Leading into its May 6 release, much of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness remains a mystery. And what Marvel fans do know has only added to its mystique. For instance, not only is it a sequel to 2016's Doctor Strange, but Doctor Strange 2 is also a continuation of Spider-Man: No Way Home and directed by Sam Raimi, the director of Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man trilogy.
Of course, this has led to speculation that Marvel Studios may have a Raimi and Maguire reunion in mind. After all, if Strange can be in a Multiversal Spider-Man movie, why can't a Spider-Man be in a Multiversal Doctor Strange movie?
In addition to rumors that Tobey Maguire has a role in the upcoming film, a recent Multiverse of Madness promo featuring Joe's Pizza from Spider-Man 2 has only heightened speculation. However, at the same time, new reports have also claimed just the opposite on the Doctir Strange sequel's connection to other Spider-Man cinematic universes.
Amidst the madness of conflicting reports, it's hard to know what to believe. But now, another source has come forward with a little clarity ahead of Doctor Strange 2's theatrical debut.
Will Tobey Maguire Appear in Doctor Strange 2?
In response to a claim by The SRP Report that Tobey Maguire will not appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, @WGreatPowerBook posted a tweet corroborating Maguire's absence, saying,
"This was never true."
When asked about Raimi not getting to direct his Spider-Man in either No Way Home or Multiverse of Madness, @WGreatPowerBook's tweet in reply brought up the fact that Doctor Strange 2 was originally set to release and take place in the MCU before the Spider-Man threequel. Maguire's presence "would have made no sense," according to the veteran movie pundit:
"For the longest time, STRANGE 2 was supposed to come about before #SpiderManNoWayHome. Including Tobey would have made no sense while scripting and filming."
The @WGreatPowerBook Twitter account is run by CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell for his upcoming Spider-Man book titled With Great Power. O'Connell was a credible source concerning Spider-Man-related news leading up to the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
No Reunion for Raimi and Maguire?
While having Raimi direct Maguire again would've made for a great story behind the camera, it's hard to see how the return of cinema's original Spider-Man would play into Doctor Strange or Wanda Maximoff's story.
Also, O'Connell is right in that Multiverse of Madness was, in fact, originally slated before No Way Home. The initial script wouldn't have included the character, since his return was so key to Tom Holland's threequel.
At the same time, it's no secret that, due to Marvel having to reshuffle their slate, changes were made to Doctor Strange 2. Also, since trailers and teasers for Multiverse of Madness have shown Cumberbatch's Strange falling through multiple universes, crossing into Raimi's original Spider-Man universe isn't impossible.
The real reason why Doctor Strange 2 is likely Maguire-less is probably due to Sony. Even though Maguire's web-slinger appeared in an MCU film, and Tom Holland's Spider-Man is an MCU character, Marvel Studios doesn't have the freedom to use the web-head at will. This is because Sony owns the rights to Spider-Man, and the two studios have a working agreement to "share" the character on the big screen.
Since Maguire just appeared in No Way Home, the odds are against Marvel Studios using him again so quickly and in a film that already has a full call-sheet and several rumored cameos.
Just when and where either Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield's web-slingers will return remains to be seen, especially in light of Sony's woes concerning Morbius and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse delays. But perhaps, Multiverse of Madness will leave audiences with an idea of what the future could hold for cinema's Multiversal Spideys.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to release in theaters on May 6.
