10 Upcoming MCU Castings We Already Know
Marvel Studios is keeping Emilia Clarke's Secret Invasion character under wraps for a reason.
There's no pop-culture franchise on the planet that's more excitedly and endlessly speculated about than the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Across both its blockbuster movies and Disney+ series, fans hang on every last sliver of information, whether an official announcement, trailer, rumour, or perhaps even a leak or two.
And while rumours and leaks often have a habit of being false - Tom Cruise playing variant Tony Stark in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, anyone? - there are certainly leakers with strong track records who deserve to be taken seriously.
And so, for anyone keeping their ear to the ground, these are the 10 upcoming MCU casting announcements we actually already know about, even if they've not been officially confirmed by Marvel Studios themselves.
In some cases we already know that the actor is playing somebody, but these leaks confirm who, while in others the actor's very participation in the MCU is being kept under wraps.
While it's always sensible to approach rumours with a fair pinch of salt, there's enough smoke and credible information around these casting choices that there's really no reason not to take them as near-gospel...
10. Daniel Craig - Balder The Brave
Shortly after the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, word emerged from Deadline's Justin Kroll that John Krasinski wasn't in fact the first choice to play Reed Richards in the film's unforgettable Illuminati sequence.
Rather, Daniel Craig was originally eyed for the role, but ultimately had to back out due to COVID concerns.
However, reliable leaker Heavy Spoilers followed up by supporting Kroll's claim that Craig almost appeared in the Doctor Strange sequel, but added that he was actually supposed to play another character entirely - Balder the Brave.
Balder, who in the comics is Thor's half-brother, would've been a member of the Illuminati and presumably killed off during the sequence, but through his absence lived to fight another day.
And to that end, it's absolutely possible - if not outright likely - that we'll see Craig play Balder in earnest in the future.
The prospect of Craig playing the part was immediately embraced by fans, who would certainly love to see it be more than a mere missed opportunity.
With the MCU becoming ever more entwined in multiversal shenanigans, would it surprise anyone if Craig made a cameo in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder, or a future MCU project?