Marvel Studios is one of the most admired media franchises, especially for comic book connoisseurs and superhero fiction enthusiasts. And yet, even after garnering such an enormous audience all over the world and sitting on stacks of success, the company somehow still seems to be using misinformation as its strongest selling point.
Marvel’s marketing tactics seem to be based colossally, if not wholly, on deceiving its audience. That’s to say, it’s no secret that companies often indulge in sprinkling some misinformation here and inciting certain rumors there to sell their beloved products, in this case, their films and shows. But Marvel seems to have taken that strategy and turned it into a nasty habit instead.
Take the case of the rumors about Daniel Craig’s alleged casting in Doctor Strange 2. It’s a classic instance amongst many others that prove Marvel loves to string fans along.
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Daniel Craig Debunks Rumors That He Was Ever to be Cast in Doctor Strange 2
Remember the formidable team of superheroes in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Illuminati? Well, Thor’s half-brother and a powerful Asgardian, Balder the Brave, was originally going to be a part of that superhero squad. In fact, Daniel Craig was even rumored to play the character on screen. But that all was, of course, a hoax as Craig himself has clarified.
When talks about the Skyfall actor coming to the MCU started to surface online, Craig never addressed any of it at that time. But he has finally put the matter to rest, revealing how he had no idea about the rumors. The man doesn’t even know who Balder the Brave is!
While speaking to Happy Sad Confused‘s Josh Horowitz on the subject, Craig exclaimed that he knew naught. And when he was asked about the same in a different interview with BBC Radio 1, the Casino Royale star once again replied in the negative.
“It’s all rumor… I mean, I don’t know where these things come from. It’s a lot of lockdown craziness.”
Clearly, our ex-James Bond is not particularly a Marvel buff.
Marvel Has A Penchant for Leading Its Fans Astray
In the film industry, rumors often do a whole lot of selling. If there’s a new movie in the works, there are going to be tons of rumors about it, and the more talk surrounding the project, the greater the chances of it becoming a popular topic. Most of the MCU films and shows happen to thrive on this very game plan. How else would you explain the inexplicable hype surrounding Marvel projects that are literally 2-3 years away from their official release? Sure, fans are genuinely thrilled about it, but it’s the franchise that keeps this excitement fresh by plying the audience with more and more potential material. It doesn’t matter if this material rarely holds any veracity, so long as it does the job and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.
Every time there’s a new MCU film or television series, you’ll find a plethora of rumors trailing right behind. Granted, many of these also happen to be fan theories or sheer curiosity, but the majority of said rumors seem to get sparked up by an insider source.
Craig’s instance is just one out of so many, just the way he’s only one of the various other celebrities to have debunked such rumors. There are so many such discussions swirling around that end up going unaccounted for. Deadpool 3 serves as the perfect example of the same. The Ryan Reynolds-led film is set to release in November 2024, and yet the chatter surrounding it is insanely incessant! In a matter of mere months, there have come forward innumerable rumors about the casting and plot. And most of it seems to have originated from random insider sources.
Safe to say, candor doesn’t seem to be Marvel’s strong suit.
