With the impending release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, anticipation is growing and the rumors are coming through faster than the villains from different universes at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The internet has of course been a source of nonstop rumors, almost like the tear that Doctor Strange couldn't close in the 2021 movie.
However, there will obviously be a ton of surprises and fan service in the upcoming film. After all, it is called Multiverse of Madness. Absolutely anything is possible, which makes it that much harder to decipher what could be true and what could be nonsense.
Edward Norton's Bruce Banner
Technically, Norton's Bruce Banner was a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as The Incredible Hulk was the second movie in the MCU after Iron Man. However, as great of an actor Norton is, there's a reason he didn't return for the following movies.
The actor is notoriously hard to work with, especially when it comes to his time working on the 2008 superhero movie. Marvel and Norton didn't get along, as the actor allegedly tried rewriting a lot of the film. It's unlikely that Feige and Marvel Studios would ask Norton to return given that, at this point in time, the MCU is such an intricate, well-oiled machine that they can't be having actors trying to rewrite the movies anymore. According to BGR, Norton will return to the role in some capacity, but given that the information is based on a "leak" on 4chan, it's very doubtful.
Ben Affleck's Daredevil
Ben Affleck hasn't had much luck in the superhero world. Though he made a great Bruce Wayne/Batman, the movies he starred in left a lot to be desired, and before that, he starred in the critically scathed Daredevil. While there are a lot of ways 2003's Daredevil is underrated, Marvel studios probably wouldn't want to be associated with that film.
Considering that Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock (from Netflix's Daredevil series) showed up in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Affleck's portrayal of the character would just be getting in the way of a bigger plan. Though it isn't totally clear, it looks like the MCU is building towards some kind of Daredevil-related material, as Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin appeared in Hawkeye too. However, according to ScreenGeek, Marvel Studios actually tried to hire the actor.
Tom Cruise As Iron Man
Tom Cruise could have played Tony Stark if Iron Man was cast in the 1990s, but in 2007, he was also rumored to be playing the character in the 2008 movie. Because of this, according to Express, there's a lot of speculation surrounding the idea of Cruise appearing in the upcoming release. But it seems like a huge stretch that Marvel Studios would include a Tom Cruise cameo simply because of an almost 15-year-old casting rumor.
On top of that, though it would be exciting to catch a glimpse of Cruise in the Iron Man suit in an alternate universe, it'd also be wasted potential, as Cruise is one of the most famous actors on the planet. However, at the same time, the Mission: Impossible actor is also responsible for some of the funniest cameos of the past 20 years. He played himself playing Austin Powers in Goldmember, and he played a fat, balding, aggressive studio executive in Tropic Thunder too.
Jon Bernthal's Punisher
As Marvel Studios is seemingly picking and choosing what actors/characters they want to take from Netflix's Marvel series and what characters should stay put, there's one specific character that they couldn't possibly forget about. With Cox's Matt Murdock showing up in No Way Home and D'Onofrio's Kingpin appearing in Hawkeye, a feature from Jon Bernthal's Punisher would complete the transition.
Unfortunately, though it could happen in the future, there's no reason to expect that his appearance will happen in Multiverse of Madness, and it's only being rumored because Cox and D'Onofrio showed up within such a short timeframe of each other.
Ghost Rider
As Multiverse of Madness is shaping up to be the weirdest MCU movie yet, it'd be the perfect way to introduce one of the weird Ghost Rider comic book storylines. Though it seems unlikely, a brand new take on Ghost Rider could feature in the movie. However, it'd still be great to see Cage in the role once again too.
That could become a reality because, according to Inverse, Cage might be back on the motorbike. The two Ghost Rider movies that Cage starred in weren't very good, but that wasn't Cage's fault, and it has been a long time since audiences have seen the actor go completely unchanged in a high-budget blockbuster movie. But Cage could be a little too unpredictable compared to the brilliant-but-safe casting choices Marvel Studios has made in the past.
Mr. Fantastic
Fans have been predicting that Mr. Fantastic would show up in every MCU release in the post-quarantine era, whether it was in the Disney+ series WandaVision or Spider-Man: No Way Home. And while the character has been absent from all of those releases, fans can almost sense that he'll be in the new movie.
An MCU Fantastic Four movie is currently in development, and Reed Richards' introduction into the MCU is imminent, along with Sue Storm and the Human Torch. As John Krasinski is a fan-favorite choice to play the character, according to Comic Book Resources, he has been spotted on the set of the movie, but whether he's playing Mr. Fantastic or not is another question entirely.
Professor X
It doesn't seem likely that Professor X would appear in Multiverse of Madness, as there are so many other characters waiting to be introduced into the universe. And there are already tons of looming storylines, so bringing in a character that's part of a whole other universe is biting off way more than the film could possibly chew.
This is backed up by the fact that in 2019, according to The Playlist, Feige explained that he had a five-year plan in place before the X-Men would enter the MCU, and it genuinely isn't like Feige to lie or mislead audiences. Having said that, James McAvoy, according to BGR, has recently been sporting his bald Professor X look, but that could just as easily be for another role.
Jean Grey
Jean Grey is another character from the X-Men universe that has had rumors circling them regarding their presence in the upcoming movie. But for the same reasons as Professor X, it would generally seem unlikely for the character to appear in Multiverse of Madness.
However, there are reasons behind the rumor, and they also give credence to Charles Xavier's appearance too. Just like with James McAvoy, Sophie Turner, who played Jean Grey in the X-Men series, has recently been sporting Grey's red hair from the franchise.
Deadpool
The Multiverse of Madness is one of the most anticipated movies of 2022, even though Doctor Strange isn't even particularly a fan-favorite character. The reason behind the excitement is undoubtedly all of the possible cameos, and even though audiences have seen the character before and it's confirmed that Deadpool 3 is in development, Deadpool's rumored cameo, as reported by Aroged, is easily one of the most exciting.
It makes sense too because if there's one way to bridge the gap between Fox's X-Men series and the MCU, it's the fourth-wall-breaking Merc with a Mouth. And to see the outrageous cartoonish character share screentime with Strange, the most stoic superhero in the universe, would be interesting, to say the least.
Shang-Chi
The crossover has already happened, as Wong appears in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. But many have rumored that Shang-Chi will return the favor and crop up in Doctor Strange 2. The rumors have gone so far that Simu Liu, who plays Shang-Chi, has had to ask fans to stop asking him if he'll be in Multiverse of Madness.
Out of all the rumors, this seems like the most likely given that Wong had asked for Shang's help at the end of the 2021 movie. But as Marvel Studios seems to tell their actors to deny, deny, deny, as was clear from Andrew Garfield's constant denying, Liu claiming he isn't in the movie is almost cause for more speculation.