The Doctor Strange sequel follows Benedict Cumberbatch’s sorcerer hero through the alternate realities of the multiverse as he is forced to make new allies in order to defeat new threats, with one being his evil variant corrupted by the Darkhold who seek to wreak havoc on several universes. One of the universes he ends up on is Earth-838, home to the Illuminati, but that wasn’t always the plan according to Waldron’s interview with Empire.

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The group consists of heroes such as Mordo, Peggy Carter, Black Bolt, Maria Rambeau, Charles Xavier, and none other than Reed Richards – played by John Krasinski – from the Fantastic Four. “I always wanted Reed Richards in this thing,” Waldron said. “In my very first draft, I wrote a tag just for the hell of it, of the events of the movie being recorded and reviewed by somebody in the Baxter Building, and a stretchy hand coming into frame to run it back.” Due to the script changing throughout the production process, Waldron removed that scene.

But luckily, he was able to find a way to still satisfy many fans by including Richards in the movie itself. The Fantastic Four character had an even more prominent role as an Illuminati member facing off against a version of Wanda who is possessed by Earth-616’s Scarlet Witch. While it’s unclear whether Krasinski will return to the role due to his fate in Doctor Strange 2, it is possible he could reprise the role as another version of the character. The bottom line is there’s no ruling out anything when it comes to the MCU.

Of course, there have been different casting rumors for the Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four project that have been circulating for some time now, so it’s also possible that someone else may be cast as the MCU’s main Reed Richards. Fans are hoping the answers about who will play Reed Richards will be revealed at Marvel Studios’ D23 presentation, which is almost upon fans.

Doctor Strange 2 was a huge success, as it grossed over $950 million at the global box office and received generally favorable reviews, with many praising Sam Raimi’s unique direction. The film also stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo, Benedict Wong as Wong, and Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is available to stream on Disney Plus.

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Source: Empire Magazine