Was Tom Cruise's Iron Man Ever Going To Be In Doctor Strange 2?

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Warning: Contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

There have long been many rumors circulating about Tom Cruise's potential involvement in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness at some stage in development, it's never been clear whether he was ever actually going to appear as an Iron Man variant. The massive success of the MCU began back in 2008 with Robert Downey Jr.'s iconic turn as Tony Stark in Iron Man, but one popular alternate casting for the hero has endured. It's well-known that many consider Tom Cruise to be a near-perfect choice for an alternate version of Iron Man, even though the Top Gun actor turned down the role back in 2008.

However, leading up to the Doctor Strange sequel's release, the hints of Doctor Strange 2 multiverse cameos dropped by the film's trailer fueled speculation that Cruise may finally appear as a Stark variant. Not only did his rumored appearance cause excitement that the hero may still have a future in the MCU after his noble sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, but it seemed possible that the MCU may finally make use of one of its most widely sought fan castings. Though Doctor Strange 2 did deliver some exciting variant heroes, Tom Cruise as Iron Man was not among them.

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Though Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' trailer prompted the circulation of rumors online, Tom Cruise as Iron Man didn't come to fruition in the finished film. With the rumors being so widespread, Cruise not making a Doctor Strange 2 cameo was considered a disappointing development by some. But, just because Cruise didn't appear as a Tony Stark variant in the finished film, it doesn't necessarily mean that his inclusion