While it has been months since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness first debuted in theaters, elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe entry continue to be debated about to this day. The film, which took a wild trip through the Marvel multiverse, was chock-full of cameos from surprising actors and characters, who fans might not have necessarily expected to see in live-action. Even then, there’s still a lot of intrigue around one of the cameos that didn’t make it into the film — Balder the Brave, the brother of Thor Odinson, a character that Marvel might have been wanting Daniel Craig to play. While that didn’t come to pass, a new piece of art shared by concept artist Daniel Warner reveals what that could have looked like.
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As Multiverse of Madness costume designer Graham Churchyard told ComicBook.com‘s Phase Zero podcast earlier this year, Balder got very far in the development stage of the film — after long stretches of almost appearing in previous Thor films.
“We got very far designing Balder the Brave and then we were waiting, and waiting, and waiting on casting,” Churchyard said at the time. “I took it to a prototype stage, we were kind of in that design thing, getting fabrics together and ideas and waiting for an actor. Poor Balder the Brave, he almost made Thor 1, and Thor 2, and Thor 3, if I can simplify that. Then, it’s just like, ‘Yay! He’s gonna get an appearance!’ Poor guy. I’ve seen designs Marvel’s archive book of Balder’s helmet going back to Kenneth Branagh’s Thor. So, he’s been a long time waiting and I don’t think he’s gonna make an appearance any time soon.”
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, to restore a world where everything is changing, Strange seeks help from his ally Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme, and the Avengers’ most powerful Scarlet Witch, Wanda. But a terrible threat looms over humanity and the entire universe that no longer can be done by their power alone. Even more surprising, the greatest threat in the universe looks exactly like Doctor Strange. Multiverse of Madness will also star Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong as Wong, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo.
What do you think of this Balder the Brave concept art from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now streaming on Disney+ and available for purchase on physical home media wherever movies are sold.
