Doctor Strange 2 Star Opens Up On Daniel Craig’s Deleted Scene

Doctor Strange 2 almost featured a cameo from Daniel Craig! While the name Daniel Craig often elicits images of a suave British secret agent in the minds of film enthusiasts, there was a time when the James Bond star was slated to make an appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, despite a near miss, the actor’s expected debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was unceremoniously dropped, leaving fans to ponder about what could have been.

Elizabeth Olsen, known for her role in the critically acclaimed series WandaVision, recently discussed Craig’s forgotten cameo on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast. “Yes, that’s what I thought was going to happen,” the star admitted, referring to Craig’s potential involvement in the film. “I saw the art. They made a costume. They had a design!”.

The Role That Almost Was

Credit: MGM Studios

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The question begs to be asked: who was Daniel Craig intended to play in Doctor Strange 2? According to Graham Churchyard, the film’s costume designer, Craig was set to portray Balder the Brave, a multiversal version of Thor’s brother, as a member of the Earth-838 Illuminati.

“We got very far designing Balder the Brave, and then we were waiting, and waiting, and waiting on casting,” Churchyard explained. The costume design had progressed to a prototype stage with fabrics and ideas collated, all in anticipation of an actor to bring the character to life.

Balder the Brave, it seems, has had a history of almost making appearances. The character nearly debuted in Thor, Thor: The Dark World, and Thor: Ragnarok. “I’ve seen designs in Marvel’s archive book of Balder’s helmet going back to Kenneth Branagh’s Thor. So, he’s been a long time waiting, and I don’t think he’s gonna make an appearance any time soon,” Churchyard added, suggesting the character’s ill-fated journey to the big screen.

A Twisted Turn of Events For Daniel Craig

Credit: MGM Studios

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As the shooting for Doctor Strange was underway, a major shift in plans occurred. “We were into Doctor Strange. We were already shooting, and it was just like, ‘Yeah, Tom Holland’s coming next week. They’re all coming over. Not next week, the week after. They’re gonna do this scene in the Sanctum with Spider-Man visiting Doctor Strange,'” Churchyard explained. “Everything, I don’t know how, it flipped.” The specifics of this sudden change remain shrouded in mystery, a twist as unexpected as the plot of the movie itself.

Reflecting on What Might Have Been

Credit: MGM Studios

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There’s a certain allure to the unknown, to the paths not taken. The idea of Daniel Craig, famed for his role as James Bond, donning the armour of Balder the Brave is one such tantalising thought. While the exact reasons for this change in casting remain undisclosed, the glimpses we’ve had into what could have been Craig’s Marvel debut only serve to heighten the intrigue.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now streaming on Disney+ and available for purchase on physical home media wherever movies are sold. What are your thoughts on the sequel, and how do you feel about the deleted scene that could have seen Daniel Craig as Balder the Brave? The Marvel universe is vast and unpredictable, and who knows, we may yet see Craig’s face in a future film. Stay tuned for the excitement that lies in the multiverse of possibilities!

What do you make of this news? Are you upset that we didn’t get to see Daniel Craig’s cameo in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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