Elizabeth Olsen Confirms Daniel Craig’s Role in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

Marvel Studios has a reputation for filling its multiverse films with unexpected cameos, yet not every planned surprise makes it to the final cut. ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ serves as a prime example, introducing its own version of the Illuminati, featuring a lineup of alternate versions of well-known heroes from across the multiverse.

Fans quickly noticed that the film’s Earth-838 team seemed incomplete. For years, rumors suggested that James Bond actor Daniel Craig was set to portray Balder the Brave, the multiversal counterpart to Thor’s half-brother. However, the character ultimately disappeared from the final film without any explanation.

This mystery has now been clarified by someone who was involved in the project. Elizabeth Olsen confirmed on Josh Horowitz’s Happy, Sad, Confused podcast that Craig was indeed slated to appear as Balder the Brave, revealing that the plans had progressed to the point where a costume had already been created.

“I saw the art. They made a costume. They had a design,” Olsen stated on the podcast when Horowitz directly inquired about the rumored casting. Her confirmation marks her as the first member of the film’s main cast to validate what had long been considered unverified gossip.

Olsen’s remarks align with details previously shared by Graham Churchyard, the film’s costume designer, who mentioned on ComicBook.com’s Phase Zero podcast that the production had made significant progress in designing Balder’s appearance before the role was ultimately cut. With both Olsen and Churchyard providing insights, a clearer picture emerges of how close Craig came to joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The intrigue deepened as Craig himself had remained tight-lipped about the situation. When Horowitz previously questioned him about the rumored Marvel appearance on the same podcast, Craig reportedly played coy and denied any knowledge, leaving fans without a definitive answer until Olsen’s comments filled in the gaps.

It’s important to note that Craig isn’t entirely unfamiliar with blockbuster franchise cameos outside his own films, having famously appeared as a Stormtrooper in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’ A Marvel appearance would have created a similarly playful crossover moment, making its exclusion from the final film even more significant for fans who had been looking forward to it.

Marvel Studios has not officially explained why Craig’s role was cut, and to this day, neither the studio nor Craig has provided a public account of what transpired behind the scenes. Balder the Brave’s absence became one of several dropped threads from the film’s Illuminati sequence, alongside broader fan speculation about how the roster was assembled and altered during production.

For a film already filled with surprise casting, from Patrick Stewart’s Professor X to John Krasinski’s Reed Richards, the absence of a Daniel Craig cameo stands out as one of the more intriguing what-ifs in recent Marvel history. Whether footage of the character will ever surface remains uncertain, but Olsen’s confirmation at least clarifies that the plan was indeed real.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!