Upcoming crossoverAvengers: Secret Warscan deliver on a missed multiverse cameo from Phase 4 in a moment that connects to the beginning of theMCU. The possibilities ofSecret Warsare endless, especially with the addition of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Marvel will bring back many modern and classic Marvel heroes and villains on a collision course that celebrates the MCU and the history of Marvel. This could includecameos from Fox’s X-Men universe, Sony’s Spider-Man universe, and the MCU’s long catalog of characters.
It could also deliver many cinematic heroes that never happened or fulfill popular fan castings. For example,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessincluded John Krasinski’s Reed Richards, who audiences wanted to play Mr. Fantastic in the MCU. And of course, Channing Tatum finally portrayedGambit inDeadpool & Wolverineafter his movie was scrapped due to years of development hell. Marvel had an opportunity to bring another rumored casting to life inDoctor Strange 2, and the studio could finally pull it off inSecret Wars.
Tom Cruise Almost Appeared As Iron Man In Doctor Strange 2
The Mission: Impossible Actor Almost Resurrected A Near-Miss Early Casting
Before Robert Downey Jr’s career comeback started with Iron Man, the role almost went to Tom Cruise. In the bookMCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, it’s revealed that Marvel wanted Cruise to play Tony Stark, but Kevin Feige said, “Cruise’s asking fee at the time was more than even a profitable studio like Fox was willing to risk on an untested superhero property.” In an interview withRolling Stone,Doctor Strange 2screenwriter said they considered havingCruise cameo as Iron Manduring the Illuminati sequence, but it didn’t happen due to scheduling conflicts.
“I mean there’s no cut footage of Tom Cruise! But I love Tom Cruise, and I said to Kevin (Feige) at one point, I was like, Could we get Tom Cruise’s Iron Man? I remember reading about that in Ain’t It Cool News back in the day, that Tom Cruise was going to be Iron Man.”
According to Waldron, Cruise was busy filmingMission: Impossible 7&8. Even without him, the Illuminati sequence was already a cameo-filled sequence, including Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter, Lashana Lynch’s Captain Marvel, Krasinski’s Reed Richards, Anson Mount’s Black Bolt, and Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier. Cruise’s appearance would have caused the audience to go berserk, but there’s still a way for Marvel to make this cameo happen.
Secret Wars Will Be Filled With Exciting Cameos
Fortunately, Marvel’s goal to get Cruise’s Tony Stark in the MCU could still happen. The multiverse is filled with variants of MCU heroes and villains. Some of them look identical to the Earth-616 versions, while others look completely different. For example, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker looks completely different from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Loki also has many variants that look like him and others that don’t.
What Is Secret Wars? Avengers 6’s Title Explained
Marvel Studios has revealed its plans for Avengers 6 entitled Secret Wars, but what is this massive event what does it mean for the MCU?
Deadpool & Wolverineshowed thatother universes can have characters who look like MCU heroes but are different peoplei.e.Captain America and Johnny Storm. Cruise would fit into the multiverse established by Marvel, as he doesn’t need to look like Downey Jr. to portray Tony Stark. Downey Jr. could also play Doctor Doom since Victor Von Doom could still look like Tony but be a different character. Many rules about the MCU’s multiverse have been made up, but it would allow for Cruise to enter the universe as an alternate Iron Man.
Cruise’s Iron Man Fighting Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom Would Be A Surreal Moment
Tom Cruise Can Fight The Man Who Took His Job
Many have imagined what Cruise’s Tony Stark would look like. However, it’s hard to imagine anyone playing the role who isn’t Downey Jr. He has melded with the character, and it’s hard not to see Tony when Downey Jr. makes any public appearances. Still,it’s intriguing to think about what Cruise would have done with the role, and it’d be exciting to see that happen inSecret Wars. It would also be a full-circle moment if Cruise’s Iron Man foughtDowney Jr’s Doctor Doom.
Cruise would finally get to play Tony, but he would also get to fight the person who got the job over him. It would connect to off-camera lore from 2008’sIron Manwhile delivering an epic moment audiences would want to watch multiple times. It’s hard to believe that Marvel would make this happen, but it was also unfathomable that Downey Jr. would return to the MCU as a villain, so anything is possible.
