Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the next film on Marvel Studios’ slate, and it’s set to bring Benedict Cumberbatch back into the titular role as he tries to keep all reality from breaking apart. Returning with him are Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong’s Sorcerer Supreme, and newcomer Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez.
There is an endless string of rumors as to what fans may see going into the movie, from the return of Professor Xavier to the inclusion of Mr. Fantastic or Deadpool. Marvel even reportedly asked Ben Affleck to return as Daredevil.
One of those many rumored appearances is a Variant of Tony Stark’s Iron Man. In fact, many people claimed they saw him in the recent trailer.
Now, one of the sequel’s producers has commented on those rumors and what he makes of them.
Is Iron Man's Return Just a Rumor?
In an interview with Empire, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness producer Richie Palmer teased the possible inclusion of Iron Man and The Illuminati in the upcoming film.
Palmer noted how “some rumors [end] up being true, some [do] not,” but that he’d nevertheless “love to see Tony (Stark) again:”
“As you saw in Spider-Man: No Way Home, some rumors ended up being true, some did not… I would love to see Tony again, but some rumors are just rumors."
Palmer went on to add that The Illuminati is something he'd love to see, implying that an "MCU-driven" iteration of the fan-favorite comic group could be on the way:
"I will say that I love The Illuminati. But if we ever introduce The Illuminati in the future, it might be more MCU-driven and have some more ties to our characters in the MCU, versus just replicating what's in the comics.”
Will Iron Man Make a Strange Appearance?
There’s a shot in the recent trailer for Multiverse of Madness of a mysterious figure hurtling himself forward in a ball of energy. Many people have come to assume it’s a Variant of Tony Stark and his Iron Man persona.
While it remains to be seen if any version of the hero will make an appearance, the mystery ball of energy is more than likely a Variant of Captain Marvel. Looking closely, fans can note how the visualization of those powers in use directly matches that of Brie Larson’s previous performance.
It could be Larson under that energy, but more than likely, it's a unique Variant of some sort that better fits into the concept of Multiverse of Madness. The figure actually looks like it could be someone along the lines of Maria or Monica Rambeau; maybe in that timeline, one of those two ended up with Captain Marvel’s powers instead of Carol Danvers.
If Tony Stark does happen to make it into the film in any form, where could he show up? Well, the answer is simple: the Illuminati. As commented on by the film's producer, many rumors have indicated fans might be seeing some incarnation of the group in the upcoming project.
Iron Man has always been a key member of that organization, so throwing in a Variant of him for a situation like that would make perfect sense. Maybe he's one of those shadow figures putting Doctor Strange on trial in the recent teaser. This Stark could even be played byTom Cruise, who has been at the heart of the Iron Man return rumors.
Either way, fans should brace themselves for plenty of surprises when they go and see Multiverse of Madness on May 6 later this year.
