Daniel Craig Rumored To Have Turned Down Massive Doctor Strange 2 Role
The MCU could have been much different if the rumored role that Daniel Craig was offered in Doctor Strange 2, actually came into fruition.
Spoiler warning for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ahead. Stop reading immediately if you have not seen Doctor Strange 2. If you’ve seen Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, then you know that the secret superhero group known as the Illuminati made their big MCU debut. One of the primary members, Mr. Fantastic, also made his debut, played by John Krasinski. However, a recent Tweet from Deadline reporter Justin Kroll reveals that Krasinski wasn’t the first choice to play Reed Richards. Instead, the role was supposed to go to 007 himself, Daniel Craig.
According to the Tweet, Daniel Craig decided to turn down the role since COVID cases were going up. He didn’t want to risk bringing the virus back to his family for such a short cameo. This makes sense. While Reed Richards is a cool addition to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s not a major role in the movie. Of course, it could turn into a much, much bigger role down the line if John Krasinski ends up playing Richards again in the Fantastic Four movie.
Maybe Daniel Craig is taking a page out of Benedict Cumberbatch’s book and turning down the small role for a bigger role in the future. Cumberbatch turned down the villain role of Malekith for Thor: The Dark World and ended up playing Doctor Strange instead in a few of the top-grossing movies of all time. So, you never know what the MCU could hold for Craig in the future.
Although the Tweet mentions that Daniel Craig was going to play Reed Richards, other rumors indicated that Craig was going to appear as Balder the Brave. Balder is the Asgardian half-brother of Thor (in Marvel and Norse Mythology), so this would have been an interesting role too. These rumors indicate that Balder would be killed by Scarlet Witch, so the role had even less future potential than playing Reed Richards. Backing out of playing Balder would make more sense than backing out of playing Mr. Fantastic.
Regardless of the role, Daniel Craig turned down, you won’t be seeing him in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While there’s always a chance, we could see him in future MCU movies, this isn’t going to be the one. Fortunately, we will get to see Daniel Craig again soon in another franchise. While his tenure as 007 is over, his tenure as the southern-fried detective Benoit Blanc is just beginning. He’ll be returning to his role from Knives Out to play the detective again in Knives Out 2, which is expected to release before the end of the year. Rian Johnson returns to write and direct with a new cast of characters featuring Ethan Hawke, Jessica Henwick, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, and more. Knives Out 3 is also in the works, with an expected release date of 2024.
While you won’t get to see Daniel Craig, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is still an entertaining ride. Plus, fans have always wanted John Krasinski as Reed Richards, so no harm no foul. You can catch the Doctor Strange sequel in theaters now.
