At this point, it's really no secret that Marvel Studios planned to include Balder the Brave (Thor's brother in the comic books) in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Initial reports suggested Bruce Campbell would play the Asgardian, though it's still unclear whether he actually shot any of those scenes before being cut. Since then, it's been revealed that No Time to Die star Daniel Craig was actually eyed to play Balder, with concept art even showing what the former James Bond would have looked like as The Illuminati member.
The actor has played coy about the cameo, but as with many other characters in this team, it's thought stand-ins were used during shooting. That's why we remain convinced there's footage somewhere in the bowels of Marvel Studios with Sir Patrick Stewart's Professor X interacting with a stand-in for Michael Fassbender's Magneto!
Regardless, a new stunt video has revealed some never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage from the Doctor Strange sequel, and that sure looks like Balder lying dead on the floor.
What little we see appears to confirm rumours the Scarlet Witch was set to use the Asgardian's sword to kill him, though the downed performer decked out in the armour is more than likely a stand-in or stuntman, and not whoever Sam Raimi planned to cast as the hero.
We still don't have a definitive answer about why the this cameo was cut, but believe he was replaced during reshoots by Mister Fantastic and/or Black Bolt.
When it comes to Balder's MCU future, he could still make his presence felt somewhere down the line. Whether that's with Craig or another actor is tough to predict, but he'd be an interesting new addition to this shared world, that's for sure. Perhaps the plan is for Thor's brother to show up in one of the upcoming Avengers movies?
Take a look at Balder below, and keep checking back here for Doctor Strange updates!
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