Before COVID threw Marvel Studios' Phase 4 slate into complete disarray, the plan was for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to be released before Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Thanks to the schedule change, the Multiverse was introduced in the web-slinger's third solo outing in the MCU. Of course, we've previously seen concept art showing America Chavez in Spider-Man: No Way Home, with that suggesting she would be involved in sending those villains back to their own worlds (perhaps using the Book of the Vishanti, the Doctor Strange sequel's MacGuffin).
In The Hollywood Reporter's story about America Chavez creator Joe Casey's lack of financial compensation for creating the character, they confirm original plans for the character in the MCU.
"For a time, she was even considered for a part in Spider-Man: No Way Home, in which she would have played the sorcerer’s apprentice type role that ultimately went to Ned (Jacob Batalon), according to a knowledgeable source," the trade confirms. "No Way Home...was initially supposed to open after the Doctor Strange sequel and so her No Way Home part was cut."
Ned's newfound ability to master magic was one of Spider-Man: No Way Home's goofier subplots, but it was needed to introduce those Variant Spider-Men. America Chavez would have obviously been a better option for the movie, though it's easy enough to understand why she didn't make the final cut.
What are your hopes for the universe hopping hero following Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Let us know your thoughts below and stay tuned for more on that between now and May 6.