Warning, we are dealing with spoilers from now on.
**Spoiler warning for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness**
Most (but not all) of these cameos occur in the same sequence in the film, where Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) travels to another universe where a secret council of superheroes hatches plans to save the world.
This group is called the Illuminati – based on a similar gathering in the Marvel comics – and is made up of either alternate versions of familiar MCU superheroes or characters who have appeared in other superhero universes but have yet to debut in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mordo introduces them to us, but given that he’s getting his own poster for the film, we’ll go ahead and say it’s not a cameo. Instead, let’s start with…
Who are the biggest Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cameos?
Sir Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier
This one might not come as a big surprise, as Stewart’s voice can be heard in an early trailer and the actor himself confirmed his appearance a while back. What might be less expected, however, is the version of Professor Charles Xavier that Stewart picks up.
Rather than the character that appeared in the X-Men film series from 2000 to 2017, this variant of Professor X is clearly inspired by the 1990s X-Men cartoon. He has that character’s signature floating yellow chair, shares an effect distinctive special when using telepathy – a kind of waving of his head that Professor X never had – and it even comes with a short burst of the cartoon’s iconic theme.
We’re sure that has nothing to do with Disney rebooting the 1990s cartoon very soon, no siree…
Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter / Peggy Carter
When Marvel’s What If… animated series launched last year, one of the biggest breakthroughs was this alternate version of Captain America. In the narrative, the series imagined how the original Captain America movie might have turned out if love interest Peggy Carter got the super-soldier treatment instead of Steve Rogers, with Hayley Atwell reprising her role from the original Captain America movies. America.
Now, this film shows us Atwell as Captain Carter in live-action. It’s unclear if this is the “same” Captain Carter we saw in What If… – in fact, we’d guess it’s not supposed to be based on a few clues – but she still seems to be in the place. that Evans’ Chris Captain America did in the MCU, to a certain tagline.
It’s not just a quick appearance, Atwell given some pretty messy stunts to pull off, and hopefully it’s not the last live-action Captain Carter we’ll see in Marvel’s larger multiverse.
Lashana Lynch as Captain Marvel/Maria Rambeau
Another fun alternate version of a character, though we’ve never seen it before. Lashana Lynch played Monica Rambeau, the old friend and colleague of hotshot pilot Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) who saw Carol become the cosmic-powered Captain Marvel in the 1990s (and the 2019 film Captain Marvel).
This version of Maria, however, has Carol’s powers herself – presumably in this universe, she was the one who had the accident and took on the heroic mantle, while Carol watched from the sidelines. We don’t hear much about her in Doctor Strange 2, but it’s a great way to bring Lynch – whose star has only gone up since 2019 – back into the MCU.
Anson Mount as Black Bolt / Blackagar Boltagon
Fans already knew that every corner of the hard-to-justify Marvel Universe was fair game for character returns – just look at the roles of Charlie Cox (from Netflix’s Daredevil), William Hurt and Tim Roth ( from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk) in recent years.
But Anson Mount’s return as an Inhuman monarch really takes over. Mount starred as “Blackagar Boltagon” in the ill-fated TV series Inhumans, a rare Marvel dud in the pre-Disney Plus era that was critically panned and quietly canceled after just one season.
Most fans would have forgotten about the series, if they’d ever even seen it – but clearly the Marvel team didn’t. Now Mount (who has a little more star power himself thanks to his role in Star Trek: Discovery and Strange New Worlds) is back in an accurate version of Black Bolt, down to the tuning fork and the little wings underneath. the armpits of his suit.
In the comics, Black Bolt is an Inhuman (sort of genetically engineered human via magic mist, but also an advanced society living on the Moon) who has a voice so powerful that a single word could level a building. Like his counterpart on the page, Mount’s version must communicate without using his words, though he still manages to make an impact with little dialogue.
John Krasinski as Mr. Fantastic / Reed Richards
This casting is perhaps the most exciting of all for fans, who have spent years pushing for the A Quiet Place actor/director to play the patriarch of Marvel’s First Family.
While there’s a Fantastic Four movie on the way (which Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts just dropped), Krasinski managed to land the role of team leader Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic. first. In the comics, the Fantastic Four were Marvel’s first superhero team in the 1960s (a time when Doctor Strange nodded when he joked that the FF sounded like a group that was ” big in the 60s”), who gained superpowers after flying through cosmic radiation in space.
Richards gained the ability to stretch and modify his body, which, combined with his existing superintelligence, made him an important figure in the Marvel Comics Universe.
We don’t know too much about this version, although it appears he was married and had children – according to lore he married teammate Sue Storm and had powerful children called Franklin and Valeria, it seems so likely that’s who he’s referring to in the movie.
Going forward, fans can expect Krasinski to play the “real” Mr. Fantastic in Marvel’s planned movie, but that’s not a given – if anything, we’d say his appearance. in this movie makes it less likely, given the number of them. are “alternate” actors and characters playing key characters. Yet, you never know.
Charlize Theron as Clea
The film’s last big cameo is the only one not associated with the Illuminati, and it doesn’t arrive until Doctor Strange’s first post-credits scene.
In the scene, Doctor Strange is walking around New York City when he’s confronted by Charlize Theron wearing a rather sleek purple suit. She blames him for causing an incursion into the universe (a side effect of multiverse travel, where two universes collide and one is destroyed) and asks for his help in fixing it. He agrees to help her and the couple embark on a new adventure.
In the credits, this character is listed as Clea, and she has quite a history in the comics. An elemental being who looks human but is anything but, Clea is a longtime ally and love interest of Doctor Strange, and a key part of his supporting cast on the page (insofar as most fans speculated that Rachel McAdams played her in the first Doctor Strange movie).
Getting a major star like Theron in this role suggests that Clea could play a big part in any future Doctor Strange movies (especially now that it looks like the script with McAdams’ character, Christine, is complete). Watch this place…
Bruce Campbell as Pizza Poppa
OK, there’s another cameo worth mentioning. Director Sam Raimi has a habit of including his Evil Dead frontman Bruce Campbell in his films (most famously that he played a wrestling announcer, theater user, and butler in all three Raimi’s Spider-Man movies), so it was no surprise to see him reappear in Multiverse of Madness.
This time it’s about a vendor selling “pizza balls” in the Illuminati universe – a possible callback to all the Pizza-based gags about Spider-Man 2, perhaps? – and reappears in the final post-credits scene, where a spell cast on him by Doctor Strange finally wears off.
Truly, this is the ultimate cameo in a movie of huge cameos. There’s no better way to end the movie – or this article.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits UK cinemas on Thursday 5 May, while you can sign up for Disney Plus for £7.99 per month or £79.90 per year. For more, check out our dedicated Fantasy page or our full TV guide.
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