Doctor Strange 2 writer Michael Waldron has finally explained whether the rumored Tom Cruise cameo was ever actually in the works.
*Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*
The latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the biggest new movies in 2022, and it just hit theaters on May 6. It saw Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) journeying into the unknown as he tackled the mind-bending possibilities of the Multiverse.
The movie introduced us to a range of huge cameos thanks in no small part to the introduction of a version of Marvel's secretive superhero group, the Illuminati. One of the rumored members of this alternative-universe group was heavily speculated to be none other than Top Gun: Maverick star Tom Cruise, who some fans thought would be playing a variant of Robert Downey Jr's hero, Iron Man.
In a spoiler-heavy interview with Rolling Stone, Michael Waldron has now set the record straight and explained that it wasn't really ever on the cards, even though he approached Marvel Studios' President, Kevin Feige, about it.
Michael revealed: "Yeah, that was totally made up. I mean, there’s no cut footage of Tom Cruise! But I love Tom Cruise, and I said to [Marvel Studios president] 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."
However, Michael doesn't think there was ever really a chance, in no small part because Tom Cruise was shooting Mission Impossible 7 and 8. When asked if anyone ever reached out to the action star, Michael replied: "I don't believe so. I just don't think it was ever an option, because of availability."
The rumors came out of the fact that Tom Cruise was thought to be a favorite for the main incarnation of Iron Man when the character was being cast back in 2007.
If you're looking for even more Doctor Strange 2 news, check out our Doctor Strange 2 review or our guide explaining what the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness post-credits scenes means for Phase 4 of the MCU.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently in theaters and is expected to land on Disney Plus later this year.
