A fan-made poster for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness imagines Tom Cruise as Superior Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The upcoming film will see Benedict Cumberbatch don his superhero cloak yet again after appearing in six MCU films since his debut in 2016. Also reprising their roles are Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, and Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff. The film is set to premiere in theaters on May 6 as part of Phase 4 of the MCU.
Doctor Strange 2 picks up after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, where the sorcerer’s botched spell led to an opening in the multiverse that invited dangerous unwanted guests from other timelines. The sequel is expected to properly explore the mind-bending concept of the multiverse, which has been alluded to in many MCU projects, most notably in Disney+’s Loki. With the introduction of different variants existing in parallel universes, there is no limit to what can happen in the franchise’s future. Multiple actors can play one character, and dead superheroes can come back in other forms. One persistent speculation is that Iron Man will be back into the MCU fold despite Robert Downey Jr. retiring as Tony Stark after Avengers: Endgame. Tom Cruise, however, is widely rumored to be making a cameo in Doctor Strange 2 as an Iron Man variant.
A Doctor Strange 2 fan poster shared by @diamonddead on Instagram shows Cruise as a Tony Stark variant and facing off against the Master of the Mystic Arts. In the edit, Cruise is wearing the black-and-white Superior Iron Man suit as depicted in Marvel Comics. He is seemingly coming from a portal conjured by Strange, which means he is likely coming from another dimension. Check it out below:
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In the Marvel comics, Superior Iron Man is a villainous version of the heroic Avenger. Speculations that this darker variant will make its way into the MCU grew after the latest Doctor Strange 2 trailer, which showed Cumberbatch being captured by an army of robots and led to a trial, possibly by the Illuminati. It’s unclear why Cruise’s name has been attached to the fan rumors, but it is likely because he was the top choice to play the original Tony Stark before the role eventually went to Downey.
While Downey has confirmed his exit from the MCU, a wide-open multiverse allows infinite possibilities for the franchise going forward. Downey’s term as Tony Stark/Iron Man has built a successful superhero empire for Marvel and his presence is still missed by fans. While no actor can ever fill his shoes, Cruise can bring a new kind of star power into the MCU and definitely delight viewers, just as Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield did in Spider-Man: No Way Home. If there is truth to the rumors, fans shouldn’t expect a confirmation anytime soon. Given Marvel’s extreme secrecy, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is bound to boast plenty of surprises when it premieres in May.
Source: DiamondDead/Instagram