Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness took the first steps in bringing 20th Century Fox's Marvel heroes into the MCU thanks to Reed Richards and Professor X being part of the Illuminati. This now has fans imagining when other Mutants will make their way into the Marvel Studios story, with everybody from Magneto to Deadpool on the table.
For all the characters that did wind up in the Multiversal adventure behind Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff, there were a few others that missed the cut.
Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool almost got his own entire world according to behind-the-scenes footage, but fans now have to continue to wait for the Merc with a Mouth to make his long-awaited MCU arrival. Evangeline Lilly's Wasp was also part of initial talks surrounding the Illuminati, and Daniel Craig nearly played Thor's long-lost brother Balder the Brave.
On top of all this, fans were curious to see whether Doctor Strange 2 would include some version of Magneto after Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier was confirmed to come back into the action. Now, more clarity on that answer has come thanks to a chat with one of the movie's producers following its worldwide home release.
Magneto Considered for Doctor Strange 2 Role
Speaking on the Empire Podcast, Marvel Studios producer Richie Palmer addressed the chatter surrounding Magneto's reportedly scrapped role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
When asked if Magneto was ever on the board for inclusion, Palmer indicated that a Magneto appearance was briefly discussed between himself and writer Michael Waldron, stating in a double-negative that he's "not going to say those things (about Magneto) never came up in conversation." However, the producer also admitted that Magneto was "[not] seriously talked about" as it may have been too much to explain in the film and it might have "detracted from the experience." Palmer also teased the idea of introducing another version of Wanda Maximoff who might actually be Magneto's daughter:
Chris Hewitt: "You're dealing with different realities here. Wanda, in the comic books, as you know, is a Mutant. Her father is Magneto. Was that something that you toyed with at any point, to introduce us to Wanda who was a Mutant, who had a dad who was Magneto, or was that just too much heavy lifting to do?"
Richie Palmer: "I don't know if that was ever seriously talked about, again, that [Michael] Waldron's got a head full of crazy ideas, so, I'm not going to say those things never came up in conversation, but I think once you start getting into Magneto and explaining Mutants, you know, I think that the Illuminati appearances in this movie are pretty self-explanatory. I think you get them and you know... I think it's all right there for you. To go any further with it, and to try to explain that stuff, might've detracted from the experience. However, who's to say in this universe, that's a different Wanda than our Wanda with a different backstory, there is a Professor Xavier there, there are Mutants, there are Inhumans. So, you got to believe she definitely has her own version of that story going on."
Shortly after Doctor Strange 2 debuted, news revealed that a scene was actually filmed with Michael Fassbender's Magneto, but it was removed from the final cut of the film.
Magneto on Marvel's Mind for the MCU
In a movie that featured Professor Charles Xavier for the first time under the Marvel Studios umbrella, it's no surprise that arguably his most iconic opponent from the X-Men was considered for a role as well.
Doctor Strange 2 actually included an indirect nod to Eric Lehnsherr as Doctor Strange and America Chavez blasted through the Savage Lands, Magneto's home from Marvel Comics. While that Easter egg was certainly a fun moment for diehard X-Men fans, seeing the villain on-screen next to his Mutant counterpart could have been something even more special.
This would also have provided the first moment for Wanda Maximoff to potentially interact with Magneto in the movie, which is notable due to their relationship in the comics as father and daughter. Although Wanda is now dead with no definitive signs pointing to a return, fans will unquestionably wonder if that bond will ever be explored in the expansive Marvel story.
Whenever Magneto does show up alongside the rest of the X-Men, it will be something special, and this scrapped appearance only makes fans want to see it happen that much more.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now streaming on Disney+ and available for purchase digitally and via Blu-ray.
