Elizabeth Olsen Confirms Daniel Craig’s Intended Role as Balder the Brave in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

In a recent interview on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, Elizabeth Olsen confirmed the long-standing rumors that Daniel Craig was originally slated to appear alongside her as Balder the Brave in last year’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Despite Craig’s noncommittal stance on the matter, Olsen became the first on-screen star to verify his supposed involvement in the film.

During the podcast interview, Horowitz brought up Olsen’s career and her time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), mentioning her collaboration with John Krasinski as Reed Richards in the film. However, Olsen clarified that she had never actually worked with Krasinski on the project, which she had also stated during a previous lie detector test with Vanity Fair.

Horowitz then revealed that he had also spoken with Daniel Craig on the same podcast and had asked him about his potential appearance in the MCU. Although Craig remained tight-lipped on the issue, Olsen candidly confirmed, “Yes, that’s what I thought was going to happen too. I saw the art. They made a costume. They had a design.”

The character of Balder the Brave had been previously mentioned by Graham Churchyard, a costume designer who worked on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Churchyard revealed in an interview on ComicBook.com’s Phase Zero podcast that they had made significant progress in designing Balder’s costume but were ultimately waiting on casting. Olsen’s confirmation further solidifies the character’s almost inclusion in the film, as she expressed disappointment at the delay in casting, saying, “Poor Balder the Brave.”

For those unfamiliar with Balder the Brave, the character is the half-brother of Thor and the son of Odin and Freyja in Marvel Comics’ continuity. Like many Asgardian figures, Balder has roots in Norse mythology, where he is known as Baldr.

While Olsen’s role as Wanda Maximoff in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness received mixed reviews, she is expected to reprise the character in the upcoming Disney+ show, Agatha: Coven of Chaos. With Jac Shaeffer, the mastermind behind WandaVision, at the helm, fans hope that Wanda will be given a more satisfying storyline. Olsen’s full interview on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast can be accessed through the provided link.