Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced a surprising array of heroes in Earth-838’s Illuminati, but costume designer Graham Churchyard has revealed one hero didn’t make the cut.

At the midway point of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, who has traversed realities with Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez, is brough before the Illuminati – a secret organization of heroes founded by his Earth-838 counterpart.

‘Doctor Strange 2’ Producer Reveals The Illuminati’s Connection To Tony Stark

The Illuminati ushered in a wave of surprising cameos, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X and John Krasinski’s Mr. Fantastic amongst them. However, Graham Churchyard has revealed another character was considered, but ultimately missed out on their fourth opportunity to join the MCU.

Thor’s Brother From Another Mother

Rumors have circulated for a while suggesting Balder the Brave, Thor’s half-brother in Marvel’s comic continuity, was set to appear as a member of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Graham Churchyard has confirmed these rumors are true.

Graham Churchyard recently revealed, while talking to ComicBook.com, that designs were completed for Balder’s costume and work even started on creating a prototype.

Charlie Cox’s Daredevil & Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin Confirmed For ‘Echo’ Series

Rumors suggested Bruce Campbell or Daniel Craig could be up for the role, but it sounds like Balder was dropped from the Doctor Strange sequel before an actor was cast. Check out Graham Churchyard’s comments on Balder’s near miss below:

“We got very far designing Balder the Brave and then we were waiting, and waiting, and waiting on casting. 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 in the Marvel archive 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 the comics, Balder had been linked to Ragnarok, the prophesied destruction of Asgard, with it being said his death would help trigger it. It is interesting then to see that Balder the Brave was almost included in Thor: Ragnarok, where he could have potentially fulfilled this role.

‘The Boys’ Season 3 Finale Delivers A Shocking Major Character Death

While Balder the Brave didn’t make the final cut, the other members of the Illuminati can be seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Here is the official synopsis:

The MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.

Directed by Sam Raimi from a script written by Michael Waldron, the Marvel film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, with Michael Stuhlbarg, Rachel McAdams, John Krasinski, and Patrick Stewart.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is available now on Digital and Disney Plus, and will arrive on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 18th. Stay tuned for all the latest news regarding the film, and subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.

Source: ComicBook.com