A talented digital artist has imagined an alternate Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Tom Cruise taking up the helm as Iron Man in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), aka Iron Man, died stopping Thanos at the end of Avengers: Endgame; however, Doctor Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) adventures in the multiverse open up the possibility for an alternate Iron Man to return to the MCU.

Doctor Strange 2 is arguably one of the biggest, most important movies that Marvel has slated for Phase 4, as the multiverse can lead to infinite opportunities for storytelling within the greater MCU. While much of the plot remains shrouded in mystery, Strange will apparently explore the multiverse with Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) at his side; Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is also set to make an appearance as well, although it isn't quite clear yet if he will play the role of villain or ally in this sequel film.

Related: Every New Marvel Character Confirmed For Phase 4

As further exploration of the multiverse will likely lead to a dizzying sequence of alternate realities, spdrmnkyxxiii has taken full advantage of this to illustrate what Tom Cruise might look like as another universe's Iron Man. Spdrmnkyxxiii's image shows Cruise from the chest up, in Iron Man's traditional red and gold suit with the Arc Reactor glowing in the center of his chest. Cruise also wears no helmet, which shows that spdrmnkyxxiii has envisioned him in a goatee and haircut that's startlingly similar to that of Tony Stark's. You can catch spdrmnkyxxiii's cool rendition of Tom Cruise as Iron Man below:

In his caption, spdrmnkyxxiii says he was inspired to create the image after reading that Tom Cruise was supposedly being scouted to play an alternate reality's Tony Stark. However, while spdrmnkyxxiii is obviously excited about the news, he also advises fans to take the rumor with a grain of salt, explaining that the rumor "isn't from a credible source." Still, while there might be no official confirmation of Cruise as Tony Stark, fans will likely have mixed feelings about seeing someone else in the iconic role of Iron Man. On one hand, it will certainly be fun to see who Marvel casts as another reality's Iron Man if Marvel decides to do that; on the other, Robert Downey Jr. has long played Tony Stark to perfection, in a way that will be hard to top.

Regardless of how fans feel, though, Downey Jr. confirmed earlier this month that he will no longer be appearing in any further MCU films. As such, while it will be a transition to see someone else as Iron Man—even if it is an alternative version of the hero—spdrmnkyxxiii is right: if Iron Man can no longer be Robert Downey Jr. in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, why not pass the mantle to Tom Cruise?

Next: Doctor Strange's Original Sequel Setup Is Outdated Now

Source: spdrmnkyxxiii/Instagram