SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot points and cameos in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” currently playing in theaters.
Well, so much for the Illuminati!
The secretive and powerful group of superheroes sworn to protect their universe within the multiverse didn’t last long against the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), who did not hold back in brutally killing every surprise character. Despite some internet rumors and glimpses of universe-crossing heroes in the “Doctor Strange” trailers, most of the Illuminati board were major surprises to Marvel fans. The most shocking cameo by far is John Krasinski as Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, the stretchy, super-smart leader of the Fantastic Four. Not to be outdone, the post-credits scene also introduces Oscar winner Charlize Theron as the sorceress Clea, who seems ready for the inevitable “Doctor Strange 3.”
Besides those two bombshells, some eagle-eyed fans already noticed that Patrick Stewart’s Professor X and Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter were briefly teased in previous trailers, but “Doctor Strange 2” has a few more tricks up its sleeve. See the rest of the cameos in the movie below.
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John Krasinski as Mister Fantastic
Image Credit: AP / Marvel In theaters full of die-hard Marvel fans, you’re likely bound to hear the loudest gasp and applause for the moment when John Krasinski is revealed as the stretchy superhero. Krasinski has long been fan-casted as Mister Fantastic, along with his real-life wife Emily Blunt as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman. In his short-lived cameo, Krasinski also mentions that his wife is alive in his universe and they have two kids, who would likely be Valeria and Franklin Richards from the Marvel comics. But the major question remains, will Krasinski return to play the role in the upcoming “Fantastic Four” movie? Or will that film (which recently lost director Jon Watts) recast the role and take place in a different universe?
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Charlize Theron as Clea
Image Credit: AP / Marvel Emerging from a portal to the Dark Dimension in the post-credits scene, Charlize Theron steps into the MCU to warn Doctor Strange of an impending incursion, which could destroy our main Marvel universe, now officially dubbed Earth-616. In the comics, Clea is a powerful sorceress whose been Strange’s student, wife and even successor as Sorcerer Supreme at certain points. With Theron’s expertise in the comic-book and action genres (just look at “The Old Guard,” “Fast and Furious” and “Mad Max: Fury Road”), she’s sure to accompany Strange (now with a third eye!) on his next supernatural adventure.
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Patrick Stewart as Professor X
Image Credit: Everett Collection This is the one cameo most fans knew was coming: Patrick Stewart’s voice is featured in the Super Bowl trailer for “Multiverse of Madness,” and TV ads feature his hand resting on Charles Xavier’s comic-accurate wheelchair. This is clearly not the Prof. X from the “X-Men” movies — for one thing, that character died in 2017’s “Logan” — but instead a version of him from an alternate universe. Still, he doesn’t live long when faced with the magical power of Scarlet Witch. Professor X’s appearance is the first time an “X-Men” character has officially appeared in the MCU, besides Evan Peters’ Quicksilver fake-out in “WandaVision.” Hopefully, more mutants will pop up in the MCU and the red carpet will roll out for a new “X-Men” movie sooner rather than later.
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Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter
Image Credit: Disney+ Hayley Atwell, who originated her Peggy Carter role in 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger,” has been through one of longest journeys in the MCU. It finally culminated with her live-action return as Captain Carter, an alternate version of Chris Evans’ Captain America that she debuted on the animated Disney+ series “What If…?” Though TV ads for “Multiverse of Madness” heavily foreshadowed that Captain Carter would cameo in “Multiverse of Madness,” her longtime fans have been eagerly waiting for her to properly suit up and toss the Cap shield.
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Anson Mount as Black Bolt
Image Credit: ABC One of the more obscure — but no less surprising — cameos, Anson Mount originally played the silent but ridiculously deadly Blackagar Boltagon on the short-lived ABC series “The Inhumans.” Black Bolt led the space-dwelling royal family of Inhumans, who gained superpowers after genetic experiments by the Kree alien species. Much like his TV series, Black Bolt didn’t last long in “Multiverse of Madness,” as Wanda magically sealed his mouth shut, which caused his ultra-destructive voice to rupture his skull.
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Lashana Lynch as Captain Marvel
Image Credit: Everett Collection Lashana Lynch, who recently appeared as the new 007 in “No Time to Die,” returns to the MCU after first appearing in “Captain Marvel” in 2019 as pilot Maria Rambeau. In this alternate universe, she’s taken up Brie Larson’s mantle of Captain Marvel, complete with the same cosmic powers and a new costume. She’s the last to fall against Wanda, but she’s further proof that the Rambeau family, including her daughter Monica Rambeau (played by Teyonah Parris in “WandaVision”) are total badasses.
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Bruce Campbell as a Pizza Poppa
Image Credit: AP Director Sam Raimi and actor Bruce Campbell have been pals for decades. After starring in Raimi’s “Evil Dead” horror franchise, Campbell has appeared in many of Raimi’s films, including his “Spider-Man” trilogy, “Oz the Great and Powerful” and “Darkman.” The trend continues in “Multiverse of Madness,” where Campbell has two memorable scenes as a hotdog vendor from another universe named Pizza Poppa. After running into Doctor Strange, Campbell’s character is bewitched to beat himself up for three weeks straight. In the final post-credits scene, instead of teasing a future MCU project or another surprise superhero, Raimi brings back Campbell for a quick joke. His character, free of Strange’s spell, excitedly tells the audience “it’s over!” and the movie cuts to black.