A new Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness casting rumor has emerged online – and it might be teasing a big connection with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The Sorcerer Supreme's sequel only has six confirmed cast members so far but, according to actress Yenifer Molina's profile on Mandy.com – a website that allows professional actors to search for movie and TV roles – a creature called Gargantos is set to appear in Doctor Strange 2.
Per Molina's account page, the actress will voice the character for "Gargantos Fight 2" in Marvel's upcoming Phase 4 superhero flick, but it's unclear if this action sequence will be a key part of the film.
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Marvel has yet to confirm that Gargantos will appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but this isn't the first casting rumor we've seen about the movie.
Wanda Maximoff's twin sons Billy and Tommy, who were portrayed by Julian Hilliard and Jett Klyne in the Disney Plus show WandaVision, are thought to be involved in some capacity. Speculation has also surrounded Rintrah, a magical minotaur who occasionally appears in Marvel comics, being part of the cast, too.
With Doctor Strange 2 set to explore the MCM in more detail (and run into all manner of weird, wonderful and deadly beings along the way), the addition of a giant octopus-like sea monster in Gargantos doesn't seem so far-fetched.
Should Gargantos be confirmed as part of Doctor Strange 2's cast, its impact could be two-fold: not only will we get a secondary movie antagonist, but it's likely that a longstanding Black Panther 2 rumor could also be true.
Analysis: Gargantos' potential Doctor Strange 2 appearance may tie into Black Panther 2
We know that we'll be getting at least one new character in Doctor Strange 2 – Xochitl Gomez's America Chavez – who will be the first superhero to arrive from a dimension that exists outside of what we know as the MCU. If other rumors prove to be true, we could see Rintrah or Gargantos make an appearance.
It's Gargantos' possible MCM arrival, though, that teases a link between Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
In Marvel comics, Gargantos is commanded by a supervillain called Naga. A humanoid who reigns over the underwater kingdom of Lemuria, Naga has occasionally locked horns with another aquatic superpowered individual – Namor the Sub-Mariner.
Why is this important? Because, if you believe the longstanding rumors, Namor the Sub-Mariner is said to be making his live-action debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Over the past 12 months, various reports have suggested that Namor will be part of Black Panther 2's cast and plot – and may even be the villain of the piece, even though he's traditionally a hero.
Black Panther and Namor have battled in Marvel comics, so this wouldn't be out of the ordinary if they fight in the film sequel. This depends on whether someone else assumes the Black Panther mantle following Chadwick Boseman's death in August 2020.
There's growing evidence that Namor will feature in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, too.
In June 2021, Christopher Sinclair, who works in the movie industry, posted an image from the Black Panther 2 set that showed underwater scenes were being shot using a water tank:
Of course, Black Panther 2's crew may be shooting underwater scenes for another purpose. It's coincidental, though, that they're shooting these sequences for a movie that's rumored to introduce an MCU aquatic superhero.
We'll have to see if Marvel confirms Namor's inclusion in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, Gargantos' potential appearance in Doctor Strange 2, combined with the image above, gives us hope that he may finally make his live-action bow soon, even if he ends up being a character from another dimension like America Chavez who crosses over into the MCU.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrives in theaters on March 25, 2022, while Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is scheduled to launch on July 8, 2022.
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