Doctor Strange 2: Did MCU Leaks Force Marvel To Reveal Professor X’s Return?

The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer had significant Marvel Cinematic Universe surprises, but did leaks force Marvel to reveal Professor X? The Doctor Strange 2 trailer had more action in two minutes than Super Bowl LVI had in the entire first half. The trailer featured Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) confronting Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) about a possibly sinister turn. Additionally, America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) fights across the Multiverse with Stephen Strange in new footage, and there are appearances by a mysterious Captain Marvel-like figure and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mordo. Ultron bots also show up in the trailer, seemingly escorting Doctor Strange to a trial.

Doctor Strange’s trial has the most significant reveal of all. The scene apparently introduces Marvel’s Illuminati, a group of powerful characters trying to pull strings behind the scenes. Illuminati members from Marvel’s comics include Iron Man, Namor, Mister Fantastic, and Black Bolt. During this trial, a “Mystery Voice” says, “We should tell him the truth.” Though viewers can’t see the character fully, the voice apparently belongs to Patrick Stewart’s Professor X. If Patrick Stewart does appear in the film, the moment finally brings the X-Men to the MCU, giving the Multiverse its most significant purpose.

Marvel’s Professor X reveal is surprising for fans. Typically, the studio stays tight-lipped on spoilers, so showing Professor X in a trailer is confusing. However, Doctor Strange 2 has had significant leaks and rumors swirling for months, possibly forcing Marvel’s hand with Professor X. Of course, leaks are nothing new for Marvel. The studio regularly deals with casting news leaking and set photos making their way to the public. So, in the end, Marvel’s X-Men reveal may not be that significant after all.

Doctor Strange 2’s Significant Leaks And Rumors

Marvel initially set Doctor Strange 2 to come out in May 2021. However, the ongoing pandemic drastically changed the schedule and even altered the movie’s plot. After all, Doctor Strange 2 was initially supposed to come out before Spider-Man: No Way Home, with the Spider-Man movie playing off of events in the film. In the end, No Way Home hit theaters before Doctor Strange 2, and in the meantime, the Sam Raimi-helmed Doctor Strange sequel has undergone significant reshoots and tweaks. With the increased production time, there’s been even more time for Doctor Strange 2 leaks to come out.

Thus far, the Doctor Strange 2 leaks and rumors have been significant. Notably, rumors claimed Professor X would appear since a pre-vis leak in September 2021. The leak seemingly showed a de-aged version of Patrick Stewart’s Professor X appearing in the film. Rumors also claimed the Illuminati would make appearances with significant members such as Black Bolt, Mister Fantastic, Tony Stark, and even Black Panther.

Marvel Likes To Stay Tight-Lipped On Spoilers

Marvel doesn’t take spoilers lightly. The studio goes to great lengths to keep secrets under wraps. For instance, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame had fake scripts to throw people off the real story and keep those who knew twists to a minimum. Likewise, Tom Holland revealed in interviews that Marvel wanted to keep Spider-Man: No Way Home villains a secret. The film brings past Spider-Man characters, including Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock, Rhys Ifans’ Lizard, and Jamie Foxx’s Electro, into the MCU. And according to Holland, the “initial plan” was to make the film seem like a battle between Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange and Spider-Man instead of showing the bad guys. 

With Marvel’s typical stance on spoilers, the Doctor Strange 2 trailer is surprising. After all, Marvel essentially confirms the leaks by showing Professor X and the Illuminati. This could lend credence to other leaks and rumors as well. For instance, rumors also claim Tom Cruise will appear as a Tony Stark/Iron Man variant in the film. The reveal makes that leak a possibility.

Leaks Are Nothing New For Marvel

Still, Marvel has been here before. After more than a decade of making MCU projects, Marvel is used to leaks, rumors, and speculation. News of the Marvel villains appearing in No Way Home hit the internet more than a year before the film was released. The Hollywood Reporter had an exclusive about Jamie Foxx returning as Electro, and images of Andrew Garfield on set in Spider-Man gear made their way around social media long before the film debuted.

In truth, the MCU thrives on leaks and rumors. At this point, fans run wild with even the most minor details of projects, creating elaborate viral theories based on speculation. And the MCU Phase 4 fan theories only generate more hype and publicity for MCU movies and shows. For instance, despite images of Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker making their way around the internet, audiences erupted in theaters when the character made his debut in the film. And as proof that leaks don’t hurt the movies, Spider-Man: No Way Home is now one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

Marvel’s Reveal Isn’t Much Of A Reveal At All

Marvel knows what it’s doing with its reveals. The Professor X moment in the Doctor Strange 2 trailer seems surprising, but perhaps it shouldn’t be. After all, the trailer doesn’t truly confirm Professor X appears in the film. It doesn’t even show the character’s face, simply teasing an appearance with his voice. And rumors about Professor X appearing have circulated for months, with James McAvoy even denying them to Screen Rant. At this point, Marvel wasn’t forced to do anything. Fans basically knew the character would appear, and the moment is nothing more than a slight tease of a possible appearance.

Marvel’s Professor X teaser did precisely what the studio wanted. The moment appeared during a Super Bowl ad and had fans flooding social media with their reactions. Yet, Marvel didn’t even have to show the character’s face. Since Marvel completed its purchase of Fox entertainment assets in 2019, fans have been waiting years for the X-Men to appear in the MCU. Leaks weren’t necessary. Viewers knew it was always going to happen. Though some viewers may be surprised that Marvel showed a glimpse of Professor X so early before the film, others may wonder why it took so long. And with everyone focusing on leaks they already knew, fans may be distracted from looking for the real surprises in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.