Following the unraveling of the timeline in Loki and all the magical chaos of No Way Home, the Doctor Strange sequel will once again dive into the concept of Variants. Having just recently met countless Gods and Goddesses of Mischief, as well as having been reintroduced to two legendary Spider-Men, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be bringing back even more fan-favorites.
The term cameo has become somewhat synonymous with this recent insurgence of surprise character appearances in Marvel and Star Wars' latest movies and Disney+ series. But many of these shock character inclusions have gone well beyond the definition of a cameo as they end up playing an expansive role in the story. Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Book of Boba Fett took full advantage of this trend, but Multiverse of Madness looks set to take it to another level.
Multiverse of Madness will undoubtedly be packed with many unexpected character appearances, but it remains a question how many will actually fall under the umbrella of a cameo and how many will play a more integral part.
The latest trailer for Multiverse of Madness revealed the long-rumored return of Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier, and by all accounts, that appears to only be the tip of the iceberg.
While the dramatic tease only showed the back of Stewart's famous bald head, some believe they may have spotted Professor X's wheelchair in the trailer.
Is Professor X's Wheelchair in the Doctor Strange 2 Trailer?
Eagle-eyed fans have spotted an older-style wheelchair hidden in the latest trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but who does it belong to?
Many have naturally speculated this belongs to Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier aka Professor X, the Mutant leader who famously uses a wheelchair.
Xavier has used many varied wheelchair designs over the years, from high-tech motorized vehicles to more bare-bones chairs.
During the blink-and-you-miss-it scene, what looks to be a mug can be seen falling from above before shattering as it hits the ground.
The liquid emerging from the broken mug looks to resemble tea, which may be a reference to Patrick Stewart's British origins if the chair does belong to Xavier.
Based on the floor design, the shot looks to come from the same room in which Doctor Strange encounters his Sinister Variant. This room is curiously packed with numerous chairs and random artifacts, making it entirely possible the wheelchair is not in use.
The tiling on the floor closely resembles an earlier shot featuring Doctor Strange using Chaos Magic in the Sanctum Sanctorum.
How Big is Professor X's Role in Doctor Strange 2?
Patrick Stewart appearing as Professor X in the latest Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer came as a huge surprise to many. Even though leaks had already pointed to the Mutant leader returning for the Multiverse blockbuster, most assumed his role would remain an official secret until the May 2022 release.
Xavier is expected to be among several characters in the Illuminati, a team of the smartest brains and most powerful heroes from across the Multiverse who come together to handle the gravest of threats. Other supposed members featured in the trailer include Variants of Captain Marvel and Baron Mordo, while rumors point to Mr. Fantastic and Black Bolt also being on the team.
Until Multiverse of Madness hits theaters, it will be impossible to definitively predict how significant the Illuminati's role will be. Previous leaks revealed Wanda Maximoff will fight a Fox-verse character in the movie, and that will probably be Stewart's Xavier. With Strange only appearing to meet the Mutant at the Illuminati headquarters, where a murderous Wanda has been spotted fighting members of the Illuminati, perhaps Professor X may have a rather limited role.
As of now, there's no telling for certain whether the newly-spotted wheelchair does belong to Xavier, but the full teacup may subtly indicate that to be the case. But fans will have to wait until Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6, 2022 to find out.
