'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' writer addresses Superior Iron Man rumors: Exploring why Tom Cruise was not in the film

Iron Man - a character MCU fans want to see again in the films, Disney+ shows, or animated series. After the departure of their beloved Earth-616 'Billionaire, Genius, Playboy, Philanthropist' Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr, this demand has heightened. Ever since the news regarding Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness was released, fans went bonkers with speculations about the movie.

Then came a wave of cameo speculations. From Tony Stark to Ghost Rider, some might have even said Deadpool in the hopes of seeing their favorite character on screen.

Note: This article contains heavy spoilers!

The cameo speculated the most through fake trailers, leaked images, and concept art was Superior Iron Man, played by Tom Cruise. In 2008 there were rumors regarding Tom Cruise being offered the role of Iron Man before Downey Jr. was cast. However, things did not work out in favor of Cruise. This, in turn, proved to be great for the MCU as Robert set the bar for Tony Stark as Heath Ledger did for Joker.

However, speculations again popped up - according to them, Tom Cruise was to appear as Tony Stark of Earth-818 alongside the Illuminati in the role of Superior Iron Man. But once again, fans were left disappointed. However, the filmmakers claim they plan to introduce Cruise to the MCU.

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Doctor Strange 2 Writer explains why Tom Cruise didn't appear as Superior Iron Man

Quite a few rumors floated around Tom Cruise as the next Iron Man in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, that did not come to fruition as fans who saw the movie were disappointed to not see him in it alongside members of The Illuminati such as Captain Carter, Mr. Fantastic, Professor X, and more.

It would have been a bad call to cast Cruise as Iron Man in the MCU. Here are a few reasons why Marvel decided not to go with it. Firstly, lousy CGI is always noticeable. Whether it's a full-blown armored suit or just a 'mustache.' Secondly, it would be tough for fans to experience a new face behind "The Suit" so early while memories of Downey's Tony Stark are still fresh.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is touted as a creative genius due to the highly applauded decisions he and his team make to introduce newer characters in the MCU. However, the decision to cast Cruise in the MCU was shot down by Feige said the lead screenwriter of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Michael Waldron.

When asked in an interview about Tom's cameo speculations in the film, Waldron said:

"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."

This explains that even the filmmakers considered putting Cruise into the 'star-studded cameo bonanza' of MCU films. But even without Tom's cameo, fans weren't disappointed as the film further explored the possibilities of the multiverse and alternate realities.

Tom Cruise is still jumping rooftops as Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible movies and flying fighter jets as Maverick in the new Top Gun sequel. So perhaps, it would be realistically impossible for him to devote his time to a Marvel film which always proves to be an enormous project.