There has been a lot of conflicting information about Shuma-Gorath's potential role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While we know that squid-like creature in the trailers is Gargantos, he's nowhere near as huge as the monster from What If...?, and many believe he'll be a precursor to the main big bad showing up.
ComicBook.com is reporting that Disney and Marvel Studios don't "technically" own the rights to the Shuma-Gorath name as it is, in fact, held by a company called Heroic Signatures.
The name was first used in one of Conan the Barbarian author Robert E. Howard's Kull the Conqueror short stories. Apparently, Marvel Studios never inquired about using the name and seemingly decided to rename the villain "Gargantos." As a result, it's looking increasingly unlikely that the monster will be much more than a throwaway baddie at the start of the sequel.
Marvel Comics does work with Heroic Signatures and is currently publishing Conan the Barbarian comic books, but company President Fred Malmberg said this when asked if he ever heard about sharing the Shuma-Gorath name. "We have a great relationship with Marvel and have worked together to solve many snags over the years, but who can answer this hypothetical?"
"As for our future plans for the character, that is not something we can reveal at the moment," the executive teased. "Stay tuned."
It certainly feels like something is going on, so we remain optimistic that Shuma-Gorath will make his presence felt and be revealed as What If...?'s recurring threat. However, we wouldn't be surprised if he's being saved for the animated show's second season as there might not be room in this movie.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will arrive in theaters worldwide on May 6.
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