The Cameo We Definitely Don't Want In Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is about a week out, and while we were all temporarily distracted by the "Thor: Love and Thunder" teaser, it's time to hop back aboard the theory train. Since it was announced in 2019, the second "Doctor Strange" film has accrued countless theories, mostly aiming to identify the cameos we'll be getting in the movie. Some theories were right on the money, with the first trailer for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" flat out showing us Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier. The newest TV spot has also confirmed the appearance of the Illuminati. If they're willing to give us these kinds of surprises in the advertisements, we can only imagine what's waiting for us on the big screen.

Many suspect "Multiverse of Madness" will have cameos galore, with some of the biggest guesses being that Blade (Mahershsal Ali), "Deadpool" (Ryan Reynolds), Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), and Reed Richards (John Krasinski, maybe) will appear. More over-the-top rumors include Emma Watson portraying Clea, James Marsden returning as Cyclops, and Keanu Reeves showing up in a mystery role. Granted, we can't be sure about anything, but many of these suspicions are major reaches. Major.

However, there's been another rumor floating around in our very real universe that a MCU star will be reprising their role from a film outside of it — and it just cannot happen.

You don't have to travel too far down the rabbit hole of fan theory subreddits to come across this one — it's been mentioned and even hoped for across many social media platforms. But some are theorizing that Chris Evans will be in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Not as Steve Rogers, but as Johnny Storm from the mid-aughts "Fantastic Four" films. This would be a total and complete travesty and a mistake we're praying isn't made.

One major reason this would be a no-no is that we're set to get a "Fantastic Four" film in the MCU somewhere in the near future. How near remains to be seen, but with hat man Kevin Feige confirming the superhero team was coming at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, it should hopefully arrive in the next five years. The first Johnny Storm, aka Human Torch, that we see in the MCU should be the actor who is playing them in the Fantastic Four movie. We don't need someone else to swoop in for the wow or haha factor and then be gone in a flash. This is not only a waste of Chris Evans' time but ours as well.

The Fantastic Four need to be appreciated and respected in the MCU. Three films centered around the superhero team have made it to the big screen in the past — two pretty bad, and one embarrassingly bad — so when they are introduced into Feige's wonderland, they need to come in hot. The first taste we have of the Fantastic Four in the MCU shouldn't be Evans flying through some crack in the multiverse and making some Johnny-esque joke and taking off again.

In January of 2021, Deadline reported that Chris Evans was nearing a deal to appear in two more Marvel Cinematic Universe films. While the actor tweeted "news to me" with a shrugging emoji in response to the article, few believed his denial. Say this is true, and Evans is definitely coming back for two more MCU movies — it would be a travesty to waste one of those appearances in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." We've been over the moon for a year and a half for Evans' return and can't see it wasted on a bad Johnny Storm cameo. The world needs more Steve Rogers. Always more Steve Rogers. Even if Evans returns as someone else somehow, just let it be anyone other than Johnny Storm.

If Evans is back for two new films, the roles need to be connected somehow. It doesn't seem like it would make much sense for one appearance to be an unwanted cameo and then another completely separate from it. In no way, shape, or form should both of these Evans appearances be as Johnny Storm. The odds of that happening are (hopefully) zero, but it needed to be said.

While it would always be exciting to see Evans back in any MCU property, it would be better for him not to show up in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Some more out there rumors suggest he'll be back as the Illuminati version of Steve Rogers, while others suspect he'll be playing HYDRA supreme. Please keep in mind these are all theories with little to no backing.

 Our hope? Chris Evans plays Chris Evans, watching this movie in the audience like the rest of us.