Charlize Theron Done With Marvel After Only Doctor Strange Cameo?
Charlize Theron says Disney has yet to reach out about reprising her role as Clea in the MCU.
After dodging questions regarding her future with the Marvel franchise for some time, it seems as though Charlize Theron may not be returning to satisfy the cliffhanger presented in the post-credits sequence of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. According to a recent write-up in The Direct, the Fast X actress has stated numerous times in recent media appearances that she has yet to receive any correspondence from Disney regarding a return to her briefly seen character Clea, leaving her just as confused as the viewing public about what future her character may have in the extended film and television universe, if any.
This is obviously a highly unusual practice for the executives over at Marvel, who usually prefer to lock their on-screen talent into multi-picture contracts as soon as possible to avoid relying on recasting or rewriting their films around the sudden disappearance of a significant character in the franchise. While some A-list Marvel leads are obviously tapped for deals as long as 7-9 films, even smaller side characters within the ever growing multiverse can be required to sign extended deals before appearing in a major MCU blockbuster. This doesn’t seem to be the case for Charlize Theron, though she seems excited at the prospect of reprising her very brief role if Kevin Feige ever does decide to return her calls.
Charlize Theron’s tenure in the MCU is currently stuck in limbo with only a single scene showcasing her character to the public. In the scene, which played following the credits of 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Theron’s Clea accosts Benedict Cumberbatch‘s titular Avenger on the streets of New York, asking for his help to remedy an incursion caused by Strange’s use of dimension-bending magic. After Doctor Strange accepts her call to action, Clea utilizes a magic knife to rip a portal into the space-time continuum, offering a passage into the Dark Dimension.
In the Marvel comics, Clea is a major character, often interacting with Stephen Strange as an ally and love interest, eventually leading the two to get married. In the fifth issue of the recent The Death of Dr. Strange comic run, Clea even takes over the role as Sorcerer Supreme, flexing her own impressive multiversal magic skills in the process. For many fans, this was evidence enough to suggest that Charlize Theron would continue playing the character long into the future of the MCU, perhaps even functioning as an invaluable asset in the upcoming war with Kang the Conqueror.
Of course, due to the nature of Multiverse of Madness, any new characters introduced in the film could be written off as variants from another dimension. For instance, John Krasinski appears in the film in the role of Reed Richards, seemingly confirming numerous fan castings of the character from across the internet, while Marvel’s plans were always to bring Krasinski in as a cameo appearance, leaving the full role to be explored by Adam Driver. Perhaps Marvel’s failure to contact Charlize Theron about reprising the role is a sign that they plan to recast Clea with another actress, though many fans, including Theron herself, would find the wasted potential to be a real shame.
