints that anything is possible for the sequel, especially exciting cameos from other universes. Doctor Strange 2 delivered on its promise more than two years later, but not all the leaks were accurate — especially the Multiverse of Madness rumors that claimed Deadpool would show up.
Marvel can finally comment on the matter, and we know for a fact that Deadpool was considered for a Multiverse of Madness cameo. Before I continue though, I’ll warn you that Doctor Strange 2 cameo spoilers follow below.
Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) was one of the Multiverse of Madness cameo rumors that kept popping up. It’s also a Doctor Strange 2 rumor that makes sense, considering that Marvel already used the multiverse to bridge the MCU and Sony Spider-Man universes in No Way Home.
The Merc with a Mouth is the only character from Fox’s Marvel universe so far to jump ship to the MCU. Marvel won’t reboot Deadpool. Or better said, it won’t make changes to the beloved character. That’s why we need some sort of multiverse shenanigans to transplant Reynolds’s Deadpool to the MCU.
But, as we got closer to the Doctor Strange 2 premiere, reports said Deadpool wouldn’t get the Multiverse of Madness cameo that fans craved. Even Reynolds said that he’s not in the movie in an interview a few months ago. Not that we expect superhero actors to be truthful about MCU roles — we’re looking at you, Andrew Garfield!
Deadpool cameo in Multiverse of Madness
But now that Doctor Strange 2 is playing in theaters, Marvel can discuss the film more freely, without worrying about spoilers. It’s in this context that writer Michael Waldron addressed the Deadpool cameo.
After confirming that he wanted Tom Cruise as Iron Man in the movie, Waldron also said they considered Reynolds. Like Cruise, that didn’t happen.
Waldron said in a previous interview that the Cruise cameo wasn’t feasible, as the actor was already busy shooting the latest Mission Impossible sequels. Deadpool’s absence from Multiverse of Madness has a different explanation.
“Yeah, we talked about [Deadpool],” Waldron told ComicBook. “I think we talked about everything in this movie. So, [it] would’ve been crazy to not raise that, but it ultimately didn’t feel like… It just didn’t feel the right place. But yeah, of course we talked about it.”
Replace Deadpool with Wolverine, Loki, or Ghost Rider, and the same statement probably fits. Multiverse of Madness could have featured just about any Marvel wanted. But the ones that made it in are there to serve the story, not steal the spotlight.
We can thank Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) for ensuring that none of the exciting Illuminati cameos in the movie could steal the show from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) & Co. How could they, given what happened to them in the movie.
Still, we’ll always wonder what Deadpool would have done in a fight against Wanda. Or how long she would have let him speak before wiping the floor with him.
Doctor Strange 2 is now playing in theaters worldwide, netting more than $550 million at the box office in its first week.
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